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  2. Gyorgy Kepes papers, 1909-2003, bulk 1935-1985
  3. Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1948-circa 1980s

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

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Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1948-circa 1980s
1.4 Linear feet
Boxes 7-8, 28

Series is arranged as three subseries.
  • 4.1 Writings by Kepes, 1948-circa 1980s
  • 4.2 Writings by Kepes and Others, circa 1950s-1974
  • 4.2 Writings by Others, circa 1950s-circa 1970s

4.1

Writings By Kepes, 1948-circa 1980s
Applications and proposals are for an undated grant to design and construct an electronic kinetic generator, a 1959 Guggenheim application related to the creative use of light, and a 1974 proposal for Boston Harbor.
Untitled essays are on subjects such as Asian scrolls, artistic idiom, perceptions of the spatial and complex dynamic environments, the man-made environment, contemporary cities, the dialog between man and light, environmental light and shadow, the energy crisis, kinetic aspects of visual experiences, and technology and randomness in twentieth century art.
Published writings by Kepes are articles for journals such as Art and Architecture, Daedalus, Graphis, Leonardo, and others. Scattered additional published writings may be found in Series 8: Printed Material.
Lists include lists of artwork and writings by Kepes, and several lists of his commitments in the early 1970s. Additional scattered and incomplete lists relate to illustrations and photographs for various publications, and invitees to exhibitions.
Notes relate to subjects such as light and color, including an outline for a book on light, and continuity and sequence, and include a group of illustrated notes from the 1940s which appear to relate to Education of Vision, which was volume 1 of Vision + Value.
The series includes one sound recording of a lecture Kepes delivered to the International Institute of Design.
Description Container
Applications/Proposals, circa 1959-circa 1974
7
12
Articles/Essays
"A Sketch of Plot for a Future Work: Modern Painting and New Theatre", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
13
"Art and the Universities: Two Other Cultures", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
14
"Juan Gris: His Life and Work", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
15
"The Shaping of the Exhibition", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
16
Untitled, circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
17-20
"Form and Motion", 1948
7
21
Untitled, 1955
7
22
"A Mobile Light Mural" (for Art in America), 1960
7
23
Introduction to The Visual Arts Today, 1960
7
24
"Light in Art and Architecture", 1963
7
25
Untitled, 1965
7
26
"Toward Civic Art" (for Leonardo), circa 1968
7
27
Untitled, 1968
7
28
Untitled (for ArtsCanada), 1969
7
29
"A Proposal", 1970
7
30
Untitled, 1970-1974
7
31
"Light-Art on a New Scale", 1974
7
32
Untitled, 1974
7
33
Untitled, Regarding "Design and Technology in Hagia Sophia," by William MacDonald, 1974
7
34
Book Excerpt, Language of Vision, 1973
7
35
Fragments, circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
36
Lectures
Untitled, circa 1950s
7
37
International Institute of Design Lecture, circa 1950s-circa 1960s
1 Sound tape reel
7
38
"Aesthetics on a Civic Scale", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
39
"Aesthetics of Everyday Life", circa 1950s-circa 1970s
7
40
Cooper Union Lecture, "The Integration of Architecture and the Allied Arts", 1958
7
41
Columbia University Seminar Talk, "A Painter's Response to the Idiom of Science", 1965
7
42
UCLA Arts Council, "Arts for a Changing Scale", 1969
7
43
Gropius Lecture, 1970
7
44-46
Introductory Lecture (Venice Lecture?), 1970-1972
7
47-48
Tulane Lecture, 1973
7
49
Berlin/Ontario College of Art Lecture, "Art in a Civic Place", 1973-1974
7
50-53
Manuscript in Hungarian, 1937
7
54
Published Writings, circa 1940s-1973
7
55-59
Lists
Artwork and Writings, circa 1970s-circa 1980s
8
1
Bibliography for "The Perceptual Form of the City", 1956
8
2
Commitments, 1971-1974
8
3
Illustration Captions for Unidentified Publications/Exhibitions, circa 1950s-circa 1970s
8
4
Miscellaneous, 1966-1974
8
5
Photographs Missing from The New Landscape, circa 1950s-circa 1970s
8
6
Notes
On Continuity/Sequence, circa 1940s-circa 1950s
8
7
On Visual Communication, circa 1940s-circa 1950s
8
8
Outline for "Revision of Vision", circa 1940s-circa 1950s
8
9
Quotations of/Biographical Notes on Various Authors, circa 1940s-circa 1960s
8
10
On "Education of Vision/Visual Fundamentals", 1940-1951
8
11-16
Miscellaneous Notes, 1953-1960
8
17
On "Aspects of a City", 1956-1957
8
18
Daedalus Notes and Writings, 1959
8
19
On Light and Color, 1961
8
20
Lecture Notes, circa 1965
8
21
Outline for Book on Light, 1974
8
22
Illustration Photocopies for Unidentified Publication, circa 1980
8
23

4.2

Writings by Kepes and Others, circa 1950s-1974
This series comprises primarily draft manuscripts documenting Kepes's collaborative work with M.I.T. professor Kevin Lynch. Kepes and Lynch co-directed a five-year research project funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, "The Perceptual Form of the City," which became the foundation of Lynch's research on city planning.
Also found are writings in the form of annotated manuscripts, and related records including correspondence, for a book proposed by Kepes to M.I.T. Press, entitled "Art on a Public Scale." Files include requests for contributions to CAVS fellows from Kepes, and submissions and some scattered correspondence from Lowry Burgess, Margaret Mead, Carl Nesjar, Bill Parker, Otto Piene, Keiko Prince, Alan Sonfist, Athena Tacha, and others.
Description Container
By Kepes and Lynch
"A Framework for the Form of City Study and Some Topics for Study", circa 1950s
8
24
"Art and Civilization (6), Shapes of Enclosed Spaces", circa 1950s
8
25
"Perception of Environmental Symbols", circa 1950s
8
26-30
Responses to Environment, circa 1950s
8
31
Research Proposal, "Perceptual Form of the City", 1953
8
32
Boston Environment, 1956
8
33
Essays for "Art on a Public Scale", 1970-1974
8
34-37

4.3

Writings By Others, circa 1950s-circa 1970s
In addition to writings about Kepes, this series also contains writings on subjects of interest to Kepes by authors and colleagues including S. Giedion, Michio Ihara, Cranston Jones, Marshall McLuhan, Alan Sofist, and Philip Thiel.
Description Container
About Kepes by Unidentified Authors, circa 1960s
Oversized material housed in Box 28, Folder 2
8
38
About Kepes, Essays for Exhibition Gyorgy Kepes: Works in Review, circa 1973
8
39-41
Articles/Essays by Authors B-C, 1960s-1970s
8
42
Articles/Essays by Authors D-G, 1950s-1970s
8
43
Articles/Essays by Authors H-L, 1950s-1970s
8
44
Articles/Essays by Authors M-S, 1950s-1970s
8
45
Articles/Essays by Authors T-Z, 1950s-1970s
8
46
Articles/Essays by Authors by Unidentified Authors, circa 1970s
8
47
Contributions to Book Arts of Participation, circa 1960s-circa 1970s
8
48-51
Student Proposals, circa 1957-circa 1972
8
52
Oversized About Kepes by Unidentified Authors from Box 8, Folder 38
28
2

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  • To request an appointment to view materials, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reading Room" button. Please note, you will receive the full box.
  • To request reproductions, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reproduction" button.