Jan Butterfield papers, 1950-1997

Butterfield, Jan, b. 1937 d. 2000
Art critic, Author
San Francisco, Calif.

Collection size: 15 linear ft.

Collection Summary: Artists' files and audio tapes, video recordings, research files, project files, photographs, slides, clippings, and 2 scrapbooks.

Among the audio tapes are 194 4" reel-to-reel and cassettes of interviews and lectures given by painters, sculptors, and conceptual and performance artists. Many of the interviews were conducted by Butterfield and date primarily from the 1970s. Among the subjects are Chris Burden, Judy Chicago, Sam Francis, Philip Guston, David Hockney, Robert Irwin, Tom Marioni, Bruce Nauman, Louise Nevelson, Beverly Pepper, and Carlos Villa. Also found are 2 7" reel-to-reel tapes: one, a partial recording of a talk given by the New York Painters, Milton Resnick and Edward Dugmore, held at the University of Southern Illinois, ca. 1959, "The Influence of Modern Painting on Our Tradition." and a the other possibly a Round Table symposium held at the "Club" in New York; possible participants are Resnick, Ad Reinhardt, Willem DeKooning, among others.

REEL 2787: Published writings by Butterfield about Robert Irwin, environmental artist and sculptor, and an unpublished typescript, "Robert Irwin: The Subject of Art is Aesthetic Perception," by Butterfield, 1977. Butterfield compiled the materials in preparation for conducting an oral history interview of Irwin for the Archives of American Art.

REEL 1042: Two scrapbooks kept by Butterfield relating to her work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). One, 1965, contains material concerning the opening of new facilities for the museum and events surrounding the opening, including printed material clippings announcements, and photographs of the interior and exterior of the new buildings. The other, 1966-1967, concerns a controversial exhibit of the work of Ed Kienholz during 1966, including clippings and photocopies of letters between the acting director and the president of the board of trustees. [Microfilmed under the title, Los Angeles County Museum of Art scrapbooks.]

ADDITION (12.3 ft.): Extensive artists' files, research files, project files, photographs, slides, audio and VHS videotapes and newspaper and magazine clippings.

Biographical/Historical Note: Jan Butterfield (1937-2000) was an author and art critic from San Francisco, Calif.

Butterfield lent the 2 scrapbooks on reel 1042 in 1975. She donated the Robert Irwin material on reel 2787 in 1980. The interviews and audio tapes were deposited in 1986 and 1989 by Butterfield and then donated in 2002. An additional 12 ft. of papers was donated by Butterfield's brother, and Trustee of the Jan Butterfield Trust, Derek Van Alstine in 2002.

How to Use this Collection

• Microfilm reels 1042 and 2787 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
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