Description
Papers of William Dole (1917-1983), American abstract collage artist born in Angola, Indiana, and former Professor of Art
at UC Santa Barbara. This collection includes exhibition catalogs, correspondence, gallery records slides and photographs,
teaching files, press clippings, and Dole's personal archive. In addition to his papers, this collection includes a large
amount of material related to his art-making process, such as old books and paper ephemera which Dole used as source material
for his collages. Finally, the collection includes many Dole prints: lithographs, monoprints, and test prints.
Background
Born in Angola, Indiana, William Dole (1917-1983) was a prominent American collage artist of the twentieth century. After
receiving his bachelor's degree in 1938 from Olivet College in Michigan, Dole married Kathryn Holcomb and served in the US
Army from 1942-45. After the army, Dole went on to obtain a master's degree from UC Berkeley. Dole then served as a lecturer
in art at UC Berkeley until he received a faculty position at UC Santa Barbara in 1949. In 1958 he became chairman of the
art department, and in 1962 he was promoted to full professor. During his lifetime, Dole's work was exhibited in California
and New York (as well as other parts of the United States) and also in London and Berlin. His collages are characterized by
Dole's consistent inclusion of textual components in his compositions. As Dole stated, "The printed work…even in and unknown
foreign language…has a sense of authority that no other graphic element has." In addition, he favored more geometric compositional
arrangements, and displayed nuanced and studied use of color. Dole's life and work make up a significant contribution to a
greater understanding of post-War abstract and collage art in the United States.
Extent
37.23 linear feet
(54 document boxes, 7 cartons, 7 oversize boxes, 7 audiocassettes, 4 videocassettes, and 119 films)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Availability
The collection is open for research. A portion of the collection is stored offsite. Advance notice is required for retrieval.