An interview of Barbara Bloom conducted 2012 October-2013 January 31, by James McElhinney, for the Archives of American Art, at Bloom's home and studio, in New York, New York.
Bloom speaks of growing up in Brentwood, California; her first experience with art; her childhood and exposure to creativity; the influence of art and philosophy; going to museums as a kid; living in Monte Factor and then Los Angeles; her creative process, influences, and life as an artist; art mentors and art lessons with Cathy Herman; traveling with her family; her mom being an actress; attending Bennington College in Vermont, the 1960s, the and collage aesthetic; attending CalArt; the changes in art education at the university level; drugs use; Fluxus; John Cage and attending 4'33; living in Europe and specifically Netherlands, Germany, and Holland; books and love of reading; her daughter; the post-studio era; film and meta-movies; making "The Diamond Lane;" images and objects' connection to meanings; The Gaze; undressing the wall; Homage to Jean Seberg, Godard, Berlin; East Germany; being agnostic and Jewish; Venice Biennale; collectors; cycle of shows; MFA programs; The Tip of the Iceberg; surgeries; hospital visit, personal training, and recovery; The Seven Deadly Sins; her father; Tellus Magazine; Judaism; fabrications and drawings; archives; relationship between the artist and the viewer; her husband; 010011.net; recent show; and As It Were, So To Speak. Bloom also recalls Monte and Betty Factor, Ed Kienholz, Ron Kappe, Robbie Robe, Ray Kappe, Matt Mullican, Eric Orr, Robert Irwin, Doug Wheeler, Total: digital recordings; Claire Steinman, Rosemarie Trockel, Ash Grove, James Lee Byars, Frances Rey, Sidney Tillim, Norman O. Brown, Paul Cotton, Paul Brock, Buckminster Fuller, John Baldessari, Nam June Paik, Dick Higgins, Alison Knowles, Serge Tcherepnin, Simone Forte, Charlemagne Palestine, La Monte Young, David Salle, Eric Fischl, Marcel Broodthaers, Susan Sontag, Tim Maul, Caroline Tisdale, Marcel Duchamp, Laura Mulvey, John Berger, Oscar Wilde, Ed Ruscha, Isabella Kacprzak, Octavio Paz, Leo Castelli, Allen Ruppersberg, Jay Gorney, Claudia Gould, Susan Bronstein, Donald Judd, Robert DuGrenier, Pistoletto, Anthony Coleman, Mel Bochner, and Ken Saylor.
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara Bloom (1951- ) is a photographer, designer, and installation artist in New York, New York. James McElhinney (1952- ) is an artist and professor in New York, New York.
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.
An interview with Alexis Smith conducted 2014 January 24 and April 14, by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp, for the Archives of American Art at Smith's studio, in Venice, California.
Ms. Smith discusses growing up in Southern California and her early years living with her parents on the grounds of Metropolitan State Hospital, a mental institution in Norwalk, California; her mother's death when Ms. Smith was 11; the family's time in Whittier and Palm Springs and being raised as an only child by her father; her early interest in French studies and travel to France as a student; her interest in studying art beginning with a John Coplans class at UC Irvine; her time at at UC Irvine in the early days of the university and her growing attraction to the life of an artist; the origin of her name Alexis Smith; and the encouragement of her fellow artists to continue pursuing her cut-up collages from literature, photos, magazines, and Hollywood ephemera. Ms. Smith also describes her time with her artist women's group in the 70s; her husband Scott Grieger; working for Frank Gehry; her showing with the Nicholas Wilder Gallery; her relationship with Chris Burden and her time with him during his period of performance pieces in the 70s; the Riko Mizuno Gallery; her work with terrazzo and its use for installations at the LA Convention Center, Ohio State University, and other installations; the appropriation of text and the assistance of Jerry Solomon utilizing custom frames in her artwork; the impact of women from history, media and literature on her art; her relationship with Coy Howard; the Holly Solomon Gallery; her Jane series; her On the Road series; her installation Snake Path at UC San Diego; her piece for SITE Santa Fe Red Carpet; teaching at UCLA; her installation of the piece Scarlet Letter at Las Vegas Central Library and its subsequent removal; her associations with Margo Leavin Gallery and Honor Fraser gallery; and the loss of her long-time studio space and the challenges of storing her artwork. Ms. Smith also recalls Judy Chicago, Robert Irwin, Vija Celmins, Larry Bell, Barbara Burden, Richard Sedivy, Avilda Moses, Craig Krull, and Allen Ruppersberg among others.
Biographical / Historical:
Alexis Smith (1949- ) is a collage, multimedia, and installation artist in Los Angeles, California. Hunter Drohojowska-Philp is an art critic and writer from Beverly Hills, California.
General:
Originally recorded as 5 sound files. Duration is 3 hr., 11 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.
An interview with Allen Ruppersberg conducted 2017 October 27, November 30, and 2018 January 15, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art, at Ruppersberg's studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Allen Ruppersberg (1944- ) is a conceptual artist In New York, New York, whose work includes paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, installations, and books. Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian and author in New York, New York.
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:
The transcript and recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.
Artists' files including biographical information, slides, reviews; exhibition files; a scrapbook (unbound); slides and photographs of works of art and exhibition installations; works of art; printed material including posters; and financial material regarding the Rosamund Felsen Gallery.
Among the artists are Alicia Beach, Meg Cranston, Richard Jackson, Kaz Oshiro, John Boskovich, Jeff Gambill, Robert Rauschenberg, William Wegman, Ann Thorny Craft, Raymond Pettibon, Jeffrey Vallance, Mitchell Syrop, Mac James, Stephen Bush, Ali Acerol, Marnie Weber, Keith Sklar, Leland Rice, Steve Rogers, Greg Brown, Robert Ackerman, Dan Burkhart, Oliver Andrews, Ron Cooper, Guy Dill, James Hayward, Billy Al Bengston, Erika Rothenberg, Peter Lodato, Keith Sonnier, Tom Knechtel, Paul McCarthy, Jim Shaw, Maria Nordman, Kori Newkirk, Laura Owens, Al Ruppersberg, Ilya Kabakov, Alexis Smith, Roy Dowell, Lari Pittman, Guy de Cointet, Cisco Jiménez, Glenn Kaino, John Miller, Chris Burden, Mike Kelley, Heidi Kidon and others.
Biographical / Historical:
The Rosamund Felsen Gallery (established 1978) is an art gallery in Santa Monica, California that focuses on the art community in Los Angeles, California.
Provenance:
Donated 2014- 2016 by the Rosamund Felsen Gallery via Rosamund Felsen, gallery founder and owner.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- California -- Santa Monica
The records of Christine Burgin Gallery, a New York City gallery representing conceptual artists from the United States and Europe, measure 18 linear feet and 52.28 GB, and date from 1980-2016. The collection documents the gallery's activities, projects, and relationships with artists through administrative files and business records, artist files, exhibition files, and client files. Artist files comprise nearly half of the collection and contain correspondence with artists and project files for numerous publications and editions the gallery produced in collaboration with artists. Some material is in born-digital form, including images of artwork and installations, slide shows, document files, as well as audiovisual recordings. The collection also contains two analog video recordings. Files dating from after the gallery's closure include additional correspondence, invoices, and project files.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Christine Burgin Gallery, a New York City gallery representing conceptual artists from the United States and Europe, measure 18 linear feet and 52.28 GB, and date from 1980-2016. The collection documents the gallery's activities, projects, and relationships with artists through administrative files and business records, artist files, exhibition files, and client files. Administrative files and business records document the operations and daily activities of the gallery. Artist files comprise nearly half of the collection and contain correspondence with artists, consignment and loan forms for exhibitions at other venues, inventories and sales invoices, photographic material, exhibitions announcements and catalogs, clippings, research and source material, as well as project files for numerous publications and editions the gallery produced in collaboration with artists. Exhibition files document the dozens of exhibitions at the gallery during their two periods of operation, 1986-1992 and 1999-2007, and include correspondence, price lists, installation documentation, photographic material, press releases, artist biographies, exhibition announcements, and clippings. Client files predominantly contain correspondence and invoices to clients. Some material is in born-digital form, including images of artwork and installations, slide shows, document files, as well as audiovisual recordings. The collection also contains two analog video recordings.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series
Series 1: Administrative Files and Business Records, 1985-2012 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1980-2016 (8.4 linear feet, Boxes 2-10; 35.75 GB, ER01-ER29)
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1986-2015 (5 linear feet, Boxes 10-15; 16.53 GB, ER30-ER43)
Series 4: Client Files, 1983-2013 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 15-18)
Biographical / Historical:
The Christine Burgin Gallery (established 1986; closed 2007), owned and operated by Christine Burgin, was a gallery in New York City that represented conceptual artists from the United States and Europe. The gallery operated from 1986-1992 and from 1999-2007. Gallery artists included Zoe Beloff, Victor Burgin, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Harrell Fletcher, Rodney Graham, Fariba Hajamadi, Paul Lincoln, Max Neuhaus, Richard Nonas, Hermann Pitz, Allen Ruppersberg, Victoria Sambunaris, Alan Saret, Jeanne Silverthorne, Michael Smith, and many others. In addition to staging solo and group exhibitions, the gallery produced numerous publications and editions in collaboration with artists.
Christine Burgin continues to publish books with her imprint at New Directions.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art in 2017 by Christine Burgin.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York
Citation:
Christine Burgin Gallery records, 1980-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The letters of Los Angeles gallerist Rosamund Felsen measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1968-1977. Included are sixteen letters and two postcards, all but three of which are from Jasper Johns. The others are from Ellsworth Kelly, Al Ruppersberg, and Bob P. The warm casual letters from Johns describe the artist's interest in birds, gardens, and weather. He also discusses drawings and upcoming exhibitions. Folded into the letters are a black and white snapshot of Johns and one of Felsen, in both cases surrounded by others. Also included here is the panty hose box in which Felsen stored these letters.
Scope and Contents:
The letters of Los Angeles gallerist Rosamund Felsen measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1968-1977. Included are sixteen letters and two postcards, all but three of which are from Jasper Johns. The others are from Ellsworth Kelly, Al Ruppersberg, and Bob P. The warm casual letters from Johns describe the artist's interest in birds, gardens, and weather. He also discusses drawings and upcoming exhibitions. Folded into the letters are a black and white snapshot of Johns and one of Felsen, in both cases surrounded by others. Also included here is the panty hose box in which Felsen stored these letters.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as a single series.
Series 1: Letters and Postcards, 1968-1977 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Rosamund Felsen (1934- ) is a gallery owner in Los Angeles.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Rosamund Felsen gallery records and an oral history interview with Rosamund Felsen conducted by Anne Ayres in 2004.
Provenance:
Donated in 2016 by Rosamund Felsen.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference 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.
Tempo ao tempo = Taking time : Ignasi Aballí, Jorge Barbi, Matthew Buckingham, Victor Burgin, Fernando Bryce, Mircea Cantor, Tacita Dean, Mark Dion, Jimmie Durham, William Eggleston, Douglas Gordon, João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva, Ana Jotta, On Karawa, Igor & Svetlana Kopystiansky, David Lamelas, Euan Macdonald, Lani Maestro, Tatsuo Miyajima, Jonathan Monk, Pedro Mora, Gianni Motti, Óscar Muñoz, Susan Norrie, Nam June Paik, Giulio Paolini, Jorge Peris, Daniele Puppi, Rubén Ramos Balsa, Rosângela Rennó, Gustavo Romano, Allen Ruppersberg, Nedko Solakov, Sam Taylor-Wood / [coordinación, Agar Ledo Arias, María Urrutia Baliño]
