Finding aid for the Sandra Leonard Starr papers related to California assemblage art 2011.M.22
Danielle Goynes and Julie Kalmar
Special Collections
2014
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution: Special Collections
Title: Sandra Leonard Starr papers related to California assemblage art
Creator: Starr, Sandra Leonard
Creator: Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993
Creator: Hedrick, Wally Bill
Creator: Brown, Joan
Creator: Berman, Tosh, 1954-
Creator: Jahrmarkt, Joan
Creator: Herms, George, 1935-
Creator: Smith, Hassel, 1915-2007
Creator: Mason, Fred
Creator: Cameron, Marjorie, 1922-1995
Creator: Brittin, Charles
Creator: Berman, Shirley
Creator: Alexander, Robert
Identifier/Call Number: 2011.M.22
Physical Description: 4.2 Linear Feet(8 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1960-1995, bulk 1986-1988
Date (bulk): 1986-1988
Abstract: The collection contains art historian, curator and gallery director Sandra Leonard Starr's papers related to her 1988 exhibition
and catalog titled,
Lost and Found in California: Four Decades of Assemblage Art. Included are her research files on artists, production material for the exhibition and publication, and audio recordings
and transcripts of Starr's interviews with 12 significant figures in the California art scene from 1940 to 1987, including
artists Robert Alexander, Cameron, Richard Diebenkorn, George Herms, and Edward Kienholz.
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection. Click here for the
access policy .
Language of Material: Collection material is in English.
Publication Rights
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers with the exception of audio cassettes, which are unavailable until reformatted.
Processing History
The collection was initially re-housed by the Registrar's Office in 2011. In 2014, graduate students Danielle Goynes and Julie
Kalmar completed the processing and wrote the finding aid as a class project for UCLA IS 438B, under the supervision of Andra
Darlington, Holly Deakyne and Nancy Enneking. Goynes is reponsible for Series I, while Kalmar is responsible for Series II
and Series III. They both contributed to the collection-level notes and access points.
Preferred Citation
Sandra Leonard Starr papers related to California assemblage art, 1960-1995 (bulk 1986-1988), The Getty Research Institute,
Los Angeles, Accession no. 2011.M.22
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2011m22
Biographical/Historical Note
Art historian and curator Sandra Leonard Starr was the longtime director of the James Corcoran Gallery in Santa Monica, California.
She has written extensively on Joseph Cornell, among other topics, and in 1988 she mounted a three-part exhibition on California
assemblage art titled,
Lost and Found in California: Four Decades of Assemblage Art. The exhibition featured assemblage works by artists active in California from 1940 to 1987, and was held concurrently in
three Santa Monica venues from July 16 to December 7, 1988. The exhibition was presented chronologically, beginning with "The
First Generation, 1940-1962" at the Corcoran Gallery. The later years were divided into "The Second Generation: The Narrative,
1957-1987" at Shoshana Wayne Gallery, and "The Second Generation: Form and Idea, 1960-1987" at Pence Gallery. The exhibition
catalog, considered a significant contribution to scholarship on the history of California art, and assemblage art in particular,
was edited by Starr and includes two essays by her: "Assemblage Art: A Pocket History" and "Assemblage Art in California:
A Collective Memoir 1940-1969."
Acquisition Information
Gift of Sandra Starr. Acquired in 2011.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection contains Starr's papers related to her 1988 exhibition and catalog titled,
Lost and Found in California: Four Decades of Assemblage Art. The first series contains audio recordings and transcripts of Starr's interviews in 1986 and 1988 with significant figures
in the California art scene from 1940 to 1987, including artists Robert Alexander, Cameron, Richard Diebenkorn, George Herms,
and Edward Kienholz. Among the subjects discussed are the artists' relationships with Wallace Berman, and Man Ray's influence
on the movement. The most extensive interviews are with Alexander and Herms. The second series contains production material
and press clippings from the 1988 exhibition and publication, including drafts of Starr's catalog essays, exhibition checklists
and didactics. In the third series are research files on artists, as well as topics more broadly related to California art,
which include notes, photocopied articles and clippings. While much of the research material is undated, dated materials span
from 1960 to 1995.
Arrangement
Arranged in three series: Series I. Oral history interviews, 1986-1988; Series II. Lost and Found in California, 1988; Series
III. Research files, 1960-1995.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Art, American -- California -- Exhibitions
Artists -- California -- Interviews
Assemblage (Art) -- California
Artists -- California -- History -- 20th century
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Criticism, interpretation, etc
Art, American -- California -- 20th century
Kienholz, Edward, 1927-1994
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993
Hedrick, Wally Bill
Brown, Joan
Berman, Tosh, 1954-
Jahrmarkt, Joan
Herms, George, 1935-
Smith, Hassel, 1915-2007
Mason, Fred
Cameron, Marjorie, 1922-1995
Brittin, Charles
Alexander, Robert
Berman, Shirley
Berman, Wallace, 1926-1976
Oral history interviews Series I.
1986, 1988
Physical Description: 4 boxes
Scope and Contents
This series contains audio recordings and transcripts of Starr's interviews with 12 people in preparation for her exhibition
and accompanying catalog,
Lost and Found in California (1988). Among the interviewees are artists and other significant figures from the early period of California assemblage art,
including artists George Herms, Hassel Smith, Charles Brittin, Cameron, gallerist Joan Jahrmarkt, and Shirley and Tosh Berman
(Wallace Berman's widow and son). The interviews provide detailed first-hand accounts of a historic period in California art.
Many of the transcripts are annotated. Also included are related notes and some related letters. The bulk of the material
in this series is undated, but is probably concurrent with the interviews, which date from 1986 to 1988. The audio recordings
are contained on 30 cassette tapes, and are unavailable until reformatted.
Arrangement
Arranged in Starr's original alphabetical order by interviewee.
Alexander, Robert,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 1-2
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
Audio recordings,
1986
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Nine sound cassettes.
Berman, Tosh and Shirley,
1986
box 1, folder 3-4
Transcripts and papers,
1986
box 7, Cassette C10-C12
Audio recordings,
1986 October 16
Scope and Contents
Three sound cassettes.
Brittin, Charles,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 5
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
Audio recordings,
1986
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Four sound cassettes.
Brown, Joan,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 6
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 7, Cassette C17
Audio recording,
1986 September 10
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette.
box 7, Cassette C18
Audio recording,
[1986?] October 7
Cameron (available on-site only): [1986?] October 7
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette. Labeled "Cameron 10/7" with no indication of the year. The interview was probably conducted in 1986, when
Starr conducted most of her interviews.
Diebenkorn, Richard,
1988
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 8
Transcripts and papers,
1988
Language of Material: English.
box 7, Cassette C19
Audio recording,
1988 April 20
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette.
Hedrick, Wally,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 1
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 8, Cassette 20
Audio recording,
1986 October 1
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette.
Herms, George,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 2
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 8
Audio recordings,
1986
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Five sound cassettes.
Jahrmarkt, Joan,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 3
Transcripts and papers
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 8, Cassette 26
Audio recording,
1986 September 3
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette.
Mason, Fred,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 4
Transcripts and papers,
1986
Language of Material: English.
box 8, Cassette 27-28
Audio recording,
1986 September 3
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Two sound cassettes.
Smith, Hassel,
1988
Language of Material: English.
box 2, folder 5
Transcripts and papers,
1988
Language of Material: English.
box 8, Cassette 29
Audio recording,
1988 March 11
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
One sound cassette.
box 8, Cassette 30
ARTS/LA
ca. 1988
Scope and Contents
KCRW radio program hosted by Lyn Kienholz and Ara Guzelimian discussing the
Lost and Found in California exhibition. The program features Starr discussing California assemblage art and artists. One sound cassette.
Lost and Found in California, Series II.
1988
Physical Description: 3 boxes
Scope and Contents
In this series are materials related to the planning and production of Starr's exhibition and catalog titled,
Lost and Found in California: Four Decades of Assemblage Art (1988). Included are drafts of Starr's catalog essays, as well as exhibition checklists, didactics, press clippings, notes,
and photographs. Of particular note is an annotated mock-up of the second catalog essay, referred to in these documents as
the "Chronology." Although the bulk of the material is undated, most of it is probably from the mid-1980s, when Starr worked
most actively on the exhibition and publication.
Arrangement
The arrangement reflects Starr's original organization by document type.
box 4, folder 2
Typescript drafts and notes,
undated
box 6*, folder 1
Annotated typescript draft of catalog essay,
undated
box 4, folder 3-4
Exhibition check lists, press release,
Los Angeles Times review,
1988, undated
Research files, Series III.
1960-1995
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Scope and Contents
The third series contain Starr's research on individual artists, as well as topics more broadly related to California art.
While most of the material in the series is undated, the dates that are identified span from 1960 to 1995. Material is largely
textual, comprising notes, photocopied articles, newspaper and journal clippings. Research materials include photocopied
articles, press clippings, notes and other documents related to specific artists, including the artists whom Starr interviewed,
as well as many more. The dates of the material are indicated when present, but most folders also contain undated material.
Among the folders with significant content are Ed and Nancy Reddin Kienholz, Wally Hedrick, George Herms and Wallace Berman.
The topical research files relate to California art more broadly, including files on writers, poets and filmmakers.
Arrangement
The arrangement reflects Starr's original order, with alphabetical artist files followed by topical research files.
box 5, folder 1
Alexander, Robert "Baza,"
1967, 1986
Scope and Contents
Includes documents related to The Temple of Man, founded by Robert Alexander in San Francisco in 1968, and its Archive/Museum
of California Modern Art.
box 5, folder 6
Berlant, Tony,
circa 1965
box 5, folder 7
Berman, Wallace,
1964-1988
box 5, folder 8
Bernhardt, John,
circa 1960
box 5, folder 9
Borofsky, Jonathan,
circa 1980
box 5, folder 12
Burden, Chris,
circa 1980
box 5, folder 15
Collins, Jess,
circa 1980
Conner, Bruce,
circa 1985
box 6*, folder 2
Photocopied checklist from unidentified exhibition,
undated
box 5, folder 16
Research material,
circa 1985
box 5, folder 18
De Forest, Roy,
1984, undated
box 5, folder 19
Diebenkorn, Richard,
1988-1989
box 5, folder 20
Frazier, Charles,
1964-1976
box 5, folder 22
Gutkin, Peter,
circa 1970
box 5, folder 24
Hedrick, Wally,
1968-1988
box 5, folder 25
Herms, George,
circa 1986
box 5, folder 26
Hopper, Dennis,
circa 1960
box 5, folder 27
Hudson, Robert,
circa 1980
box 5, folder 28
Johnson, Daniel La Rue,
circa 1964
box 5, folder 29-30
Kienholz, Ed,
1966-1988
Kienholz Notes
Folder 30 contains a small amount of material relating to Nancy Reddin Kienholz and a letter from Nancy to Sandra dated 1988.
Folder 29 includes interview material with Ed Kienholz.
box 5, folder 31
McMillen, Michael,
1980-1988
box 5, folder 33
Miyashiro, Ron,
circa 1964
box 5, folder 34
Morris, Robert,
circa 1976
box 5, folder 39
Smith, Hassell,
1988-2011
box 5, folder 42
Wiley, William,
1970-1986
box 3
Index cards,
circa 1985
Scope and Contents
Index cards contain notes about artists and are organized alphabetically by artist name.
box 4, folder 5
East LA Artists,
1988 March 27
box 4, folder 6
Black group LA/SF 1960s,
1960-1969
box 4, folder 7
Writers, filmmakers,
undated
box 4, folder 8
Poets, cities essays,
undated
box 4, folder 9
Miscellaneous writing by others,
1964-1986
box 4, folder 10
Artist list and miscellaneous notes,
1986-1988, undated
box 5, folder 21
Funk Exhibition (1967),
1967-1986
