A Finding Aid to the James Huber, Michael Hossner, and Dino Vinti Papers, 1950-1993, in the Archives of American Art

Scope and Contents

The papers of Bay Area Figurative artists James Huber and Michael Hossner measure 3.1 linear feet and date from 1950-1993. Included are personal correspondence; legal documents including a will; personal photographs and photographs used as studies for works of art; DVDs of annotated photographs, master paintings and drawings; printed material consisting of exhibition invitations and programs; and biographical information including artists' statements and address books. Also included is material regarding Dino Vinti, an independent curator and curator at Footworks Studio, an alternative center for visual and performing arts. The papers document the Bay Area art scene in the 1970s and 1980s of which Huber and Hossner were a part of, alternative spaces, and the devastation of the AIDS epidemic.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Biographical / Historical

James Huber (1950-1988) and Michael Hossner (1954-1990) were Bay Area Figurative artists in San Francisco, California. Dino Vinti (1958-1989) was a independent curator and curator at Footworks Studio.

James Huber (1950-1988) was a Bay Area Figurative artist in San Francisco, California. His art is representative of the Bay Area Figurative Style and gay community. Huber's works can be categorized into three themes: Figurative, Abstract, and Landscape. Huber co-founded (along with Phil Linhares and David McClay) Open Studios in San Francisco. Open Studios is a national movement of artist-driven presentation of their work. James Huber created more than 900 paintings and sculptures before passing from complications from AIDS.

Michael Hossner (1954-1990) was also was a Bay Area Figurative artist in San Francisco, California. Hossner was greatly influenced by his mentor and lover, James Huber, and the Bay Area Figurative Style. Hossner drew inspiration from autobiographical sources for most of his art. Many of his paintings chronicle his experiences with the AIDS pandemic. He exhibited his paintings in more than a dozen galleries and non profit spaces throughout the Bay Area between 1985 and 1989. Michale Hossner passed of complications from AIDS in 1990.

Dino Vinti (1958-1989) was a close friend and former lover of James Huber. He was an independent curator and curator at Footworks Studio, an alternative center for visual and performing arts. Vinti collaborated on the initiation of the Edge Festival. He designed and installed many exhibitions, including "Urban Expressions" show in 1987. Dino Vinti passed from complications from AIDS in 1989.