Photo Services Department Art and Technology slides
Finding aid prepared by Denise Villegas.
Processing and finding aid creation funded by a grant from the Getty Foundation as a part of the initiative Pacific Standard
Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90036
323-857-6118
library@lacma.org
Note
Additional encoding by Jessica Gambling.
Title: Photo Services Department Art and Technology slides
Identifier/Call Number: PHO.001.001
Contributing Institution:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.81 Linear feet
, 1 box.
Date: 1970-1971
Creator:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Photographic Services Department.
Intrigued by the advanced technology used by corporations in Southern California in 1966, Maurice Tuchman, Los Angeles County
Museum of Art (LACMA) Curator of Modern Art, began to imagine what an artist could create in an industrial environment. The
idea of linking art and industry eventually led to the creation of the Art and Technology Program.
Tuchman presented his idea to LACMA’s Board of Directors in November 1967 where it was resisted. Tuchman felt so strongly
about the program that he told the Board he would raise the majority of funding himself, protecting the Museum’s finances
in case of failure.
With support from Marilyn Chandler, Tuchman eventually had nearly forty corporations willing to participate in the Art and
Technology Program. Over sixty artists responded to Tuchman’s invitation to participate in the program. Pairings were made
based on a mutual desire to work together between an artist and a corporation. Artists were given information about a few
of the participating corporations which people at LACMA thought might interest them. Then, the artists were invited to tour
corporations to get an idea of what they might wish to create for the Program. Corporations agreed to house an artist in residence
if they felt they could provide the resources needed by the artist based on his proposal. Eventually, twenty-three pairings
were made. Although Tuchman’s primary interest was not in simply creating an exhibition, eight Art and Technology Works were
shown at the U.S. Pavilion at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan. Fifteen pieces from the Art and Technology Program were
later displayed in the exhibition, Art and Technology (EX.1399) at LACMA in 1971.
The greatest criticism of this program came from the Los Angeles Council of Women Artists in the summer of 1971, soon after
the Art and Technology exhibit was displayed at LACMA. While a great variety of artists were represented, no residencies were
offered to women artists for the Art and Technology Program. The Council of Women Artists felt that the lack of female artist
representation in the program was a great oversight. Despite this, the Art and Technology Program was well received; seen
as being an innovative, successful experiment.
This collection is comprised of 286 35mm slides, 193 in color and 93 in black and white, depicting work created as part of
the Art and Technology Program organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
19 of these slides are related to the partnering of artis Tony Smith with the Container Corporation to create an untitled
piece commonly referred to as “Cardboard Cave”, labeled as “Cave” on the slides. Images include the installation process and
the piece as it was displayed in the U.S. Pavilion at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan as well as models and the installation
of the sculpture at LACMA in May, 1971.
20 images are of Andy Warhol’s “Rain Machine”. The artist was partnered with Cowles Communications. These slides show the
installation process and the piece as it was displayed in the 1970 World’s Fair at Osaka, Japan as well as models and the
installation of the piece at LACMA from May 1971 – September 1971.
40 slides are of Claes Oldenburg’s “Giant Icebag”, the result of Oldenburg’s initial pairing with Walt Disney Productions
and eventual collaboration with Gemini G.E.L. These slides show the artist at work at Walt Disney Studios, sketches and models
that led to the creation of “Giant Icebag” the installation and display of the piece at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan,
and the piece installed at LACMA in May 1971.
25 slides relate to R.B. Kitaj’s “Lives of the Engineers”, the result of Kitaj’s pairing with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
These slides depict work in progress at Lockheed Corporation and its installation at LACMA in 1971.
33 slides depict Newton Harrison’s “Gas Plasma Tubes”, the result of Harrison’s pairing with Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These
slides show the artist working at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the installation of “Gas Plasma Tubes” at the 1970 World’s Fair
in Osaka, Japan, and the installation and display of “Gas Plasma Tubes at LACMA in 1971.
23 slides depict Newton Harrison’s “Harvesting Brine Shrimp”. These slides show the construction of the installation that
would house the brine shrimp and the artist “harvesting” and “saving” shrimp.
38 slides document Rockne Krebs’ “Day Passage”, the result of Krebs’ pairing with Hewlett-Packard Corporation. These slides
show the installation and resulting piece displayed at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan, the artist working on the project
at Hewlett-Packard Corporation, and the installation and display of “Day Passage” at LACMA in 1971.
40 slides depict Boyd Mefferd’s “Strobe”, the result of Mefferd’s pairing with Universal Television. These slides document
the installation of “Strobe” for the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan, installation of the piece at LACMA in 1971, and the
finished piece with guests walking through the strobe room.
23 slides depict Robert Whitman’s “Optical Environment” the result of Whitman’s pairing with Philco-Ford Corporation. These
slides show the installation and display of “Optical Environment” at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan. They also depict
Whitman working with his Art and Technology collaborator at Philco-Ford, physicist John Forkner.
3 slides show Richard Serra’s “Five Plates, Two Poles” as it appeared at LACMA in 1971. This project was the result of Serra’s
pairing with Kaiser Steel Corporation.
7 slides depict the artist Robert Rauschenberg working on “Mud-Muse” at Teledyne Corporation.
14 slides depict the artist Oyvind Fahlstrom working on “Meatball Curtain” at Heath Corporation.
1 slides shows several letter A’s and T’s floating in LACMA’s reflecting pools. The artist responsible for this work is unnamed.
Slides are labeled numerically, but there are gaps in the sequence, which indicates that not every photograph taken related
to the Art and Technology Program is included in this collection.
This collection is arranged in numeric order. As a result of this arrangement, slides related to a specific project are grouped
together with the exception of one slide from Newton Harrison’s “Harvesting Brine Shrimp” which is located at the end of the
collection.
Conditions Governing Access note
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment only through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research
Library. Telephone 323-857-6118 or email library@lacma.org.
Contact the Balch Research Library at 323-856-6118 or library@lacma.org for information on publishing or reproducing materials
included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as the owner of the physical
materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all
necessary permissions from the copyright holder.
Related Archival Materials note
Related materials can be found in the Modern Art Department Art and Technology records (MOD.001.001). These records include
administrative documentation related to the creation of the Arts and Technology Program, additional information on corporate
sponsors, correspondence between parties involved in the Arts and Technology Program, curatorial notes, drafts of essays on
artists, transcripts of interviews and conversations with artists, and drawings of artists’ works.
[Description of item], Photo Services Department Art andTechnology slides, 1970-1971, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch
Art Research Library, PHO.001.001.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Art and Technology Program.
Art and technology
Art, Modern--20th century--Exhibitions
Black-and-white slides
Color slides
Box 1, Folder 1, Sheet 1
Smith, Tony. Cardboard Cave. 1970-1971
19 slides documenting Tony Smith's untitled piece referred to as "Carboard Cave". This project was the result of Smith's pairing
with Container Corporation. 12 of these slides show the installation process and the piece as it was displayed in the 1970
World's Fair at Osaka, Japan. 7 of these slides show models and the installation of the piece at LACMA in May, 1971.
Box 1, Folder 1, Sheet 2
Warhol, Andy. Rain Machine. 1970-1971
20 slides documenting Andy Warhol's "Rain Machine". This project was the result of Warhol's pairing with Cowles Communications
12 of these slides show the installation process and the standing piece as it was displayed in the 1970 World's Fair at Osaka,
Japan. 8 of these slides show models and the installation of the piece at LACMA from May 1971 - September 1971.
Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 1-2
Oldenburg, Claes. Giant Icebag. 1970-1971
40 slides documenting Claes Oldenburg's "Giant Icebag". This project was the result of Oldenburg's pairing with Walt Disney
Productions and Gemini G.E.L. 16 of these slides show Oldenburg's work at Disney Studios. This includes images of the artist,
his sketches, and models that led to the creation of "Giant Icebag". 19 of these slides show the installation and the piece
in the 1970 World's Fair at Osaka, Japan. 5 of these slides show the "Giant Icebag" at LACMA in May 1971.
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1-2
Kitaj, R.B. Lives of the Engineers. circa 1971
25 slides documenting R.B. Kitaj's "Lives of the Engineers". This project was the result of Kitaj's pairing with Lockheed
Aircraft Corporation. 4 of these slides show the installation as it appeared in LACMA in 1971. 21 of these slides depict work
in progress at Lockheed Corporation on the various pieces that make up the installation.
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1
Harrison, Newton. Gas Plasma Tubes. circa 1970
33 slides documenting Newton Harrison's "Gas Plasma Tubes". This project was the result of Harrison's pairing with the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. 7 of these slides depict the artist working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 7 of these slides show
the installation of "Gas Plasma Tubes" prior to the 1970 World's Fair at Osaka, Japan. 8 slides show the tubes being installed
at LACMA in 1971. 11 slides show "Gas Plasma Tubes" on display at LACMA in 1971.
Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1-2, Box 1, Folder 8, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 5, Sheet 1-2
Krebs, Rockne. Day Passage. 1970-1971
38 slides documenting Rockne Krebs' "Day Passage". This project was the result of Krebs' pairing with Hewlett-Packard Corporation.
15 of these slides show the installation and resulting piece as it was displayed in the 1970 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan.
14 of these slides show the artist working on the project at Hewlett-Packard Corporation. 9 slides show the installation and
display of "Day Passage" at LACMA in 1971.
Box 1, Folder 5, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 6, Sheet 1-2
Mefferd, Boyd. Strobe. 1970-1971
40 slides documenting Boyd Mefferd's "Strobe". This project was the result of Mefferd's pairing with Universal Television.
18 of these slides document the installation of "Strobe" for the 1970 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan. 22 slides show the installation
of the piece at LACMA in 1971 as well as the finished piece with guests walking through the strobe room.
Box 1, Folder 6, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 7, Sheet 1-2
Whitman, Robert. Optical Environment. circa 1970
23 slides documenting Robert Whitman's "Optical Environment". This Project was the result of Whitman's pairing with Philco-Ford
Corporation. 13 of these slides show the installation and display of "Optical Environment" at the 1970 World's Fair in Osaka,
Japan. 10 slides show the artist working with John Forkner at Philco-Ford Corporation.
Box 1, Folder 7, Sheet 2
Box 1, Folder 7, Sheet 2
Box 1, Folder 7, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 8, Sheet 1