Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Patricia Johanson Papers, 1964-1998, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.johapatr
Creators:
Johanson, Patricia, 1940-
Dates:
1964-1998
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
Repository:
Papers of sculptor Patricia Johanson include professional and personal correspondence, 1967-1998; writings on public art, articles, and reviews; a transcript of an interview of Johanson conducted by Jan Evans; a copy of a Master's thesis written on Johanson's sculpture; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements; and photographs of Johanson and her work. The collection measures 1.5 linear feet and dates from 1964 to 1998.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
Papers of sculptor Patricia Johanson include professional and personal correspondence, 1967-1998; writings on public art, articles, and reviews; a transcript of an interview of Johanson conducted by Jan Evans; a copy of a Master's thesis written on Johanson's sculpture; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements; and photographs of Johanson and her work. The collection measures 1.5 linear feet and dates from 1964 to 1998.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1975-1997 (Box 1; 1 folder)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1967-1998, n.d. (Box 1; 17 folders)
  • Series 3: Writings, 1968-1997, n.d. (Box 1 and OV 3; 7 folders)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, 1966-1998, n.d. (Boxes 1-2 and OV 3; 12 folders)
  • Series 5: Photographs, 1962-1996, n.d. (Box 2 and OV 3; 8 folders)

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Patricia Johanson, born in 1940, is an environmental sculptor and architect who creates large scale public works to solve environmental problems and create habitat and public recreational space. She graduated from Bennington College in 1962 and earned an M.A. in art history at Hunter College (1964). Johanson took civil engineering classes at New York's City College School of Architecture, earning a Bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1977. Inspired by the enormous canvases of the Abstract Expressionists, Johanson created huge sculptures such as Stephen Long (1968) which went beyond the field of vision and interacted with the environment. Johanson designed sculpture for Con Edison's Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant (1972), the Whitney Colleges at Yale University (1972), and Columbus East High School, Columbus, Indiana (1973). Her architectural projects include Fair Park Lagoon in Dallas, Texas (1981-1982), Tidal Sculpture Garden for Pelham Bay Park in New York (1984), and the San Fransisco baywalk which transformed a new sewer into a public amenity and work of art. Her Park for the Amazon Rainforest (1992), commissioned for the Earth Summit, is an environmental sculpture that provides access from ground level up through the forest canopy along the Amazon River near Obidos, Brazil. Johanson's more recent projects include a master plan and ecological playgrounds for Ulsan Dragon Park (1996), a 912-acre site in South Korea, and the Rocky Marciano Trail and Salisbury River Greenway in Brockton, Massachusetts. Her husband is art historian Eugene C. Goossen.

Administration

Author
Jetta Samulski
Provenance
Patricia Johanson donated her papers in 1975, 1983, 1989, 1997, and 1998.
Processing Information
The papers were processed in August 2004 by Jetta Samulski.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Patricia Johanson papers, 1964-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women sculptors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women architects Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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