The Robert Bechtle papers measure 13.9 linear feet and date from circa 1930s-2020. The collection documents his career as a photorealist painter in the San Francisco Bay area. Series include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, exhibition and gallery records, writings which include artist statements interviews and texts by others, teaching files, printed material, photographic material and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The Robert Bechtle papers measure 13.9 linear feet and date from circa 1930s-2020. The collection documents his career as a photorealist painter in the San Francisco Bay area. Series include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, exhibition and gallery records, writings which include artist statements interviews and texts by others, teaching files, printed material, photographic material and artwork.
Biographical material includes military service documents including infantry yearbooks, as well as academic records and degrees for Bechtle and his mother, who continued her education later in life. Also included are highschool yearbooks, the senior year issue featuring art direction from Bechtle, as well as resumes and other supplemental material used by Bechtle's employing institutions to grant sabbaticals and other paid leave. Correspondence is mostly from galleries and museums, in addition to letters from various peers. Also included are letters of recommendation written by Bechtle for faculty or graduate art programs, as well as numerous letters by Bechtle to his mother while he was in the military, including photographs of his travels in Europe, especially Germany. Personal business records include grant applications, applications for sabbatical and other paid leave, as well as studio expenses, planners, and miscellaneous travel documents. Exhibition and gallery records include planning documents for key exhibitions, correspondence, financial documents including sales information, and printed materials from galleries Bechtle worked with over the years, as well as mailing lists, print catalogs, print documentation, and inventory records.
Writings include artist statements and interviews, schoolwork including art history and philosophy papers and notebooks, and academic papers written on Bechtle's work. Teaching materials include lessons, readings, materials lists and syllabi particularly concerning painting, design and printmaking courses at San Francisco State University and other schools.
Printed material includes press clipping and a press scrapbook, as well as invitations and posters, press releases and exhibition catalogs, as well as other types of publications featuring Bechtle's artwork and miscellaneous books and pamphlets from Bachtle's European travel.Photographic material includes photographs of Bechtle and his friends and family, his classmates at CCAC and his military colleagues in Germany. Also included are photographs and slides of artwork by Bechtle and others, as well as photographs and slides used to make Bechtle's photorealistic paintings, drawings, and prints. The artwork series includes childhood and early career drawings including sketchbooks by Bechtle, as well as original materials made by Bechtle for his design work including the Kaiser Company, as well as watercolor and tempera works on paper including demonstration works made in the classroom setting.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series:
Series 1: Biographical Material , circa 1940s-1999 (1 Linear foot: Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1950-2017 (1.2 Linear feet: Boxes 2-3)
Series 3: Personal Business Records (1 Linear foot: Boxes 3-4)
Series 4: Exhibition and Gallery Records, circa 1960s-2019 (1.3 Linear feet: Boxes 4-5)
Series 5: Writings, circa 1950-2015 (0.8 Linear feet: Boxes 5-6)
Series 6: Teaching Files, circa 1956-1988 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 6)
Series 7: Printed Material, circa 1939-2020 (4.6 Linear feet: Boxes 6-10, 13, Oversize 21)
Series 8: Photographic Material , circa 1930s-2010 (2.8 Linear feet: Boxes 10-15)
Series 9: Artwork, circa 1930s-1999 (1 Linear foot: Box 12, Oversize 16-20)
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Bechtle (1932-2020) was a photorealist painter, educator, and printmaker born in Alameda, California, and lived and worked primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area including a long-time residence in Oakland.
Bechtle completed both undergraduate and Master of Fine Arts degrees at the California College of Arts and Crafts by 1958, in between which he served a few year in the United States Military, primarily stationed in Germany. Like the other photorealist painters of his era, Bechtle engineered a style of painting which was based more on keen observation and excruciating detail than any visually discernible stylism. His subjects were largely suburban and mundane and often incorporated images of himself and family members. He would project photographs and incorporate those copied images directly into paintings. In addition to paintings, Bechtle eventually translated his practice into both charcoal drawing and printmaking. He taught at the San Francisco State University where he was named Professor Emeritus in 1999, as well as other schools.
One of the milestones of his career was a retrospective exhibition organized in 2005 by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, also traveling to the Corcoran Museum of Art in 2006. Robert Bechtle's work has been exhibited internationally and his paintings and other artworks are held in numerous collections including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Oakland Museum of California, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art,and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington. Bechtle passed in October 2020 from Lewy Dementia and is survived by his second wife Whitney Chadwick and his two children Max and Anne, who were born from his first marriage to Nancy Dalton.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds a 1978 September 13- 1980 February 1 oral history intereview with Robert A. Bechtle and a 2010 February 8-9 oral history interview with Robert A. Bechtle.
Provenance:
Donated 2022 by the Robert Bechtle and Whitney Chadwick Revocable Trust via Robert Firehock, representative of the Estate of Robert Bechtle.
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 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.
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own in the following material: 40 demonstration works of art on papers by Robert Bechtle.
Occupation:
Printmakers -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Painters -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Educators -- California -- San Francisco Search this
An interview of Edward Landon conducted 1975 Apr. 17-May 28, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Landon speaks of working with the local theater in high school; leaving Hartford at age 17 or 18 for Greenwich Village in New York and the Art Students League; studying figure drawing with George Bridgman; getting married and moving to Springfield, Mass.; exhibiting with the Springfield Art League; the Artist Union and the Artist Congress in the 1930s; spending a summer with Georgia O'Keeffe and Paul Strand in Taos, N.M.; the cooperation amongst artists that lasted into the 1950s to establish serigraphs as an American fine art print medium; when he received the Solomon Guggenheim Scholarship for Non-objective Art in 1939; when he made furniture and picture frames and the publishing of his book on making picture frames in 1946; when he began working as an easel painter in the Massachusetts Federal Art Project of the WPA in 1933; becoming president of the Western Chapter of the Artists Union in 1934; when he corresponded and visited Arthur Dove; his friendship with Elizabeth McCausland; his introduction to Harry Gottlieb and silk screen printing; the love of color and currently trying for emotional effects in his work; initiating silk screen exhibitions in the Springfield Museum; the beginning of the National Serigraph Society and his work as the exhibition secretary; his teaching approach; the first class held in his garage with fellow artists; more on his relationship with Elizabeth McCausland; Arthur Dove's influence on a recent painting Landon finished; his trip to Taos in 1930 and the importance of artist colonies for him early on; the feeling of not having roots, but being comfortable with the idea; the purpose of the National Serigraph Society; his feelings about printmakers moving away from traditional printing; organized exhibitions for the United States Information Service; his enjoyment in organizing things; the commercialization of creating "prints;" how photo-realism does not translate well in the print medium; the importance of trying to convey an idea in his work; his success in covering small boxes, address books and other items, as well as book binding; his preference for printing small editions of 25 to 35 prints; of a description of his method of printing; his Fulbright Fellowship in 1950 to travel to Norway and lecture; an interest in early Scandinavian art; publishing a silkscreen portfolio of pre-Viking art for the American Scandinavian Foundation; traveling through Europe; his influence as an innovator in France and Scandinavia; meeting with silk screen artists in Oslo; art forms in his work at this time; his inclusion in "Who's Who in American Art;" the avoidance of art movements; how by the 1950s the reason for the National Serigraph Society no longer existed because the medium was popular by that time; his move to Vermont in 1957 or 1958; work as a color mixer, book binder, and returning to framing because of health reasons; his second illness changing what he found important in his life; and how the content of his work became more emotional. Landon also recalls Louie Lozowick, Gertrude Stein, Marian Hughes, Elizabeth Olds, John Marin, Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott, Marvo Perry, Hilla Rebay, Sir William T. Rogers, Max Weber, Dennis Hartley, Alfred Maurer, Bernie Sabbath, and Henry Mark.
Biographical / Historical:
Edward Landon (1911-1984) was a printmaker from Weston, Vt.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 39 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.
101 Murals and Low Riders / Alonso Encina Herrera, Carlos Callejo, Romulo Frías.
102 Border History: Chinese Presence in Baja California / José Luis Lee Sandoval, Marciella Felix, William Warrior.
Local Numbers:
FP-1993-CT-0096
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, July 5, 1993.
General:
This audio recording has been transcribed. View transcription and play recording here. Download a PDF of the transcription here.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Audrey Flack, 2009 Feb. 16. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Robert Bechtle, 2010 February 8-9. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Audrey Flack conducted 2009 Feb. 16, by Robert C. Morgan, for the Archives of American Art, at the Archives of American Art, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Audrey Flack (1931- ) is a painter and sculptor from New York, N.Y. Flack is known for her abstract and photorealist work.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 55 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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Robert Bechtle conducted 2010 February 8 and 9, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at Bechtle's home and studio, in San Francisco, California.
Interview of Robert Bechtle, conducted by Judith Richards for the Archives of American Art, in Bechtle's home in San Francisco, California on February 8 and 9, 2010. This is a second interview conducted for the archives, continuing from an interview with Bechtle in 1980. The interview mainly focuses on how is work has changed or remained the same since 1980; in particular his lighting study from midday to morning and evening; the grouping of photos to create a painting; new technology; the continuing challenges of his work; dispelling popular notions about his work such as the idea of neutral light and the Americana symbolism of his cars; his teaching endeavors at San Francisco State University and California College of Arts and Crafts; and the transition from his gallery residency at OK Harris to Barbara Gladstone; Bechtle also recalls Ivan Karp, Chuck Close, Ralph Goings, Edward Hopper, Jerome Witkin, Rackstraw Jones, Kathan Brown, Wayne Theibaud, Mitzi Pederson, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Interviewee Robert Bechtle (1932-2020) was a Photorealist painter in San Francisco, California. Interviewer Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former Executive director of iCI in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 memory cards. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 56 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:
Painters -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews Search this
The papers of painter Howard Kanovitz measure 8.0 linear feet and 1 GB and date from 1953-2017. The collection documents Kanovitz's work as a professional artist through biographical material; personal and professional correspondence; writings; interviews; personal business records; gallery, exhibition and project files; photographic and printed material; sound and video recordings; and preliminary drawings and studies for artworks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter Howard Kanovitz measure 8.00 linear feet and 1 GB and date from 1953-2017. The collection documents Kanovitz's work as a professional artist through biographical material; personal and professional correspondence; writings; interviews; personal business records; gallery, exhibition and project files; photographic and printed material; sound and video recordings; and preliminary drawings and studies for artworks.
Biographical material includes Kanovitz's address and appointment books, artist statements, CVs, genealogical research, a Guggenheim fellowship application, and United States passports. Correspondence files reflect relationships with friends and colleagues, including Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, Gregory Corso, B.H. Friedman, and others, as well as curators, museums, and galleries in the United States and Europe. Writings include Kanovitz's notes and notebooks; essays, poetry, and prose by Kanovitz; lists of artworks; poems by others; manuscripts; graduate student papers; and lectures given by Kanovitz. Exhibition and gallery files include checklists, mailing lists, inventories, correspondence, contracts, commission files, invoices, sales records, and proposals related to installations that included Kanovitz's work. Project files include correspondence, artist bios, contracts, invoices, press releases, interview transcripts, notes, source material, and photographs related to film, theater, and other projects. Personal business records include bills of sale, consignment memos, invoices, price lists, and leases for art studios and apartments. Printed material includes publications; clippings; exhibition announcements and catalogs; event programs; source material; posters; and a scrapbook of digital prints. Artwork includes preliminary sketches and source material for Kanovitz's photo-based paintings and set design materials for a circa 1977 play entitled, "The Party." Photographic material includes color and black and white prints, slides, negatives, transparencies, digital prints, and contact sheets that document exhibition installations, friends, artworks, commissions, and various studies and source material. Sound and video recordings include interviews, films, BBC broadcasts, documentaries, and performances that document Kanovitz's set design.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1971-2007 (0.35 linear feet; Box 4-5, 8)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1953-2007 (0.50 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1954-2007 (0.60 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1965-2008 (0.40 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 5: Gallery Files, 1969-2007 (0.70 linear feet; Box 2, 3)
Series 6: Project Files, 1974-2008 (0.40 linear feet, Box 3)
Series 7: Personal Business Records, 1936-2000 (0.30 linear feet; Box 3)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1960-2017 (1.95 linear feet; Box 4-5, 8; OV 14)
Series 9: Artwork, circa 1960s-circa1990s (0.70 linear feet; Box 5, 8, 10; OV 11-13; OV 15-18)
Series 10: Photographic Material, 1954-2008 (1.40 linear feet; Box 6-7)
Series 11: Sound Recordings and Video Recordings, 1967-2008 (0.70 linear feet; Box 7, 9)
Biographical / Historical:
Howard Kanovitz (1929-2009) was a painter based in New York City and Southampton, NY. After an early career as a jazz trombonist, Kanovitz began painting in 1949 and studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and The Art Students League in Woodstock with Yasuo Kuniyoshi. He moved to New York City and apprenticed with Franz Kline. Although he began his painting career as an abstract expressionist, Kanovitz became one of the early practitioners of photorealism in the 1960s. He also taught at the Salzburger Summer Art School and the School of Visual Arts and took on set design projects in both America and Germany. Kanovitz had more than fifty one-person gallery shows, with his last in 2008, one year before he died.
Provenance:
Donated in 2021 by Carolyn Oldenbusch, Kanovitz's widow and Director of the Howard Kanovitz Foundation.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- Southampton Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Edward Landon, 1975 Apr. 17-May 28. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
