Interview of Louis B. Siegriest, conducted 1975 April 5, by Paul Karlstrom and Nathan Oliveira, for the Archives of American Art, at Mr. Siegriest's home, in Oakland, California. Siegriest and Oliveira speak of his early career; the Society of Six; and the Bay Area figurative school. He recalls Perham Nahl, Bernard "Red" von Eichman, Bob Howard, Frank Van Sloun, Ruth Armer, Constance Macky, Lee Randolph, John Winkler, Maurice del Mue, Maynard Dixon, Willard Cox, Louis Hughes, Seldon Gile, August Gay, Xavier Martinez, Gottardo Piazzoni, Ralph Stackpole, Theodore Wores, Bill Gaw, William Henry Clapp, Terry St. John, Galka Scheyer, Maurice Logan, C.S. Price, Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Richard Diebenkorn, David Park, Elmer Bischoff, Frank Lobdell, Clifford Still, Diego Rivera, Otis Oldfield, Edna Stoddart, Johan Hagemeyer, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Louis Siegriest (1899-1989) was a painter from Oakland, California. Full name is Louis Bassi Siegriest.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 13 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' 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 is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
0.9 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))
4.3 Linear feet (Addition)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Date:
1927-1981
Scope and Contents:
Art works, biographical material, correspondence, an interview, exhibition material, writings, and printed materials.
REELS 3978-3979: Biographical material; letters from Selden Gile, 1927-1928, photocopies of letters from Siegriest to Mae Westaway, 1951-1956, and other letters; a typescript of an essay, "The Society of Six," by Edward Dora; a transcript of an interview with Siegriest conducted by Corinne Gilb, 1954; photographs of Siegriest, Edna Stoddart, Hazel Guggenheim, and others; financial and legal documents; and exhibition catalogs, announcements, clippings and other printed material.
UNMICROFILMED: Works of art by Siegriest, including 3 progressive proofs and 37 completed silkscreen posters for the Indian Court Federal Building, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco, 1939; a signed silkscreen poster for the Frontiers of American Art National Exhibition, M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, 1939; and nine signed studies for posters. Many of the posters were done for the Federal Art Project.
ADDITION: Correspondence, clippings, catalogs, announcements, personal photographs, junior high school notebooks, and family papers.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and graphic artist; Oakland, California.
Other Title:
Louis Siegriest and Edna Stoddart papers (microfilm title)
Provenance:
Donated 1980-1981 by Louis Siegriest, and in 1992 by the Siegriest estate via Suzanne Westaway, executor.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Addition: Unmicrofilmed; use requires an appointment and is limited to AAA's Washington, DC, office.
An interview of Louis Siegriest conducted 1978 June 21, by Terry St. John and Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art.
Siegriest speaks of his background; studying with Frank Van Sloun at the Mark Hopkins School; the Society of Six and its members, Seldon Gile, Bernard Von Eichman, Maurice Logan, William Clapp, and August Gay; living in Milwaukee and working in commercial art; returning to San Francisco and pursuing landscape painting; working for the WPA under Rene D'Harnoncourt; doing camouflage work with the U.S. Army in World War II; a controversy about and cancellation of an exhibit of his work at the De Young Museum; collage in the 1950s; his travels; the Bay area art scene; his associations with younger artists; his recent work.
Biographical / Historical:
Louis Siegriest (1899-1989) was a painter from Oakland, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 15 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' 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.
Topic:
Painters -- California -- Oakland -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
