Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Alfonso Ossorio Papers, 1949-1985, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.ossoalfo
Creators:
Ossorio, Alfonso, 1916-1990
Dates:
1949-1985
Languages:
Letters from DuBuffet are in French.
Physical Description:
0.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of painter and assemblage artist Alfonso Ossorio measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1949 to 1985. The papers document Ossorio's career through correspondence, writings, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of painter and assemblage artist Alfonso Ossorio measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1949 to 1985. The papers document Ossorio's career through correspondence, writings, printed material, and photographs.
Correspondence consists primarily of letters from Jean Dubuffet and Clyfford Still. Also included are xeroxed letters from Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. Writings consist of notes and draft manuscripts for the "Fourteen Paintings" exhibition catalog essay, some notes on a list of Pollock artwork, a lecture on Pollock, and a lecture by Dubuffet. Printed material consists of clippings, exhibition announcements and posters, exhibition catalogs, and an article on Ossorio. Photographic material consists of photographs of Ossorio and his colleagues, photographs of works of art, exhibitions and opening receptions, and photographs of works by Gregg Blasdel.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1950-1982 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Writings, circa 1962-1978 (0.1 linear feet: Box 1)
  • Series 3: Printed Material, 1949-1985 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 1-2 OV 3)
  • Series 4: Photographic Material, 1962-1980 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Filipino American painter and assemblage artist Alfonso Ossorio (1916-1990) was based primarily in the New York area and was a key figure in the Abstract Expressionist and Art Brut movements.
Born in Manila, Philippines, in 1916, Ossorio immigrated to the United States with his family in 1930, settling in the Portsmouth area of Rhode Island and studying fine art at Harvard University and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1950 Ossorio was commissioned by the parish of St. Joseph in Victorias City, Negros Occidental in the Philippines, to paint a mural which would be known as "The Angry Christ." In the late 1940s Ossorio settled in New York and later purchased the Creeks, an estate in East Hampton where he thereafter spent the majority of his time. From the late 1940s on Ossorio explored abstraction and formed crucial friendships with Jackson Pollock and Jean Dubuffet. In the 1960s he began to create assemblages that he called congregations, and his work was included in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and elsewhere.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
Existence and Location of Copies
Materials lent for microfilming on reel 2000 and portions of the collection microfilmed on reel 3888 are available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Existence and Location of Originals
Letters from Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner are photocopies or transcripts. Location of the originals is unknown.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated 1980-1981 by Alfonso A. Ossorio. An addition fron an unknown source was donated in 1985.
Processing Information
Portions of the collection were microfilmed on reels 2000 and 3888 after receipt and records on reel 2000 were returned. Records on reel 3888 were subsequently donated, and the collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2023.
Separated Materials
Material on reel 2000 including correspondence with Thomas Gibson Fine Arts, Ltd., Morris J. Pinto, and Jackson Pollock; correspondence, loan agreements, and clippings concerning Pollock's painting "Lavender Mist"; and cancelled checks, bank statements and other financial material, were returned to Ossorio after microfilming and are not described in the collection Container Inventory.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Conditions Governing 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.
Preferred Citation
Alfonso Ossorio papers, 1949-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Alfonso Ossorio conducted by Forrest Selvig, November 19, 1968.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Filipino American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Assemblage artists -- New York (State) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art brut Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Abstract expressionism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-1985 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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