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Garry Knox Bennett papers

Creator:
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this
Jurs, Nancy, 1941  Search this
Paley, Albert  Search this
Schwarcz, June, 1918-2015  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Extent:
12.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Date:
1917-2017
bulk 1960-2017
Summary:
The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017. The collection documents the artist's life and career through biographical materials, correspondence with family and friends including other artists, exhibition files, professional files, financial and legal records, and printed material and scrapbooks recording his exhibition history and more, including photographs from his youth.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer Garry Knox Bennett measure 12.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to 2017 with the bulk of the material dating from 1960 to 2017.

The collection includes biographical materials containing Bennett's birthday and wedding celebration material, appointment calendars, childhood artwork, sketches and patterns for projects, photographs and notes regarding the Bennetts' marriage, resumes, student records, and material regarding the Bennetts' house fire in 2003. Correspondence is with artists Wendell Castle and Nancy Jurs, June Schwarcz, Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale, Albert Paley who describes an accident that occurred in 2002, and good friend and writer Jack Marlowe, as well as with wife Sylvia and daughter Jessica. Exhibition files consist of artwork price lists, artist statements, shipping documents, correspondence, and printed materials for Bennett's solo and group exhibitions. They also include documentation of a few exhibitions showing pieces from his personal art collection.

Professional files relate to workshops, lectures, exhibitions, donations, and grant proposals. Also found are project and publication files, artist statements written by Jack Marlowe and Tom Farber for Bennett, studio visit records, a video recording of an interview with Bennett, and a few digital recordings. The Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett (2001) retrospective files consist of correspondence, fundraising records, lender files, and material regarding the creation of a book that also served as the catalog for the exhibition. Financial and legal records contain check registers, invoices and receipts, card files containing sales information, and legal material relating to the estate of Peter T. Joseph. Printed materials include clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and exhibition history material. Additional printed material can be found in the scrapbooks recording exhibitions and Bennett's career. The scrapbooks also include some personal items such as letters, photographs, and documents from Bennett's youth.

Handwritten notes by Sylvia Bennett, offering additional history and context, can be found throughout the collection. The notes were typically written onto the original folders which have been preserved along with the related material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-2009 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 13, OV 14)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1955-2017 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1979-2017 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1959-2017 (5.0 linear feet; Boxes 4-9)

Series 5: -- Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett -- Retrospective, circa 1977-2009 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)

Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1950s-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-12)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1960-2015 (0.8 linear feet; Box 12)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1948-1997 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)
Biographical / Historical:
Garry Knox Bennett (1934-2022) was a woodworker, sculptor, and furniture designer in Oakland, California.

Bennett was born in Alameda, California to Katherine von Tagen and Robert Bennett, but was raised by his grandparents. He attended the California College of the Arts, then the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he studied painting and began experimenting with metals. During this time he married his wife Sylvia.

He opened a studio in the late 1960s where he produced his famous roach clips, then later opened a larger studio named Squirkenworks in Oakland. In the 1970s, he began working with wood and on 1980 fabricated his infamous Nail Cabinet, a wood cabinet with a single nail driven through the face of the door, which garnered attention not only for Bennett's expert craftsmanship but also for what some saw as disrespect for the craft. Regardless of any controversy Bennett's work created, he became highly respected as a craftsman. In step with his unconventional nature, Bennett exhibited and sold his paintings and jewelry using the pseudonyms Ambrose Pillphister and Gerraldo Bennucci.

Bennett received the Award of Distinction from the Furniture Society and the Master of the Medium Award from the James Renwick Alliance, and was a Fellow of the American Craft Council. A major retrospective, Made in Oakland: The Furniture of Garry Knox Bennett, took place in 2001 at the American Craft Museum in New York and the Oakland Museum in California.

Bennett died unexpectedly in 2022 in Oakland, California.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett conducted February 1-2, 2002 by Glenn Adamson in Oakland, C.A. for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Provenance:
The Garry Knox Bennett papers were donated in 2003 by Sylvia Bennett, Bennett's wife, and in 2017 by Garry Knox Bennett. The papers were collected as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project For Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Woodworkers -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Furniture designers -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Topic:
Scrapbooks  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.benngarr
See more items in:
Garry Knox Bennett papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw910abe018-7381-4bf6-b522-a4b42fcfc6c8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-benngarr
Online Media:

Playbill for Hair

Published by:
Playbill, American, founded 1884  Search this
Used by:
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, American, founded 1925  Search this
Subject of:
Donnie Burks, American, 1939 - 2008  Search this
Steve Curry  Search this
Ronnie Dyson, American, 1950 - 1990  Search this
Sally Eaton, American, born 1946  Search this
Diane Keaton, American, born 1946  Search this
Barry McGuire, American, born 1935  Search this
Richard Kim Milford, American, 1951 - 1988  Search this
Melba Moore, American, born 1945  Search this
Shelley Plimpton, American, born 1947  Search this
Medium:
ink on paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm)
Type:
theater programs
Place used:
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1967
Topic:
African American  Search this
Actors  Search this
Broadway Theatre  Search this
Musical Theatre  Search this
Rock and roll (Music)  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kayla Deigh Owens
Object number:
2011.45.39
Restrictions & Rights:
Playbill used by permission. All rights reserved, Playbill Inc
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Memorabilia and Ephemera
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5447e77b3-a651-4bc3-ac73-efc99ac2fe49
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2011.45.39
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Playbill for Hair digital asset number 1
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Wendy Maruyama, 2010 March 5-6

Interviewee:
Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Subject:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Wendy Maruyama, 2010 March 5-6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Deaf artists  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)15790
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)288769
AAA_collcode_maruya10
Theme:
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_288769
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Wendy Maruyama

Interviewee:
Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Extent:
80 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2010 March 5-6
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Wendy Maruyama conducted 2010 March 5 and 6, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Maruyama's home and studio, in San Diego, California.
Biographical / Historical:
Wendy Maruyama (1952- ) is an artist, furniture maker, and educator in San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 memory cards. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 17 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Designers -- California  Search this
Woodworkers -- California  Search this
Furniture designers  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Deaf artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.maruya10
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ced9edf7-0907-4b71-9a83-0dfa35b81bd2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-maruya10
Online Media:

Harry Bertoia papers, 1917-1979

Creator:
Bertoia, Harry, 1915-1978  Search this
Subject:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Knoll Associates, inc.  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Citation:
Harry Bertoia papers, 1917-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculpture, Abstract  Search this
Design  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Metal-work  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8885
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211070
AAA_collcode_bertharr
Theme:
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211070

Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017, bulk 1960-2017

Creator:
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-2022  Search this
Subject:
Castle, Wendell  Search this
Stocksdale, Kay Sekimachi  Search this
Schwarcz, June  Search this
Paley, Albert  Search this
Jurs, Nancy  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Drawings
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Garry Knox Bennett papers, 1917-2017, bulk 1960-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Scrapbooks  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6040
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)239435
AAA_collcode_benngarr
Theme:
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_239435
Online Media:

Sam Maloof papers, 1954-2003

Creator:
Maloof, Sam, 1916-2009  Search this
Subject:
Carter, Rosalynn  Search this
Carter, Jimmy  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Citation:
Sam Maloof papers, 1954-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11589
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)249513
AAA_collcode_malosam
Theme:
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_249513

Oral history interview with Arthur Espenet Carpenter, 2001 June 20-2001 September 4

Interviewee:
Carpenter, Arthur Espenet, 1920-2006  Search this
Interviewer:
Hanna, Kathleen, 1943-  Search this
Subject:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Arthur Espenet Carpenter, 2001 June 20-2001 September 4. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Furniture making  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11648
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)227987
AAA_collcode_carpen01
Theme:
Craft
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_227987
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Sam Maloof, 2002 Jan. 10-11

Interviewee:
Maloof, Sam, 1916-2009  Search this
Interviewer:
MacNaughton, Mary Davis  Search this
Subject:
Sheets, Millard  Search this
Scripps College  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Sam Maloof, 2002 Jan. 10-11. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Furniture making  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12518
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)229622
AAA_collcode_maloof02
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_229622
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Sam Maloof

Interviewee:
Maloof, Sam  Search this
Interviewer:
MacNaughton, Mary Davis  Search this
Names:
Scripps College -- Faculty  Search this
Sheets, Millard, 1907-1989  Search this
Extent:
4 Sound cassettes (Sound recording, master (210 min.), analog)
59 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound cassettes
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2002 Jan. 10-11
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Sam Maloof conducted 2002 Jan. 10-12, by Mary MacNaughton, for the Archives of American Art, in Maloof's home/studio in Alta Loma, Calif.
Maloof describes his childhood in Chino, Calif., where he learned the craft of furniture making from his father, who had emigrated from Lebanon; his early training in graphic art; the influence of Millard Sheets (1907-1989), head of the art department at Scripps College; his first commissions in the late 1940s; his designs in the 1950s; his contacts with artists in Claremont; exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Fair; commissions with the firm Kneedler-Fauchere and his associations with other California furniture makers; and the artistic process.
Biographical / Historical:
Sam Maloof (1916-2009) was a furniture designer in Alto Loma, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 8 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment.
Occupation:
Furniture designers -- California  Search this
Topic:
Furniture making  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.maloof02
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d5cddeaa-92bc-4a12-9eb8-81467c850079
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-maloof02
Online Media:

Oral history interview with James Krenov, 2004 August 12-13

Interviewee:
Krenov, James, 1920-2009  Search this
Interviewer:
Fitzgerald, Oscar P.  Search this
Subject:
Rochester Institute of Technology  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Woodstock School of Painting  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with James Krenov, 2004 August 12-13. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Woodwork  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11905
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)249006
AAA_collcode_krenov04
Theme:
Craft
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_249006
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Ray Eames, 1980 July 28-August 20

Interviewee:
Eames, Ray Kaiser, 1916-1988  Search this
Interviewer:
Bowman, Ruth, 1923-  Search this
Subject:
Eames, Charles  Search this
Grotell, Maija  Search this
Hofmann, Hans  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Saarinen, Eero  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel  Search this
Strengell, Marianne  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Ray Eames, 1980 July 28-August 20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Design  Search this
Designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Architecture & Design  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12821
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212044
AAA_collcode_eames80
Theme:
Architecture & Design
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212044
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Rosanne Somerson, 2006 August 7 and 2007 June 22

Interviewee:
Somerson, Rosanne, 1954-  Search this
Interviewer:
Michie, Thomas S.  Search this
Subject:
Abramson, Ron  Search this
Callahan, Harry M.  Search this
Capanigro, Paul  Search this
Cooke, Ned  Search this
Dunnigan, John  Search this
Fairbanks, Jonathan L.  Search this
Follen, Eck  Search this
Frid, Tage  Search this
Jackson, Dan  Search this
Joseph, Peter T. (Peter Thomas)  Search this
Kagan, Richard  Search this
Keck, Hardu  Search this
Kranov, James  Search this
Maruyama, Wendy  Search this
Mattia, Alphonse  Search this
Melanson, Gracie  Search this
Osgood, Jere  Search this
Sfirri, Mark  Search this
Siskind, Aaron  Search this
Swanson, Charlie  Search this
Szasz, Merlin  Search this
White, Leroy  Search this
Wolf, Hans  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Peters Valley (Craft center)  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design  Search this
Richard Kagan Gallery  Search this
Snyderman Gallery  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Rosanne Somerson, 2006 August 7 and 2007 June 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Fine woodworking  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Educators -- Rhode Island -- Interviews  Search this
Photography  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Furniture design  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13618
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)271125
AAA_collcode_somers06
Theme:
Craft
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_271125
Online Media:

Oral history interview with John Cederquist, 2009 April 14-15

Interviewee:
Cederquist, John, 1946-  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Subject:
Bennett, Garry Knox  Search this
Clark, Garth  Search this
Cooke, Edward S.  Search this
Danto, Arthur Coleman  Search this
Gaines, Tom  Search this
Hughes, Robert  Search this
Makepeace, John  Search this
Maruyama, Wendy  Search this
Parrasch, Franklin  Search this
Smith, Roberta  Search this
Snidecor, John  Search this
Straight, Bob  Search this
Straight, Chris  Search this
Turnbull, George  Search this
Zuecher, Gary  Search this
California State University  Search this
Franklin Parrasch Gallery  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Oakland Museum  Search this
Saddleback College  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Cederquist, 2009 April 14-15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Furniture designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Architecture & Design  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)15662
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)282437
AAA_collcode_cederq09
Theme:
Craft
Architecture & Design
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_282437
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Roy Superior, 2010 June 29-30

Interviewee:
Superior, Roy, 1934-2013  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Subject:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Roy Superior, 2010 June 29-30. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)15891
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)295966
AAA_collcode_superr10
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_295966
Online Media:

Oral history interview with John Cederquist

Interviewee:
Cederquist, John  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
California State University -- Students  Search this
Franklin Parrasch Gallery  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Oakland Museum  Search this
Saddleback College -- Faculty  Search this
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-  Search this
Clark, Garth, 1947-  Search this
Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this
Danto, Arthur Coleman, 1924-  Search this
Gaines, Tom  Search this
Hughes, Robert, 1938-2012  Search this
Makepeace, John  Search this
Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this
Parrasch, Franklin  Search this
Smith, Roberta  Search this
Snidecor, John  Search this
Straight, Bob  Search this
Straight, Chris  Search this
Turnbull, George  Search this
Zuecher, Gary  Search this
Extent:
11 Items (Sound recording: 11 sound files (4 hr., 54 min.), digital, wav file)
111 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2009 April 14-15
Scope and Contents:
An interview of John Cederquist conducted 2009 April 14-15, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Cederquist's studio, in San Clemente, California.
John Cederquist speaks of his recent series Dollar Bill; his long-standing interest in perspective and use of tool imagery in his work; his childhood in Southern California; his early interest in art through custom car art; high school art instruction and focusing on craft; earning undergraduate and graduate degrees at California State University, Long Beach in the late 1960s and early 1970s; teaching at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, starting in the early 1970s; work in wood and leather; other brief teaching jobs in Southern California universities; early exhibitions; exhibition and demonstrations at Parnham House, Beaminster, England, 1978; starting to teach perspective at Saddleback; Number One; the Egg and the Eye gallery/cafe, Los Angeles, California; Game Table [1982]; Auntie Macassar Goes West, 1987-88; philosophical and aesthetic differences between wood artists on the East and West coasts; exhibition: "Material Evidence: Master Craftsmen Explore ColorCore," Workbench: the Gallery, New York, New York, 1984; "California Woodworking," the Oakland Museum [of California, 1980; Thonet catalog as source material]; influence of animation in film and television; the perceptual and conceptual issues in translating two dimensions into three, and vice versa; the nature of illusion and perception; inclusion of work in an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1989; the influence of How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging, Hideyuki Oka, Trumbull, Connecticut: Weatherhill, 1967; use of the Thomas Chippendale book (1754) as source material; subtle influence of cubism on Ghost Boy [1992] piece; his choice of furniture as the vehicle for his aesthetic exploration; series Furniture That Builds Itself (1991-2007), and continued influence of cartoons and animation; his choice of different kinds of wood; series How to Wrap Five Crates; series Kimonos and the influence of Japanese aesthetics; When Machines Dream of Hokusai [1995]: Road to Dreamland; series Wave (early to mid-1990s), and Tubular [1990], the first in the series; series Kosode; series This Is Not Lunch; historical Japanese tattoos as a source of inspiration; "Furniture That Builds Itself," Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, New York, 2003; sense of humor and "goofiness" in his work; Flat Foot Floogie Builds a Bench. [2003]; influence of photography on his work; his pieces as functional furniture and the artistic potential therein; social commentary in his recent Kosode pieces; Heavenly Victory; how his pieces get named; "The Art of John Cederquist: Reality of Illusion," Oakland Museum of California, 1999-2000; Breakthrough series: Steamer, early 1990s; Top Drawer (1985); Space Age Wave Machine (1999); use of thick wood instead of veneer; strengths and weaknesses of a university setting for art studies; the importance of being part of the craft movement; the role of Garth Clark's gallery in the movement; the importance of working with the Franklin Parrasch gallery; his admiration for art critic Robert Hughes; the role of online media in art journalism and criticism and journalism. He also recalls Gary Zuercher, Franklin Parrasch, John Snidecor, George Turnbull, John Makepeace, Edward S. Cooke, Garry Knox Bennett, Wendy Maruyama, Tom Gaines, Bob and Chris Straight, Arthur Danto, and Roberta Smith.
Biographical / Historical:
John Cederquist (1946- ) creates fine art furniture and wood sculpture. Cederquist is known for using trompe l'oeil in his work. He was educated at Long Beach State University and teaches at Saddleback College.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 54 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Cabinetmakers -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Furniture designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cederq09
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e6b8700a-8d69-4730-8c1b-fa580b376816
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cederq09
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Rosanne Somerson

Topic:
Fine woodworking
Interviewee:
Somerson, Rosanne, 1954-  Search this
Interviewer:
Michie, Thomas S.  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Peters Valley (Craft center)  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Faculty  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Students  Search this
Richard Kagan Gallery  Search this
Snyderman Gallery  Search this
Abramson, Ron  Search this
Callahan, Harry M.  Search this
Capanigro, Paul  Search this
Cooke, Ned  Search this
Dunnigan, John, 1950-  Search this
Fairbanks, Jonathan L.  Search this
Follen, Eck  Search this
Frid, Tage  Search this
Jackson, Dan  Search this
Joseph, Peter T. (Peter Thomas), 1950-1998  Search this
Kagan, Richard  Search this
Keck, Hardu  Search this
Kranov, James  Search this
Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this
Mattia, Alphonse  Search this
Melanson, Gracie  Search this
Osgood, Jere, 1936-  Search this
Sfirri, Mark  Search this
Siskind, Aaron  Search this
Swanson, Charlie  Search this
Szasz, Merlin  Search this
White, Leroy  Search this
Wolf, Hans  Search this
Extent:
61 Pages (Transcripts)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2006 August 7 and 2007 June 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Rosanne Somerson conducted 2006 August 7-2007 June 22, by Thomas Michie, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, Rhode Island. In part one of this interview, Somerson speaks of growing up outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; attending RISD beginning in 1971; being asked to teach there nine years later; creating a new department of furniture design; tailoring that furniture design program to encompass the development from design to manufacture; introducing materials other than wood into the program; garnering international attention through worldwide exhibits; her first show at the Richard Kagan Gallery in Philadelphia; participating in a group show in New York City for female woodworkers; making connections through the Snyderman Gallery and Pritam and Eames Gallery; working directly with clients on commissioned pieces; the financial stability of teaching; designing a piece for the headquarters of Khon, Peterson Fox, and Conway in New York; the sculptural elements present in many of her works; moving from a small studio in Boston, Massachusetts, to a larger studio in Westport, Connecticut, and finally to a shared studio in Fall River, Massachusetts; the supportive and proud reaction of her children to her work; creating a production company with colleagues and designing furniture for the RISD dormitories; attempting to make these designs both flexible and environmentally-friendly; putting aside teaching for an administrative position in the department; recent travel to Japan, Australia, England, Israel, and France; enrolling in summer programs with art schools like Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Maine and others; and excitement for her upcoming sabbatical.
In the second portion of the interview, she discusses living in a house built by her father in Wyncote, Pennsylvania; enjoying the location of the house on a former cherry orchard and consequently being drawn cherry wood as a medium; the feeling of her parents that anything could be accomplished with a certain amount of study; her mother's interest in weaving and spinning later in life; the creative pursuits of her older brothers, including creative writing and photography; verbally communicating the outside world to her blind grandfather and gaining an aptitude for interpreting visual imagery; being more academically than artistically focused in her youth; visiting art museums and having other cultural experiences with her family; being fascinated with photography by seeing her brother's work; deciding to put off college in order to spend a year in Denmark studying photography; enrolling in RISD and feeling overwhelmed at first by her inexperience; taking a winter course in wood-working and preferring it to photography; being advised by her teacher Tage Frid to gain a wood-working education by pursuing sculpture at RISD; transferring into industrial design later; learning a great deal from and being extraordinarily influenced by Tage Frid as a furniture designer and teacher; taking a semester off to attend Peters Valley Craftsmen in New Jersey; spending a few years after graduation assisting Frid with the writing and publication of his articles; working as an assistant editor for Fine Woodworking magazine; being offered a job at RISD in the furniture department; creating the furniture design program; using RISD's collection as inspiration for her work and as a teaching tool; moving towards using more local woods in her designs; her recent lecture and travel in China; and looking forward to focusing on her work in the new studio.
Somerson recalls John Dunnigan, Dick Kagan, Ned Cooke, Jonathan Fairbanks, Wendy Maruyama, James Krenov, Dan Jackson, Jere Osgood, Alphonse Mattia, Peter Joseph, Ron Abramson, Charlie Swanson, Eck Follen, Peter Walker, and others. In the second part, Somerson recalls Merlin Szasz, LeRoy White, Hardu Keck, Gracia Melanson, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Paul Crot, Paul Capanigro, Tage Frid, Hans Wolfe, Mark Sfirri, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Rosanne Somerson (1954- ) is a professor of furniture design and furniture designer and maker in Westport, Massachusetts. Thomas Michie is a curator of decorative arts, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 3 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Furniture designers -- Rhode Island  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Educators -- Rhode Island -- Interviews  Search this
Photography  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Furniture design  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.somers06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9db2e506b-fd9b-42d1-b6a2-f24d806027dc
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-somers06
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Ray Eames

Interviewee:
Eames, Ray  Search this
Interviewer:
Bowman, Ruth, 1923-  Search this
Names:
Eames, Charles  Search this
Grotell, Maija  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel, 1873-1950  Search this
Strengell, Marianne, 1909-1998  Search this
Extent:
89 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1980 July 28-August 20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Ray Kaiser Eames conducted 1980 July 28-1980 August 20, by Ruth Bowman, for the Archives of American Art, in Venice, California.
Eames speaks of her childhood; her education at Cranbrook Academy; meeting Charles Eames; methods and styles in furniture design and architecture; and teaching design at the University of California, Los Angeles. She recalls Hans Hofmann, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Maija Grotell, Marianne Strengell, and Carl Milles.
Biographical / Historical:
Ray Eames (1916-1988) was a designer from Venice, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav file. Duration is 3 hr., 56 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Design  Search this
Designers -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.eames80
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96cf29e06-c79d-4edd-b6c7-d3ed0d64cbbf
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-eames80
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett, 2002 February 1-2

Interviewee:
Bennett, Garry Knox, 1934-2022  Search this
Interviewer:
Adamson, Glenn, 1972-  Search this
Subject:
Bennett, Sylvia  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Garry Knox Bennett, 2002 February 1-2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11705
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)237767
AAA_collcode_bennet02
Theme:
Craft
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_237767
Online Media:

Oral history interview with John Eric Byers, 2011 June 13-14

Interviewee:
Byers, John Eric, 1959-  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Subject:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Eric Byers, 2011 June 13-14. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Designers -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)15952
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)301373
AAA_collcode_byers11
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_301373
Online Media:

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