James Lee Byars correspondence to Thomas M. Messer, 1965-1988. Boxes 4251-4255, 5027. Series 3: Artist Correspondence: Byars, James Lee. Thomas M. Messer records. A0007. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York. © Estate of James Lee Byars
Finding 59: The Correspondence of James Lee Byars
April 21, 2011
The artist James Lee Byars corresponded with Thomas M. Messer between 1965 and 1988, almost the entire duration of Messer's directorship at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Byars's letters arrived from various locations around the globe, including Japan where the artist resided sporadically in the late 1950s and the 1960s. Byars, not one to shy away from unusual forms of correspondence, wrote his letters on paper both tiny and huge, folded, crumpled, cut into shapes or otherwise manipulated. Byars favored bright red and gold colors, and delicate tissue and rice papers. He sent a single message spanning several postcards, a length of gold string, and decorated his large shaped cut out letters with glitter. Many letters discussed ideas for artwork and performances. However, no communication was too trivial for an unusual format—a long folded and crumpled piece of tissue paper revealed Byars' simple request for an appointment with Messer.
–Shirin Khaki, Archives Assistant