Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with John Outterbridge

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.outter73
Creators:
Outterbridge, John, 1933-2020
Bassing, Allen, 1932-
Dates:
1973 January 3
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
13 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Interview of John W. Outterbridge conducted 1973 January 3, by Allen Bassing, for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
Outterbridge speaks of his family background and how that influenced him to lean toward the arts; attending Agriculture & Technical University and majoring in engineering even though he wanted to become an artist; joining the Army in order to get the G.I. Bill so he could afford school; painting during his three-year stint in the service, and how his company commander admired his work and got him a studio; attending the Chicago Academy of Art, then the American Academy of Art after leaving the military; moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an artist full-time; quitting painting and deciding to focus on sculpture; working at the Pasadena Art Museum, and how it disturbed him that there weren't any Black artists being represented in the shows he was installing there; getting involved with the Compton Communicative Arts Academy just as it was starting; and the present situation of the Compton Communicative Arts Academy and where he sees it going. He recalls Andy Warhol, Peter Alexander, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark di Suvero, John Coplans, Judson Powell, Noel Puerefoy, Charles Dickson, Bobby Gilmore, and many others.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
John Outterbridge (1933-2020) was an art administrator, painter, and sculptor from Los Angeles, California.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
Existence and Location of Originals
Item is a transcript. Location of original audio recording is unknown.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1959 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
This transcript is open for research. No audio exists. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arts administrators -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American sculptors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American military personnel Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gilmore, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Alexander, Peter, 1939- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Warhol, Andy, 1928-1987 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sera, Richard Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Powell, Judson Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Puerefoy, Noel Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dickson, Charles Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coplans, John Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Di Suvero, Mark, 1933- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chicago Academy of Fine Arts -- Students Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pasadena Art Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Academy of the Fine Arts -- Students Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Compton Communicative Arts Academy Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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