Natsoulas, Tony, b. 1959
(Show Bio)Oral history interview with Tony Natsoulas, 2004 Aug. 9 -11
Sound recording, master: 3 sound discs (4 hrs.) : digital ; 2 5/8 in.
Sound recording, duplicate: 3 cassettes Transcript: 54 p.
An interview of Tony Natsoulas conducted 2004 August 9 and 11 by Liza Kirwin for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Sacramento, Calif. Natsoulas speaks of growing up in Davis, Calif.; visiting museums as a child; early memories of working with clay; school art projects; taking art classes at the University of California, Davis while in high school; going to college at Sacramento State College and UC Davis; studying at Maryland Institute College of Art; attending art summer schools such as the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture; making life-sized clay figures; exhibiting his work; making caricature heads of famous people;
including humor and nostalgia in his work; how his work has changed during his career; teaching at Penland School of Crafts; being part of the Funk art movement; choosing themes for his figures; his home studio; his working process and materials; the influence of art periodicals; working on public and private commissions; his teaching philosophy; collaborating with artist Fred Babb; influential art exhibitions; his Greek heritage; his friendship with artist Clayton Bailey; his recent solo exhibition at the Crocker Museum; titling and pricing his work; his art collection; and making artist websites. Natsoulas also recalls Robert Arneson, David Gilhooly, Francesco Clemente, Peter Voulkos, Viola Frey, Roy De Forest; and others.
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
How to Use this Interview
- Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
- Transcript available on line at http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/natsou04.htm
- A transcript of this interview is available online.
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