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Archives of American Art
Oral history interview with Fred Martin
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.martin80
- Creators:
-
Martin, Fred, 1927-St. John, Terry
- Dates:
-
1980 Aug. 27-Sept. 19
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
202 PagesTranscript
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
An interview of Fred Martin conducted 1980 Aug. 27-Sept. 19, by Terry St. John, for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
Martin speaks of his childhood and early artistic influences; his education at the University of California, Berkeley; his rebellion as a student; studying under Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still; teaching art in elementary and high schools; going to work for the Oakland Art Museum; his lack of an identifiable style and its negative impact on his early career; teaching at and becoming director of the San Francisco Art Institute; leaving there and teaching at the University of California, Berkeley; the influence of abstract expressionism on his work; his work in collage; his travels; the influence of "dynamic symmetry"; the current art market.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Fred Martin (1927- ) is a painter, teacher, and collagist from Oakland, Calif.
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 3417 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: Use requires an appointment.
More Information
General
General
Originally recorded on 8 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hrs., 9 min.
Keywords
Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
---|---|---|---|
Abstract expressionism | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Collagists -- California -- Interviews | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Painters -- California -- Interviews | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Sound recordings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Interviews | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
San Francisco Art Institute | Corporate Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions