An interview of Charles Alan conducted 1970 August 20-25, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Alan speaks of studying scene and stage design; attending Yale School of Drama; doing illustrations for various publications; traveling and studying in Europe; working as a set designer for MGM and Warner Brothers; his experiences working at the Downtown Gallery; his thoughts and recollections about Edith Halpert; leaving Downtown Gallery and starting his own gallery; his opinions on the future of small galleries in New York; museum purchases; Edith Halpert's art collection; selling his gallery to Felix Landau; and various thoughts concerning the art world. He recalls Norman Bell Geddes, Edith Halpert, Stuart Davis, Julien Levy, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Kirk Askew, Raymond Breinin, Ben Shahn, George Washburn, Edward Root, Joe Hirshhorn, John Marin, John Marin Jr., Lawrence Allen, Georgia O'Keeffe, William Harnett, Julian Levi, Jack Levine, Karl Zerbe, Bruce Conner, Richard Baker, Paul Sachs, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Alan (1908?-1975) was an art dealer from New York, New York. Alan attended Horace Mann School, graduating in 1924. Attended Yale School of Drama in 1925, then worked as a set designer for MGM and Warner Brothers. In 1930, Alan became a theatrical set designer and director. After serving in the Army in World War II, he worked for Edith Halpert at the Downtown Gallery. In 1952, he opened the Charles Alan Gallery, specializing in contemporary art. Alan closed the gallery in 1970 to become a private dealer.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 58 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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Set Designers -- United States -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Betty M. Asher conducted 1980 June 30 and 1980 July 7, by Thomas H. Garver, for the Archives of American Art.
Asher speaks of her family; education; her marriage to Dr. Leonard Asher; buying her first prints and painting from the Associated American Artists Gallery; and early purchases at the Little, Bowinkle, and Green Galleries in Los Angeles. She discusses her interest in abstract expressionism; buying art in Mexico and New York; dealers including Irving Blum, Virginia Dwan, Paul Kantor, Felix Landau, Ernest Raboff, Esther Robles, and Ileana Sonnabend; activities and members of the Modern and Contemporary Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; her work for Maurice Tuchman; Walter Hopps and the Pasadena Art Museum; and exhibitions and funding of the Asher/Faure Gallery.
Biographical / Historical:
Betty M. Asher (1914-1994) was an art collector and art dealer of Beverly Hills, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav file. Duration is 3 hr., 30 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.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Collectors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
This interview was made possible by funds from the California Arts Council, The L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, and the Bothin Helping Fund.
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.
The papers of artist Tony DeLap measure 1.4 linear feet and date from circa 1950 to 2015. The collection includes correspondence, writings, materials related to professional and teaching activities, printed material, a scrapbook, and photographic material.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist Tony DeLap measure 1.4 linear feet and date from circa 1950 to 2015. The collection includes correspondence, writings, materials related to professional and teaching activities, printed material, a scrapbook, and photographic material.
Correspondence includes greeting and holiday cards, postcards, and letters with family, friends, other artists, and museums and other arts institutions. Notable correspondents include Alan Solomon, Melinda Wortz, Marcia Hafif, Bruce Conner, John McCracken, Paul Darrow, Bruce Nauman, Craig Kauffman, Nell Stinton, Felix Landau, Wayne Thiebaud, and John McLaughlin.
Writings include autobiographical notes, DeLap's notes on art and magic, and notes and writings on John McLaughlin. Also included is a paper on DeLap's 1983 exhibition at Janus Gallery by Clare H. Rhinelander.
The professional activities series contains DeLap's resume and bibliography, as well as materials related to his teaching appointments and promotion, including letters of recommendation, course lists, and a graduate trip itinerary.
Printed Material includes exhibition materials including announcements, calendars, and catalogs; newsletters, newspapers, journals, and newspaper clippings. This series makes up the bulk of the collection.
One scrapbook in the collection contains clippings, exhibition announcements, posters, and catalogs, and award ribbons.
Photographic material includes slides of DeLap's work, as well as photographs of DeLap, his studio, exhibitions and installations, snapshots of family, friends, and travel.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in six series.
Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1967-2015 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 2: Writings, circa 1960-2013 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 3: Professional Activities, circa 1964-1983, circa 2015 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1955-2015 (Boxes 1 and 2, OV 3, 0.6 linear feet)
Series 5: Scrapbook, 1955-1967 (Box 2, 0.3 linear feet)
Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1950-2012 (Box 1, 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Tony DeLap is an artist and professor emeritus of art in Orange County, California. He is a pioneer of West Coast minimalism with a special interest in visual illusion including performed magic.
DeLap was born in 1927 in Oakland, California and grew up in the Bay Area. He studied art, illustration, and graphic design at colleges in the Bay Area and taught at institutions including the California College of Arts and at the University of California, Davis. In 1965 he was offered a position at the newly founded University of California, Irvine, where he taught until 1991.
KPAL (Radio station : Palm Springs, California) Search this
Type:
Sound Recording
Date:
1966-1967
Citation:
Felix Landau and Molly Saltman. Interview with Felix Landau, 1966-1967. Molly Saltman "Art and Artists" interviews, 1966-1967. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
