An interview of Edith Carson conducted 1968 Jan. 10 by Walter Hopps regarding her husband Mark Rothko. Carson speaks of her family background; meeting Mark Rothko at Lake George, New York in 1932; their 13 year marriage; their early friends; his admiration for Milton Avery; Rothko's interest in tragedy and his "tremendous emotional capacity for despair"; his visits to New York museums and 57th Street galleries; and his family background, early work and love of music.
Biographical / Historical:
Edith Carson married the painter Mark Rothko in 1932. They were divorced in 1945.
Provenance:
Transferred from the National Museum of American Art, 1985.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Jewelers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Albert Paley conducted 1982 Dec. 2, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Paley speaks of his training at the Tyler School of Art under Stanley Lechtzin; his early and continuing compulsion to explore difficult techniques; his rapid rise to prominence through his ornamental ironwork; and his important commissions.
Biographical / Historical:
Albert Paley (1944- ) is an art metal worker and jewelry designer from Rochester, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 44 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 others.
An interview of Ted Muehling conducted 2007 November 17-18, by Jane Milosch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Muehling's studio, in New York, New York.
Muehling speaks of visiting New York City as a child; attending Pratt for industrial design; working with molds; working in Germany; winning the Coty fashion award for his jewelry; learning to blow glass; working at Corning; visiting museums as a child and projects in his father's basement workshop; drawing inspiration out of his materials; the rich art history of Europe; working with plastic and wood; working with assistants; the impact of travel on his work; various gallery exhibitions; working with well-known designers; creating functional and inspiring pieces; the American craft market; drawing inspiration from dreams; the humor in his art; the strengths and limitations of various mediums. Muehling also recalls Gerry Gulotta, Eva Zeisel, Ingrid Harding, Kiki Smith, Deborah Czeresko, Gabriella Kiss, Gerda Buxbaum, Jade Hobson, Ingo Mauer, Vija Celmins, Louis Sullivan, Konstantin Grcic, Robert Lee Morris, Helen Drutt, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Ted Muehling (1953- ) is a designer of jewelry and decorative objects in New York, New York. Jane Milosch (1964- ) is a curator from Silver Spring, Maryland.
General:
Originally recorded as 5 digital sound files. Duration is 4 hr., 38 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:
ACCESS RESTRICTED: Use requires written permission.
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited users to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not changed, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Grace F. Thorpe Collection, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Art Smith conducted 1971 August 24-31, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Smith speaks of his background and education; teaching crafts to children; starting his own jewelry shop; his designs; materials and techniques; his use of stones; exhibitions of his work. He recalls Paul LaBelles.
Biographical / Historical:
Art Smith (1917-1982) was a jewelry designer from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 16 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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:
Jewelry making -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Jack Lenor Larsen conducted 2004 February 6-8, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Longhouse, East Hampton, N.Y.
Larsen speaks of his childhood in Seattle, Washington; his parents and other adults who had a positive impact on his development; building things with his friends; attending the University of Washington to study architecture and deciding to study textiles instead; visiting Dorothy Liebes's textile studio; leaving school and moving to Los Angeles; attending the University of Southern California and eventually returning to the University of Washington; becoming a teaching assistant to Ed Rossbach; getting a Masters degree at Cranbrook Academy of Art; meeting many influential people in San Francisco and New York; moving to New York and setting up a studio; working on commission for several companies including Thaibok; expanding his offices to include larger looms and a showroom; setting up a branch of production in Haiti; working in the fashion industry and designing home decor; and working in Southeast Asia developing handcrafted woven exports. He also speaks of his involvement with the American Craft Council and the World Crafts Council, re-organizing and building the new campus at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; traveling to Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and his desire to travel more; working and exhibiting in Japan; experiencing the Japanese textile industry; writing numerous books on fiber arts including, "The Dyer's Art," often collaborating with other fiber artists; developing a classification system for interlacing; collecting art; gardening and its relation to art and design; building Round House and the inspiration behind it; building LongHouse using the Japanese Ise Shrine as a model and plans for further expansion; retiring and difficulties writing, "A Weaver's Memoir." Larsen also recalls Dorothy Liebes, Marianne Strengell, Florence Knoll, Edgar Kaufman, Ed Rossbach, Toshiko Takaezu, Francis Merritt, Mary Bishop, Garth Clark, Issey Miyake, Mildred Constantine, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) was a weaver and textile designer from East Hampton, N.Y. Arline M. Fisch (1931- ) is a jeweler from San Diego, Cailfornia.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound discs and 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 19 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 23 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:
Textile designers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
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:
75 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2009 August 2-5
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Thomas Gentille conducted 2009 August 2 and 5, by Ursula Ilse-Neuman, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Ilse-Neuman's home, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Thomas Gentille (1936- ) is a jeweler and educator and lives and works in New York, N.Y. Gentille taught at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Penland School of Crafts.
General:
Originally recorded 4 memory cards as 6 sound files. Duration is 3 hr.
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.
Topic:
Jewelers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
An interview of William Harper conducted 2004 January 12-13, by Harold B. Nelson, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in New York City, N.Y.
William Claude Harper (1944- ) is a jeweler and enamelist from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 15 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 29 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:
Jewelers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Enamel artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
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:
99 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2011 June 9-10
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Kenneth Jay Lane conducted 2011 June 9-10, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Lane's office, The Factory, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Kenneth Jay Lane (1932- ) is a jewelry designer in New York, N.Y. Mija Riedel (1958- ) is an independent scholar in San Francisco, California.
General:
Originally recorded as 7 sound files. Duration is 3 hrs., 45 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.
Topic:
Jewelers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
