Search Results

Interviewee:

Mason, John, 1927-2019  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Sullivan, Louis H.  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster)  Search this

Wright, Frank Lloyd  Search this

Voulkos, Peter  Search this

Soldner, Paul  Search this

Peterson, Susan  Search this

Melchert, Jim  Search this

Kienholz, Edward  Search this

Coplans, John  Search this

Sheets, Millard  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Koshalek, Richard  Search this

Price, Kenneth  Search this

McClain, Mac  Search this

Marer, Fred  Search this

Ballard, Richard  Search this

Otis Art Institute  Search this

Chouinard Art Institute (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

Ferus Gallery (Los Angeles, Calif.)  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 John Mason, 2006 August 28. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Ceramicists -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13582

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)265527

AAA_collcode_mason06

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_265527

Interviewee:

Mason, John, 1927-2019  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J.  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Chouinard Art Institute (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Students  Search this

Ferus Gallery (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Otis Art Institute -- Students  Search this

Ballard, Richard  Search this

Coplans, John  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Kienholz, Edward, 1927-  Search this

Koshalek, Richard  Search this

Marer, Fred  Search this

McClain, Mac  Search this

Melchert, Jim, 1930-  Search this

Peterson, Susan, 1925-2009  Search this

Price, Kenneth, 1935-2012  Search this

Sheets, Millard, 1907-1989  Search this

Soldner, Paul  Search this

Sullivan, Louis H., 1856-1924  Search this

Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this

Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this

Extent:

47 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2006 August 28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of John Mason conducted 2006 August 28, by Paul Smith, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Smith's office, in New York, N.Y.

Mason speaks of his childhood in rural Nevada; early interests in photography and jazz; moving to Los Angeles to attend the Los Angeles County Art Institute, now Otis College of Art and Design; attending Chouinard Art Institute; experiences working at Vernon Kilns and with the head designer Elliot House; opening Glendale Boulevard Studio with Peter Voulkos; his association with Ferus Gallery; and teaching experiences at Pomona College, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Irvine, and Hunter College. He also discusses the development of the Hudson River series exhibition; solo exhibitions at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LA Louver Gallery, Pasadena Art Museum, now Norton Simon Museum of Art, and others; participation in group exhibitions such as, "Sculpture Off the Pedestal" at Grand Rapids Museum of Art; imagery found in his work including the orbit, the figure, the torque, the spear form, the vertical form, the cross or X form, symmetry and the monolith; an interest in Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan; the architectural qualities in his work; the foresight of Buckminster Fuller; and the accelerating change in technology that has taken place over the course of his career. Mason recalls Susan Peterson, Kenneth Price, Paul Soldner, Mac McClain, Fred Marer, Millard Sheets, Edward Kienholz, Walter Hopps, James Melchert, John Coplans, Richard Ballard, Richard Koshalek, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

John Mason (1927-2019 ) was a ceramicist of Los Angeles, California. Paul Smith (1931- ) is Director Emeritus, American Craft Museum of New York City, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded on 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 26 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:

This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire audio recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Topic:

Ceramicists -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  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.

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.

Identifier:

AAA.mason06

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93531d57a-bc1c-4053-908d-79bc55d3fcc1

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-mason06

Author:

Lang Art Gallery  Search this

Subject:

Marer, Fred Art collections  Search this

Physical description:

[42] p. : chiefly ill., (some col.) ; 21 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Place:

California

Date:

1974

20th century

Topic:

Pottery  Search this

Ceramic sculpture  Search this

Pottery--Private collections  Search this

Call number:

NK3740.M46 F85 1974

NK3740.M46F85 1974

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_379110

Author:

MacNaughton, Mary Davis  Search this

Koeninger, Kay  Search this

Lynn, Martha Drexler  Search this

Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery  Search this

Subject:

Marer, Fred Art collections  Search this

Voulkos, Peter 1924-2002  Search this

Marer Collection of Contemporary Ceramics  Search this

Scripps College  Search this

Physical description:

181 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Place:

California

Claremont

Date:

1994

C1994

20th century

Topic:

Pottery  Search this

Pottery--Private collections  Search this

Ceramic sculpture  Search this

Call number:

NK3930 .R45 1994

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_494561

Author:

Geneva (Switzerland) Musée d'art et d'histoire  Search this

Musée Ariana  Search this

Scripps College  Search this

Subject:

Marer, Fred Art collections  Search this

Physical description:

101 p. : ill ; 30 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Place:

California

Date:

2000

Cop. 2000

20th century

Topic:

Pottery  Search this

Pottery--Private collections  Search this

Ceramic sculpture  Search this

Call number:

NK3740.M46 L53 2000

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_810192

Author:

Humble, Douglas  Search this

Humble, Douglas  Search this

Montgomery Art Gallery  Search this

Galleries of the Claremont Colleges  Search this

Subject:

Marer, Fred Art collections  Search this

Physical description:

81 p. : chiefly ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Date:

1984

C1984

20th century

Topic:

Pottery  Search this

Ceramic sculpture--History  Search this

Call number:

NK3930 .G16 1984

NK3930 .H86 1984

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_647964