Finding Aid for the The Gronk Papers 1969-2007 CSRC.0095

Finding aid prepared by Processed by Colin Gunckel. Data cleanup by Doug Johnson, September, 2017.

UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

193 Haines Hall

Box 951544

Los Angeles, CA., 90095-1544

310-825-2364

csrcinfo@chicano.ucla.edu

Title: Gronk Papers

Identifier/Call Number: CSRC.0095

Contributing Institution: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 22.8 linear feet (50 boxes, 2 flat boxes, 2 oversize flat boxes)

Date (inclusive): 1969-2007

Abstract: The Gronk Papers include a diverse range of materials that span the entirety of Gronk's career, from approximately 1969 to 2007. These include materials related to his work with Asco, his collaborative works and correspondence with artist Jerry Dreva, documentation of the artist's exhibitions, photographic materials (slides, transparencies and prints), thousands of original drawings and watercolors (both loose and in sketchbooks), materials related to his production designs for theater, correspondence and mail art, press clippings and realia and artwork collected by the artist.

Language of Materials note: Materials are in English and Spanish.

Physical location: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Library and Archive for paging information.

Creator: Nicandro, Glugio (Gronk) 1954 -

Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Library and Archive for paging information.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing to the Chicano Studies Research Center Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], The Gronk Papers, 95, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Gronk. Deed of gift on file with the CSRC Archive office.

Biography

Born in Los Angeles in 1954, Gronk began his artistic career at a young age by organizing performance pieces with a group of collaborators that included Robert "Cyclona" Legorreta and Mundo Meza. In the early 1970s, he co-founded the art collective Asco, along with Harry Gamboa Jr., Willie Herrón and Patssi Valdez. Through their public, guerilla art interventions and conceptual practices like "No Movies," the group constituted a unique tendency within the Chicano art movement, while it also actively engaged prevalent avant-garde movements. During his tenure with Asco, Gronk also developed his career as an individual artist working in a diverse range of media: murals, canvas painting, drawing, live performance, mail art, printmaking and photography. By 1985, Gronk had secured representation with the Daniel Saxon Gallery and embarked upon a successful career as an exhibiting artist. He quickly became one of the most prominent Chicano painters in the United States, and was featured in many of the major exhibitions featuring Latino and/or Hispanic art over the course of the next two decades. Throughout his career, however, Gronk has remained a uniquely multi-faceted artist, and has recently completed large-scale installation paintings, critically acclaimed set designs for theater and opera productions, and a digital animation short.

Scope and Content

The Gronk Papers include a diverse range of materials that span the entirety of Gronk's career, from approximately 1969 to 2007. These include materials related to his work with Asco (including members Patssi Valdez, Harry Gamboa, and Robert Legorreta), his collaborative works and correspondence with artist Jerry Dreva, documentation of the artist's exhibitions, photographic materials (slides, transparencies and prints), thousands of original drawings and watercolors (both loose and in sketchbooks), materials related to his production designs for theater, correspondence and mail art, press clippings and realia, and artwork collected by the artist.

Arrangement note

The collection is arranged into the following series:

Series 1. Sketches and sketchbooks
Series 2. Photographs and photographic materials
Series 3. Paintings, crayon, pastel, and other media
Series 4. Ephemera / Realia
Series 5. Three-dimensional objects
Series 6. Collage / Montage
Series 7. Correspondence
Series 8. Printed material
Series 9. Clippings
Series 10. Audio materials

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Nicandro, Glugio (Gronk) 1954 - -- Archives

Artists, Chicano--California--Los Angeles--Archival resources

Asco (Group of artists)

Dreva, Jerry

Gamboa, Harry

Legorreta, Robert

Valdez, Patssi

Series 1. Sketches and sketchbooks 1970-2005

Box 5, Folder 6

Notes and sketches 1970-2005

Box 5, Folder 7

Notes and sketches 1976-2005

Box 9, Folder 2

Sketchbook undated

Box 9, Folders 3-4

Sketches undated

Box 9, Folder 5

Sketch undated

Box 15, Folder 5

Sketches for Culture Clash's "Bowl of Beings" 1991

Box 15, Folder 1

Press materials and sketches for "Stone Wedding" 1989

Box 15, Folder 3

Materials and sketches for East West Players Production 1990-2002

Box 15, Folder 7

Sketches for "Journey to Cordoba" 1994

Box 24, Folders 1-2

Sketchbooks undated

Box 24, Folder 3

Sketchbook Late 1990's-2000

Box 24, Folders 4-5

Sketchbooks undated

Box 26, Folder 1

Sketchbook "one number four" 1978

Box 26, Folder 2

Sketchbook "Nose Dive" 1978

Box 26, Folder 3

Sketchbook 1980

Box 26, Folder 4

Sketchbook "In time" 1980

Box 26, Folder 5

Sketchbook "End of the year" 1982

Box 26, Folder 6

Sketchbook "Good bye Cow" 1983

Box 26, Folder 7

Sketchbook "July 1983" 1983

Box 26, Folder 8

Sketchbook "Notes Oct. Nov. 1983" 1983

Box 26, Folder 9

Sketchbook "Dec. 1983" 1983

Box 27, Folders 1-2

Sketchbooks "Landscape" 1979

Box 27, Folder 3

Sketchbook 1982

Box 27, Folder 4

Sketchbook "end of April 1985" 1982

Box 27, Folder 5

Sketchbook "one night maybe David sleep maybe 1982" 1982

Box 27, Folder 6

Drawings 1986

Box 27, Folder 7

Landscape 1984-1986

Box 27, Folder 8

Drawings 1984-1986

Box 27, Folder 9

Sketchbook "He waited" 1986

Box 28, Folders 1-2

Sketchbooks "1987" 1987

Box 28, Folder 3

Sketchbook "Dec. 1987-Jan.1988" 1987-1988

Box 28, Folder 4

Sketchbook "1983" 1988

Box 28, Folders 5-6

Sketchbooks "1989" 1989

Box 28, Folders 7-8

Sketchbooks 1990

Box 28, Folder 9

Sketchbook 1991

Box 29, Folder 1

Sketchbook 1984

Box 29, Folder 2

Sketchbook "Long days on Spring St." 1985

Box 29, Folder 3

Sketchbook "March April 1985" 1985

Box 29, Folder 4

Sketchbook 1996

Box 29, Folder 5

Sketchbook 2000

Box 29, Folder 6

Sketchbook 2004

Box 29, Folder 7

Sketchbook 1977-2000

Box 29, Folder 8

Sketchbook 1997

Box 30, Folder 1

Sketchbook 1985-1999

Box 30, Folder 2

Sketchbook 1980-1997

Box 30, Folder 3

Sketchbook 1977-1990

Box 30, Folder 4

Sketchbook 1984

Box 30, Folder 5

Sketchbook 1990

Box 30, Folder 5

Sketchbook 2001

Box 31, Folder 1

Sketchbook 1991

Box 31, Folder 2

Sketchbook 1992

Box 31, Folders 3-5

Sketchbooks 1995

Box 31, Folder 6

Sketchbook 1998

Box 32, Folder 1

Sketchbook 1975-2006

Box 32, Folders 2-5

Sketchbooks 1976-2005

Box 33, Folder 1

Original paintings and sketches 1976-2005

Box 33, Folder 4

Notebooks and sketchpads 1976-2005

Box 34, Folder 1

Sketchbook "Dog City" Jan.-Feb. 1983

Box 34, Folders 2-5

Sketchbooks 1983-1984

Processing Information note

In the previous finding aide, most of these were called "Diary."

Box 34, Folder 6

The Coffee Journals by James Bucalo 1984

Box 35, Folders 1-5

Sketchbooks 1984

Processing Information note

In the previous finding aid, most of these were called "Diary."

Box 36, Folder 1

Loose sketches undated

Box 36, Folders 2-9

Sketches undated

Box 36, Folder 10

Drawings related to "Brain Flame" 2000-2005

Box 36, Folder 11

Sketches 1983-2005

Box 37, Folders 1-8

Sketches undated

Box 38, Folders 1-17

Sketches undated

Box 39, Folders 1-9

Sketches undated

Box 40, Folder 5

Sketches undated

Box 40, Folder 6

Sketches Feb. 1985

Box 40, Folders 7-29

Sketches undated

Box 41, Folders 1-46

Sketches undated

Box 42, Folders 1-9

Sketches undated

Box 43, Folders 1-8

Sketches undated

Box 44, Folders 1-11, 14-19, 21-27

Sketches undated

Box 45, Folders 1-22

Sketches undated

Box 46, Folder 1

Loose sketches undated

Box 46, Folder 2

Loose sketches and watercolor undated

Box 46, Folder 3

Loose color sketches undated

Box 46, Folder 4

Loose sketches and color sketches undated

Box 46, Folder 5

Color sketches undated

Box 46, Folders 6-7

Loose sketches undated

Box 50, Folder 1

Sketch undated

Box 50, Folder 3

Sketches undated

Box 50, Folder 4

Exhibition materials 1975-2005

Box 52, Folders 1-10

Sketches and watercolors 1975-2002

Box 53

Sketches 1975-2002

Series 2. Photographs and photographic materials 1969-2005

Box 1, Folder 3

Materials relating to Gronk/Dreva show at LACE 1976-1978

Box 1, Folder 5

Photographs 1972-1980

Box 2, Folder 3

Asco photos 1976-1985

Box 2, Folder 8

Photocopies of photographs 1976-1984

Box 2, Folders 9-10

Asco photographs and No Movies 1972-1987

Box 9, Folder 7

Photographs undated

Box 15, Folder 2

Photos and publicity materials for Culture Clash's "The Mission" 1990

Box 18, Folder 1

Photographs undated

Box 18, Folder 2

Photographs 1969-1980

Box 19, Folder 1

Photographs 1984

Box 19, Folder 2

Photographs undated

Box 19, Folder 3

Photographs 1979

Box 20, Folder 1

Butch Gardens no date

Box 20, Folder 2

Photos of Gronk's art 1986-1989

Box 21, Folder 1

Personal photos circa 1977

Box 21, Folder 2

Personal photos 1996-1997

Box 21, Folder 3

Photos of Gronk and his artwork 1990-1995

Box 22, Folder 1

Photos of Gronk and his artwork / Photo album of Gronk and friends 2000-2005

Box 22, Folder 2

Personal photos of Gronk 1996-1997

Box 23, Folders 1-2

Photos of Gronk, his artwork, and exhibitions undated and 1996-1997

Box 24, Folder 6

Photo transparency undated

Box 24, Folder 7

Photo negatives undated

Box 24, Folder 8

Color transparencies 1972-1987

Box 25, Folder 1

Photographic slides 1987-1994

Box 25, Folder 2

Photographic slides 1994

Box 25, Folder 3

Photographic slides undated

Box 49

Dry-mounted color photographs of Asco performances 1972-1975

Box 50, Folder 5

Photographs 1975-2005

Series 3. Paintings, crayon, pastel, and other media 1970-2005

Box 3, Folder 3

Artwork given to Gronk 1970-2005

Box 33, Folder 2

Painting on canvas by Gronk undated

Box 43, Folder 7

Sketches, pastel undated

Box 44, Folder 12

Pastel undated

Box 44, Folder 13

Crayon undated

Box 44, Folder 20

Ink and watercolors on dress cut-outs undated

Box 47, Folders 1-4

Artwork by students 1994-2004

Box 47, Folder 5

"Thank you" cards from students 1994-2004

Box 54

Children's artwork undated

Series 4. Ephemera / Realia 1976-2004

Box 1, Folder 9

Flyers and ephemera 1978-1980

Box 12, Folder 4

Exhibition announcements and art-related ephemera collected by Gronk 1977-2004

Box 12, Folder 6

Articles, clippings, and ephemera collected by Gronk 1976-2003

Series 5. Three-dimensional objects 1977-1989

Box 9, Folder 1

Crown of Thorns undated

Box 40, Folders 1-4

Metal etchings undated

Box 51, Folder 1

Stamp - Dreva/Gronk 1968-78 ten years of art/life 1978

Box 51, Folder 2

Stamp - Asco undated

Box 51, Folder 3

Cross with pictures of Jerry Dreva 1977

Box 51, Folder 4

Framed photograph of Gronk with a woman undated

Box 51, Folder 5

Framed photograph of Gronk 1989

Box 51, Folder 6

Button - "Dreva/Gronk" 1978

Box 51, Folder 7

Asco - metal printing plate undated

Series 6. Collage / Montage 1976

Box 2, Folder 5

Photo collage "Cinearte 76" 1976

Biographical/Historical note

Published in Chismearte Vol. 1 No. 1.

Box 9, Folder 6

Collage undated

Series 7. Correspondence 1973-2007

Box 1, Folder 1

Dreva, Jerry 1973-1997

Box 1, Folder 4

Dreva, Jerry 1973-1980

Box 1, Folder 6

Dreva, Jerry 1977-1990

Box 1, Folder 7

Dreva, Jerry 1973-1980

Box 3, Folder 1

Letters, cards and drawings sent to Gronk 1975-1990

Box 3, Folder 2

Gronk's personal correspondence 1985-2005

Box 4, Folder 1

Postcards and greeting cards sent to Gronk undated

Box 4, Folder 2

Letters, cards, and drawings sent to Gronk 1991-2005

Box 4, Folder 3

Letters and drawings sent to Gronk 1991-2005

Box 5, Folder 1

Personal correspondence 1975-1980

Box 5, Folder 2

Personal correspondence 1991-1995

Box 5, Folder 3

Personal correspondence 1981-1990

Box 5, Folder 4

Personal correspondence 1996-2000

Box 5, Folder 5

Personal correspondence 2001-2007

Box 6, Folder 2

University of California Los Angeles 1990-1993

Box 6, Folder 3

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 1994

Box 6, Folder 4

San Jose Museum of Art 1993-2004

Box 6, Folder 5

National Museum of Art 1992-1996

Box 6, Folder 6

National Hispanic Cultural Center 2001-2004

Box 6, Folder 7

National Endowment for the Arts 1979-1983

Box 6, Folder 8

Museum of Glass 2002-2003

Box 6, Folder 9

MOCA 1985-2001

Box 6, Folder 10

The Mexican Museum 1990-1993

Box 6, Folder 11

Los Angeles County Museum of Art 1989-1994

Box 6, Folder 12

Laguna Art Museum 1991-1992

Box 6, Folder 13

Galerie Claude Samuel 1990-1991

Box 6, Folder 14

Correspondence with various institutions 1979-2006

Box 7, Folders 1-9

Saxon Lee Gallery 1986-1993

Box 8, Folders 1-11

Saxon Lee Gallery 1994-2004

Box 16, Folder 2

Press material for "The Story of a Soldier" 2000

Series 8. Printed Material 1972-2007

Box 1, Folder 2

Mail art 1973-1980

Box 1, Folder 10

Mail art catalogs 1976-1979

Box 2, Folder 2

Asco promotional materials 1978-1985

Box 2, Folder 4

Asco mail art 1976-1978

Box 2, Folder 6

Wedding Invitations 1977-1989

Box 2, Folder 1

Asco press material 1974-1983

Box 2, Folder 7

Asco performance materials 1984-1987

Box 6, Folder 1

Tandem Press 1995-2004

Box 9, Folder 8

Morning Becomes Electricity - script by Gronk and James Bucalo 1985

Box 11, Folder 1

Transcript of interview with Gronk undated

Box 11, Folder 2

Poetry by Marisela Norte undated

Box 11, Folder 3

Writings, scripts, and poetry by persons other than Gronk 1980-2003

Scope and Contents note

Includes "Los Vendedores Ambulantes" by Joseph Julian Gonzalez

Box 11, Folder 4

Plays and writings by Harry Gamboa Jr. 1983-1998

Box 11, Folder 5

Media and film projects involving Gronk 1995-2002

Scope and Contents note

Includes script Asco by Sandra Pena-Sarmiento.

Box 12, Folder 2

Resumes, applications and personal documents 1985-2000

Box 12, Folder 3

Zines collected by Gronk 1979-1997

Box 12, Folder 5

Postcards collected by Gronk 1975-2000

Box 12, Folder 7

Film and theater programs, tickets 1976-2007

Box 12, Folder 8

Artwork given to Gronk 1970-2005

Box 13, Folders 1-11

Exhibition materials 1979-1995

Box 14, Folders 1-10

Exhibition materials 1996-2005

Box 15, Folder 4

Scripts and materials for Culture Clash's "Bowl of Beings" 1991

Box 15, Folder 6

Documents related to Culture Clash's "Carpa Clash" 1994

Box 16, Folder 1

The Persians 1993

Scope and Contents note

Script by Aeschylus [modern version by Robert Auletta]; program; publicity material.

Box 16, Folder 3

Production and promotional materials for "Ainadamar" 2005

Box 16, Folder 4

Various sketches for set and costume designs undated

Box 17, Folder 1

"Fausto's Road" proposal 1994

Box 17, Folder 2

Publicity material for "Los Faustinos" 1994

Box 17, Folder 3

Press materials and script for "Journey to Cordoba" 1994-1995

Box 17, Folder 4

Collaborations with Kronos Quartet and Joseph Julian Gonzalez 1994-2000

Box 17, Folder 5

Program for "Welcome to the Moon" 1995

Box 17, Folder 6

Script for "Los Biombos/The Screens" 1997

Box 17, Folder 7

Sketches and publicity materials for "The Story of a Soldier" 1999-2000

Box 35, Folder 6

Regeneracion 1972-1975

Scope and Contents note

Contains vol. II, no. 2, vol. II, no. 4.

Box 50, Folder 2

Promotional materials undated

Series 9. Clippings 1972-2004

Box 1, Folder 8

Clippings related to Bon Bons 1972-1974

Box 10, Folders 1-4

Interviews and articles about Gronk and his work 1982-1999

Box 10, Folder 5

Press clippings 1992-2004

Box 48

Newspaper clippings 1972-2007

Series 10. Audio materials 2006-2007

Box 12, Folder 1

Radio Interviews [CDs] 2006-2007

Scope and Contents note

Two CD-Rs.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note

CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing.