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Catalog Data

Interviewee:
Hopkins, Henry T. (Henry Tyler), 1928-2009  Search this
Interviewer:
Chamberlin, Wesley  Search this
Subject:
Pollock, Jackson  Search this
Goode, Joe  Search this
Bell, Larry  Search this
Bereal, Edmund  Search this
Cornell, Joseph  Search this
Copley, William Nelson  Search this
Bengston, Billy Al  Search this
Ruscha, Edward  Search this
Hopps, Walter  Search this
Price, Kenneth  Search this
Irwin, Robert  Search this
Kline, Franz  Search this
Blum, Shirley Neilsen.  Search this
Miyashiro, Ron  Search this
Fort Worth Art Museum  Search this
Los Angeles County Museum of Art  Search this
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art  Search this
Art Institute of Chicago  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place of publication, production, or execution:
California
Physical Description:
Sound recording: 7 Sound cassettes; 90 Pages, Transcript
Access Note / Rights:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Summary:
An interview of Henry Tyler Hopkins conducted 1980 Oct. 24-1980 Dec. 17, by Wesley Chamberlin, for the Archives of American Art.
Hopkins speaks of his childhood and family background in Idaho; his education in Idaho and at the Art Institute of Chicago; his U.S. Army service as a photographer; the influence upon him of the early abstract expressionists; moving to California and getting involved in the museum community; working as a curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and developing its collection of modern works; becoming the director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the value of art appreciation over art entertainment; problems with corporate and federal support; the psychological aspects of Jackson Pollack's work; pop art; the Bay area art scene; and the role of art museums. He recalls Shirley and Walter Hopps, Ed Ruscha, Joe Goode, Larry Bell, Ed Bereal, Ron Miyashiro, Jackson Pollack, Joseph Cornell, Billy Al Bengston, Kenny Price, Robert Irwin, William Copley, Franz Kline, and many others.
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Henry Tyler Hopkins, 1980 Oct. 24-Dec. 17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Transcript available on line.
Funding:
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.
Biography Note:
Henry Hopkins (1928-2009) was a director of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' 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.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Art -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Pop art  Search this
Museum directors -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12844
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213228
AAA_collcode_hopkin80
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213228