Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Louis Siegriest, 1975 April 5. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Interview of Louis B. Siegriest, conducted 1975 April 5, by Paul Karlstrom and Nathan Oliveira, for the Archives of American Art, at Mr. Siegriest's home, in Oakland, California. Siegriest and Oliveira speak of his early career; the Society of Six; and the Bay Area figurative school. He recalls Perham Nahl, Bernard "Red" von Eichman, Bob Howard, Frank Van Sloun, Ruth Armer, Constance Macky, Lee Randolph, John Winkler, Maurice del Mue, Maynard Dixon, Willard Cox, Louis Hughes, Seldon Gile, August Gay, Xavier Martinez, Gottardo Piazzoni, Ralph Stackpole, Theodore Wores, Bill Gaw, William Henry Clapp, Terry St. John, Galka Scheyer, Maurice Logan, C.S. Price, Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Richard Diebenkorn, David Park, Elmer Bischoff, Frank Lobdell, Clifford Still, Diego Rivera, Otis Oldfield, Edna Stoddart, Johan Hagemeyer, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Louis Siegriest (1899-1989) was a painter from Oakland, California. Full name is Louis Bassi Siegriest.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 13 min.
Provenance:
This interview is 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 is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
An interview of Frank Lobdell conducted 1980 Apr. 9-1980 May 7, by Terry St. John, for the Archives of American Art.
Lobdell speaks of his youth and family background; his early interest in art; his education; studying with Cameron Booth; his service in the U.S. Army; artist friends and influences; political influences on his work; the community of artists in San Francisco in the 1950s, including Elmer Bischoff and Clyfford Still; his "dark years"; teaching at Stanford; reviews by critics; and the avant-garde art of the 1960s. He recalls Ninfa Valvo, Douglas MacAgy, Hassel Smith, Richard Diebenkorn, Wilfred Zogbaum, Sam Francis, Jerry (Julian) Hatofsky, Claire Falkenstein, Clay Spohn, and John Hultberg.
Biographical / Historical:
Frank Lobdell (1921- ) is a painter, printmaker, and teacher of Stanford, Calif.
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.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Jay DeFeo papers, circa 1940s-1970s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Hassel Smith papers, circa 1900-2004, bulk 1930-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation and funding for digitization was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
An interview of Louis Siegriest conducted 1978 June 21, by Terry St. John and Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art.
Siegriest speaks of his background; studying with Frank Van Sloun at the Mark Hopkins School; the Society of Six and its members, Seldon Gile, Bernard Von Eichman, Maurice Logan, William Clapp, and August Gay; living in Milwaukee and working in commercial art; returning to San Francisco and pursuing landscape painting; working for the WPA under Rene D'Harnoncourt; doing camouflage work with the U.S. Army in World War II; a controversy about and cancellation of an exhibit of his work at the De Young Museum; collage in the 1950s; his travels; the Bay area art scene; his associations with younger artists; his recent work.
Biographical / Historical:
Louis Siegriest (1899-1989) was a painter from Oakland, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 15 min.
Provenance:
This interview is 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:
Painters -- California -- Oakland -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
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.
An interview of John Saccaro and Terry St. John conducted 1974 April 30-1974 November 18, by Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art, in San Francisco, Calif. The April interview is with Saccaro and the November interview is with both Saccaro and St. John.
Saccaro speaks of his background as an abstract expressionist; the California School of Fine Arts, 1951-1953; his experience as a student; abstract expressionism; and his work. Saccaro and St. John speak of the San Francisco art scene from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Biographical / Historical:
John Saccaro (1913-1981) and Terry St. John (1934- ) are painters from San Francisco, Calif. St. John is also assistant curator of art at the Oakland Museum.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 19 min.
Provenance:
This interview is 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:
1974 April 30 transcript: For more information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Occupation:
Museum directors -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area Search this
An interview of Fred Martin conducted 1980 Aug. 27-Sept. 19, by Terry St. John, for the Archives of American Art.
Martin speaks of his childhood and early artistic influences; his education at the University of California, Berkeley; his rebellion as a student; studying under Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still; teaching art in elementary and high schools; going to work for the Oakland Art Museum; his lack of an identifiable style and its negative impact on his early career; teaching at and becoming director of the San Francisco Art Institute; leaving there and teaching at the University of California, Berkeley; the influence of abstract expressionism on his work; his work in collage; his travels; the influence of "dynamic symmetry"; the current art market.
Biographical / Historical:
Fred Martin (1927- ) is a painter, teacher, and collagist from Oakland, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 8 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hrs., 9 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.
Correspondence; business records; teaching contracts; printed material, and material relating to Jay DeFeo.
REEL 1092: Correspondence with museums and galleries; papers related to museum and gallery business; income tax papers; teaching contracts; catalogs and announcements; and clippings.
REEL 911: Working files relating primarily to Jay DeFeo's painting "The Rose," as well as her recent works. The files contain correspondence with DeFeo, and with Thomas Albright, George Neubert, Terry St. John, John Humphrey, Tony Rockwell, and Ed Janss. Also included are photographs of "The Rose" and DeFeo's "telephone series"; business material; and clippings.
REEL 2802: A letter to Alfred Frankenstein, Oct. 2, 1976, asking "Has Christo taken the role of criminal perpetrator of a 'Crime Against Nature'..." Frankenstein replies "How idiotic can you get?" and Conner responds at length.
Biographical / Historical:
Printmaker and filmmaker; San Francisco, Calif.
Provenance:
Material on reel 911 lent for microfilming, 1975 and the remainder donated 1976 by Bruce Conner.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Louis Siegriest, 1978 June 21. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- California -- Oakland -- Interviews Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Saccaro and Terry St. John, 1974 April 30-November 18. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Frank Lobdell, 1980 Apr. 9-May 7. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Fred Martin, 1980 Aug. 27-Sept. 19. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
