Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Walter Erlebacher

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.erleba91
Creators:
Erlebacher, Walter, 1933-1991
Hunter, Anne S.
Dates:
1991 Jan. 19
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5 Sound cassettes
Sound recording
297 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
An interview of Walter Erlebacher conducted 1991 Jan. 19, by Anne Hunter, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
Scope and Contents
Erlebacher discusses his early years in Frankfurt, immigrating with his family to New York City in 1940; his education and early visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art; issues such as the Vietnam War and the resulting changes, multiculturalism; his interest in philosophy, Plato, mathematics and the golden section; his studies at Pratt, Alexander Kostellow and Ivan Rigby and the program they developed at Pratt; military service in Europe; returning to Pratt, his fellow students, and issues of representational art;
Scope and Contents
Eva Hesse; his shift to representational sculpture; his interest in anatomy which he taught himself and others in a private class; his friendship with other representational artists such as Philip Pearlstein, Alfred Leslie and Jack Beal; his use of mythology; Marcel Duchamp; exhibitions and his dislike of them; and a few major commissions including the Jesus in Philadelphia, the ARA commission, and the Jefferson Hospital commission he lost; Philadelphia as an art community and such controversies as the "Rocky" sculpture.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Walter Erlebacher (1933-1991) was a sculptor and instructor from Philadelphia, Pa.

Administration

Sponsor
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript: 35mm microfilm reel 4777 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These interviews are 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 others.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Figurative art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pearlstein, Philip, 1924- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beal, Jack, 1931- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kostellow, Alexander, 1897-1954 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hesse, Eva, 1936-1970 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Leslie, Alfred, 1927- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rigby, Ivan B. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pratt Institute. Art School Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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