Findings
The Moog synthesizer concert, October 1970. Thomas M. Messer records, A0007, Series 2: Administration: Public Affairs: Events, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 34: The Moog at the GuggenheimSeptember 29, 2010 In 1970 the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum hosted composer Gino Piserchio for three concerts featuring the Moog synthesizer. The instrument, pictured in the lower right of the image, was one of the most advanced electronic instruments of its time and allowed its operator to simulate an entire orchestra. During performances, the audience was encouraged to walk around the rotunda to view exhibitions of the work of Francis Picabia and Carl Andre, accompanied by the music. In a press release before the October event, the composer expressed excitement about the buildings unique architecture “We have been experimenting with the museum’s extraordinary acoustics and have developed exciting new forms of environmental, or spatial, music.” The set list for all three concerts included Bourree (Cello Suite No. 3) by Johann Sebastian Bach and a number of original compositions by Piserchio. — Pete Asch, former archives assistant |
Installation view of Evolution to Non-Objectivity, April 29, 1952. Exhibition records, A0003, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 33: Evolution to Non-Objectivity Installation PhotographSeptember 16, 2010 Evolution to Non-Objectivity opened on April 29, 1952, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The exhibition examined the evolution of painting from 1900 to 1952, analyzing art movements such as Academism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Abstraction, and Non-Objectivity. Evolution to Non-Objectivity included artists such as Vassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, and the Guggenheim’s Hilla Rebay. This installation photograph traces a series of Rebay’s paintings from her realism-focused beginnings, as shown in the portraits, to her less realistic pieces, as shown in the later works, which focused on shapes and simplifying the figure. —Martha Horan, archives assistant |
Letter, Ray Johnson to Henry Berg, 1975. Office of Business Administration records, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 32: Ray Johnson LetterSeptember 9, 2010 Ray Johnson, a graduate of Black Mountain College and an early practitioner of mail art, corresponded with numerous figures in the art world. This letter was found in the correspondence files of Henry Berg, who served as Deputy Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from 1973 to 1981. Johnson’s letters often required some form of participation on the part of the recipient. This letter was initially sent to an individual named Douglas, who filled in “Henry Berg" in response to the question “Who do you think would enjoy seeing the box of 100 snakes? “ The letter was then sent to Berg, asking him, “Wanna see a box of 100 snakes?” In addition to snakes, which appear frequently in Johnson’s work, this letter includes other elements typical of the artist, such as cartoon bunny heads and references to celebrity culture, as in the bunny-headed portrait of actress Jean Seberg. The second page of the letter announces the birth of Baby Spam, a character of the artist’s own invention inspired by a Spam-shaped novelty radio set. Johnson gave the radio to his friend Jim Bohn, who is also depicted in this letter. —Amanda Brown, National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant intern |
Opening announcement for the Carl Andre exhibition, September 29– November 22, 1970. Exhibition records, A0003, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 31: Carl Andre OpeningSeptember 1, 2010 The exhibition Carl Andre ran from September 29– November 22, 1970 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and consisted of both sculpture and poems. The document seen here reflects Andre's belief that all museums should have free admission. In a letter to Thomas M. Messer, Andre explained that he objected to the socially elitist atmosphere at most museum openings. Furthermore, he requested that there be no private opening for his exhibition and that admission fees be suspended for the first day. Andre’s request was granted and there was no private preview of this exhibition and the museum opened free to the public on the opening day. In lieu of a private preview, Andre gave a reading of his poetry. —Rachel Chatalbash, archivist |
Holiday card, Marguerite Arp to Thomas M. Messer, nd. Thomas M. Messer records, A0007, Series 2: Administration: Correspondence: A, 1977, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 30: Correspondence with Artists’ WivesAugust 19, 2010 This holiday card featuring a reproduction of Collage (1958) by Jean Arp was sent to Thomas Messer by Marguerite Arp, the wife of the famed artist. The Thomas M. Messer records contain a significant number of letters to and from the wives of artists, including Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Naum Gabo, Francis Picabia, and many others. The letters reveal not only the personal relationships that Messer developed with these artists’ wives over his career, but also the important role that women played in the careers of their husbands. Often, they functioned as the artists’ managers, publicists, and social planners. Messer recognized this relationship and often conducted acquisitions and exhibition planning with them. —Pete Asch, archives assistant |
Finding 29: Kenneth Noland LectureAugust 11, 2010 In conjunction with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s 1977 exhibition Kenneth Noland: A Retrospective, art historian Michael Fried gave a lecture at the museum entitled “Achievement of Kenneth Noland.” In this clip, Fried discusses the artist’s series Horizontal Stripes in relation to other artistic currents of the period. —Amanda Brown, National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant intern Michael Fried, “Achievement of Kenneth Noland” (lecture, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, May 17, 1977). Reel to Reel collection, A0004, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York |
Learning to Read Through the Arts Programs, Inc. Sculpture in Your Schoolyard: A Guide for Teachers and Students, 1983. Thomas M. Messer records, A0007, Series 2: Administration: Education: Learning to Read Through the Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 28: Sculpture in Your SchoolyardJuly 28, 2010 This page is from the Learning to Read Through the Arts (LTA) guide for teachers, parents, and students. The LTA program began at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1970 and was created to combat illiteracy and introduce the arts to inner-city children. LTA was run by educators and artists, and worked to create teaching methods that advantageously combined both disciplines. One of LTA’s projects for its 1983 program was called “Sculptures in Your Schoolyard,” which resulted in the creation of a sculpture garden at P.S. 198 in Manhattan. This 1983 guide documented the results of the project and demonstrated how other students could benefit from “multisensory educational experiences. The Guggenheim’s LTA records were processed in 2009. There is also an index to this collection available in the Archives Collections section of this Web site. —Pete Asch, archives assistant |
László Moholy-Nagy Memorial, 1947. Exhibition records, A0003, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 27: Moholy-Nagy Exhibition CatalogueJuly 22, 2010 In 1947 the Museum of Non-Objective Painting organized an exhibition of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's art. Moholy-Nagy was a painter, photographer, and professor at the Bauhaus School from 1923–28, and the exhibition, In Memoriam László Moholy-Nagy commemorated his life's work. Hilla Rebay wrote an essay for the exhibition catalogue; within the essay she wrote, "with devotion he fulfilled his vocation to bring enlightenment to others, not only as a painter, but also as a person dedicated to space control of any kind. . . . ” Here she emphasized his contributions to the field and to others in the field. —Martha Horan, archives assistant |
Exhibitions Visited form, 1955. James Johnson records, A0001, Series 3: Administration: Exhibitions Visited by Staff, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, New York Finding 26: Exhibitions Visited FormJuly 14, 2010 As Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, James Johnson Sweeney required staff to attend exhibitions throughout New York City. The museum created the Exhibitions Visited forms as part of an effort to discover new artists and track the activities of other museums and galleries. The form pictured here was filled out by Georgine Oeri, the museum’s staff manager. The majority of staff members provided only the location of the exhibition and the artists featured, but some, such as this one, includes short criticisms. These forms provide a glimpse into New York City’s exhibition history of the 1950s, and the museum staff’s relationship to it. Additional items in Sweeney’s records such as his research also provide documentation on New York City’s museum and gallery exhibitions of the 1950s. —Pete Asch, archives assistant |