Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Rafael Ferrer

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.ferrer90
Creators:
Ferrer, Rafael
Veloric, Cynthia
Dates:
1990 Sept. 19
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4 Sound cassettes
Sound recording
157 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
An interview of Rafael Ferrer conducted 1990 Sept. 19, by Cynthia Veloric, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
Scope and Contents
Ferrer speaks about his childhood in Puerto Rico; his education in Catholic school and military school; his interest in music including his professional work as a drummer in Latin jazz bands both in Puerto Rico and New York City; studies at Syracuse University and the University of Puerto Rico; his interest in painting; meeting the surrealist Eugenio Granell and Granell's influence, including Ferrer's involvement in the 1950's with surrealists in Puerto Rico and Europe, and a discussion of his feelings on Dada and surrealism; the shift toward conceptual and process art in the 1960's; moving to Philadelphia in the 1960's, teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) and exhibiting at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; installations and exhibits in New York City in the late 1960's and 1970's, including his twenty year association with the Nancy Hoffman Gallery; the deflected fountain piece at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the transition to handmade art works and then to painting and figurative works partially inspired by Alex Katz; collectors Sydney and Frances Lewis; and several commissions.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Rafael Ferrer (1933-) is a painter and conceptual artist from Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, Pa.

Administration

Sponsor
The digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
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
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 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
Installations (Art) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Conceptual art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Surrealism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Study and teaching -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Figurative art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art and music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- United States -- Interviews Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Conceptual artists -- Puerto Rico -- Interviews Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Conceptual artists -- United States -- Interviews Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lewis, Frances Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lewis, Sydney Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Granell, Eugenio Fernández, 1912- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Syracuse University -- Students Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Philadelphia College of Art -- Faculty Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nancy Hoffman Gallery Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Philadelphia College of Art Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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