Gyorgy Kepes papers, 1909-2003, bulk 1935-1985

Correspondence represents almost one quarter of the collection and relates to all aspects of Kepes's career including his relationships and collaborations with artists, architects, and writers; his ideas and achievements as an educator and aesthetic theorist; the publication of his writings; and exhibitions which featured both his artwork and his designs.

Artists, architects, writers, and colleagues represented here include Josef Albers, Rudolf Arnheim, Marcel Breuer, Alexander Calder, Henry Dreyfuss, Charles and Ray Eames, Clive Entwhistle, R. Buckminster Fuller, Walter Gropius, S. W. Hayter, Jean Helion, Laszlo and Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, Lev Nussberg, Robert Osborn, George Rickey, Saul Steinberg, Kenzo Tange, Robert Jay Wolff, Jekabs Zvilna, and various colleagues and fellows at M.I.T.

M.I.T. correspondence documents the early planning stages for CAVS from 1963 on, including details of Kepes's vision for the program and his efforts to gain support for its funding. Also documented are events and ongoing activities at CAVS and in the visual arts department at M.I.T. , including the organization of symposia and other events, and Kepes's interactions with fellows including Margaret Mead, Otto Piene, Athena Tacha, Vassilakis Takis, Philip Thiel, Harold Tovish, and Wen-Ying Tsai.

Correspondence with publishers such as George Braziller, Inc., Paul Theobald and Company, M.I.T. Press, and others document the publication of Kepes's writings including the publication of The New Landscape in Argentina and Japan, and foreign language editions of Vision + Value. Also documented are Kepes's submissions to various periodicals including Daedalus, Design, Domus, Leonardo, Time and Life magazines, and Transignia, as well as correspondence with artists and others who contributed to the Vision + Value series, including Michael Blee, Kazuhiko Egawa, Jean Hélion, and others.

There is correspondence with many universities and other educational institutions, often in regard to visits by Kepes for exhibitions, lectures, and other programs, including universities throughout the United States and abroad in countries such as Columbia and Mexico. Also found is a small amount of scattered correspondence with galleries who showed and sold artwork by Kepes, including Saidenberg Gallery.

The series includes 3 motion picture films, including what appears to be an early version of the Charles and Ray Eames film Powers of Ten.