Collection Dates:
.5 linear ft.
This document describes a collection of materials held
by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
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Posted to Internet: February 2003
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Abbreviations: For an explanation of the abbreviation and dating
conventions used in the finding aids, see Abbreviations.
As
then head of the Art Department of Iowa Wesleyan College, in 1951 Fracassini
wrote to artists as follows:
"During my associations with other painters for the past twenty years, I have seen repeated evidences of frustrations and uncertainties concerning the functions and goals of artists in our societty. Consequently, I have chosen for the subject of my dissertation, "The Dilemma of the Twentieth Century Artist."
"I would therefore appeciate your personal opinion on such questions as these: Do you believe that the so-called glorification of shapelessness and formlessness in compemporary art is an inevitable reflection of our age? It has been said that in order to create a new art form the works of the past must be denied. Do you share this opinion? Why does elimination of subject matter seem to be indigenous to the period in which we live? Do you consider this approach valid? What do you think the artists as exemplified by some of the members of the Betty Parsons Gallery and Kottz, are contributing toward the development of a lasting art? What in your opinion is the basic common denominator of art throughout the ages? Can art be propagandistic and still be a valid art? What are your personal goals as an artist?"
This collection
contains the responses he received. Not every correspondent chose to answer
his questions. Many of the letters are handwritten and nearly all are signed.
Contributing artists include Joseph Albers, Lyonel Feiniger, George Grosz,
Rockwell Kent, and Norman Rockwell.
S. Carl Fracassini. "The
Dilemma of the Twentieth Century American Artist." T1951 F798
Box List
Adams, Kenneth M.
May 14, 1951. ALS 2p.
Albers, Josef
April 26, 1951. TLS 1p.
Arms, John Taylor
May 8, 1951. TLS 1p.
Atherton, John
April 13, 1951. ALS 7p.
Austin, Darrel
April 12, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini.
Avery, Milton
April 21, 1951. ALS 2p.
Barnet, Will
May 1, 1951. ALS 2p.
Ben-Zion
No date on return letter. 4p.
Biddle, George
April 17, 1951. ALS 6p.
Blume, Peter
April 12, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini
No date on return letter. ALS 1p.
Bohrod, Aaron
April 23, 1951. ALS 3p.
Booth, Cameron
April 15, 1951. ALS 6p, brochure
Burchfield, Charles
April 17, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini
April 22, 1951. ALS 1p.
Conway, Fred
No date on return letter. ALS 6p.
Cowles, Russell
May 17, 1951. ALS 2p.
Crawford, Ralston
April 25, 1951. TLS 1p.
Dasburg, Andrew
April 24, 1951. ALS 2p.
de Diego, Julio
May 26, 1951. TLS 2p.
Di Gioia, Frank
April 24, 1951. ALS 2p.
Dike, Phil
No date on return letter. ALS 2p.
Dodd, Lamar
April 12, 1951. TLS 2p.
July 9, 1951. 1p: correspondence from Mrs. Betty C. Cabin, Mr. Dodd’s secretary
Emmet
April 28, 1951. TLS 3p.
Feiniger, Lyonel
April 21, 1951.TLS 3p.
Fiene, Ernest
April 19, 1951. TLS 2p.
Fossum, Syd
April 21, 1951. TLS 2p.
Gottlieb, Adolph
April 17, 1951. ALS 2p.
Grant, Jordan
May 29, 1951. ALS 1p.
Graves, Maitland
July 9, 1951. TLS 1p: slightly damaged.
Greene, Balcomb
May 19, 1951. TLS 1p.
Gropper, William
April 25, 1951. TLS 1p.
Grosz, George
May 20, 1951. TLS 1p.
Gughelm, Louis
April 21, 1951. ALS 2p.
Gwathmey, Robert
May 18, 1951. TLS 2p.
Hand, Peter
October 6, 1951. TLS 1p.
Hofman, Hans
May 3, 1951. TLS 1p.
Hopper, Edward
April 24, 1951. TLS 1p.
Kaplan, Joseph
April 22, 1951. TLS 3p.
Kent, Rockwell
April 18, 1951. TLS 2p.
Kirsch, Dwight
May 1, 1951. TLS 2p.
Kroll, Leon
April 28, 1951. TLS 1p.
Lockwood, Ward
May 1, 1951. 1p.
Lucioni, Luigi
April 26, 1951. TLS 1p.
Margo, Boris
April 23, 1951. TLS 3p.
Marsh, Reginald
April 10, 1951. ALS 2p.
Mattern, Karl
May 17, 1951. ALS 3p.
Mommer, Paul
April 25, 1951. TLS 1p.
Osver, Arthur
May 16, 1951. ALS 4p.
Ozenfant, Amdee
May 1951. ALS 1p.
Pach, Malter
May 17, 1951. ALS 2p and envelope
Palmer, William
April 18, 1951. TLS 1p.
Pearson, Ralph M.
May 1, 1951. TLS 1p.
Peirce, Waldo
April 13, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini
April 23, 1951. TLS 1p.
Quanchi, Leo
April 23, 1951. TLS 3p.
Quirt, Walter
May 10, 1951. ALS 5p.
Rockwell, Norman
June 19, 1951. TLS 1p.
Roszak, Theodore
May 4, 1951. ALS 1p: written by Mrs. Theodore J. Roszak
Ruvolo, Felix
June 11, 1951. TLS 2p.
Schwartz, William S.
April 25, 1951. ALS 2p.
Shahn, Ben
May 3, 1951. TLS 1p.
Sheeler, Charles
April 26, 1951. ALS 2p.
Smythe, Bill
April 22, 1951. TLS 2p.
April 18, 1951. ALS 4p.
Sternberg, Harry
April 17, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini
No date on return letter. 4p: TLS 3p, ALS 1p.
Tschacbasov, Nahum
May 12, 1951. TLS 3p.
Unidentified
Soyer Raphael (?), n.s., n.d., 2 p.
Weber, Hugo
April 8, 1951. 1p: letter from Fracassini originally addressed to Mr. Serge Chermayeff and referred to Mr. Hugo Weber
April 20, 1951. TLS 1p.
Wilson, Sol
May 11, 1951. TLS 2p.
Xceron, Jean
May 3, 1951. TLS 2p.