January-February 1997 CAA News
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Datebook"---____ February 12-15 February 28 CAA annual conference, New York Deadline for submissions to March CAA Careers February 12 Reception for 1997 M.F.A. Exhibition at March 28 January 17-February 15 Hunter College (see page 10) Deadline for submissions to May JJune Techno-Seduction exhibition at Cooper CAA News Union (see page 10) February 13 Reception for Techno-Seduction Exhibi April 1 January 31 tion (see page 10) Deadline for comments on CONFU Deadline for applications for Profes guidelines (see page 9) sional Development Fellowships in February 14 American Art Valentine's Day Party and Silent May 2 Auction Deadline for submissions to May CAA s Deadline for applications for Profes Careers sional Development Fellowships for February 15 Artists and Art Historians Members T Annual Business Meeting (see page 3) Deadline for submissions to MarchI April CAA News February 20 Deadline for nominations to CAA Board February 3 of Directors (see page 7) interdisciplinary program, History, the Deadline to register for Art Talks (see Arts, and Letters. Kubler was invited to page 9) Past join Focil1on's equipe and entered graduate school in 1934. He decided to CAA Greats, write his dissertation on the religious architecture of New Mexico. He completed his doctoral work at the Kubler and newly formed Institute of Fine Arts, where he attended the seminars of Walter Cook, Karl Lehmann, Erwin Wilson Panofsky, and Herbert Spinden. When a major in the history of art was estab lished at Yale in 1938, Kubler returned to teach until his retirement in 1983. The traditions and community 5 support that characterized New Haven provided a nurturing environment for a The College Art Association mourns the man who had been orphaned at twelve. death of two long-standing members and Kubler created a bastion of comfort with January/February 1997 past board members, George Kubler and his family in their roomy house on College Art Association Edward Wilson. Both mel1made significant Humphrey Street and with his students 275 Seventh A venue contributions to the association and to the George Alexander Kubler in his office on Yale's High Street NewYork,NewYork 10001 disciplines of art and art history in the bridge. His routines ran like clock twentieth century. Following are tributes work-a time for thought; a time for from colleagues and friends: students; a time for writing; and a time Board of Directors In 1929 Kubler entered Yale, where he remained throughout his life. As he for his wife, Betty; and four children, Leslie King-Hammond, President George Alexander later told me, his was a career that Alexandra, Cornelia, Edward, and Jolm R. Clarke, Vice-Presidellt Kubler, 1912-1996 developed at a time when institutions Elena. No matter what deadlines he Nancy Macko, Secretary On October 3, 1996, the world lost a nurttued, created, and sustained had, he made time for students, family, John W. Hyland,Jr., Treasllrer and occasional social events. Barbara Hoffman, Esq., COUlIse! brilliant guide who, throughout a career scholars, rather than merely employing We all created awe-filled images of Susan Ball, Executive Director of sixty years, led many of us into' them. While clamoring for rigorous uncharted areas of knowledge. George academic standards at Yale College, he this prodigious scholar at work, and Ellen T. Baird Arturo Lindsay Kubler was born in 1912, "in Holly wrote experimental fiction; traveled to they in turn mediated our awe and Judith K Brodsky Victor Margolin wood," as he liked to say. He lived in the Caribbean, Mexico, and New made our time with him so much more Diane Burko John Hallmark Neff Los Angeles until the age of eight when Mexico; and studied one year in special. Indeed, student narratives of the Bradford R. Collins Beatrice Rehl his father died, and in France and Munich. Returning to Yale in 1933, he dreamy, slightly out-of-touch professor Whitney Davis Rita Robillard were the tropes arotUld which fond Vishakha Desai Norie Sato Switzerland until he lost his mother at attended Henri Focillon's lectures and "Kubler stories" turned. We appreciated Jonathan Fineberg Roger Shirnomura age twelve. He then resided with his decided on his lifelong vocation: art Shifra M. Goldman Lowery Stokes Sims paternal grandmother in Switzerland history. Kubler's entrance into the field his generosity and warmth, even though Susan L. Htmtington Jeffrey Chipps Smith who died the following year. Before her at this time was fortuitous, as Focillon we imagined that he might have pre Michi Itami Nancy J. Troy death, she provided for him financially was busy persuading Yale to establish a ferred to be pondering more important Christine Kondoleon Alan Wallach and arranged for a guardian in the new program in the history of art, ideas than the ones we brought to him. Irving Lavin Deborah Willis States. Kubler attended boarding school drawing its future faculty from the Joe Lewis in Ohio. graduate students enrolled in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Past CAA Greats, Kubler and Wilson setting an agenda for art historical felt that an artist's work should be least 60 days prior to the date designated for Contents CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 studies, but I believe that it closed a socially relevant, and his own art the Meeting. The Annual Business Meeting, period of Kubler's scholarly develop reflected the turbulence and spirit of his by a majority vote, may adopt resolutions ment and freed him to explore new and deal with proposals of any kind Volume 22, Number I But those of us who came to know times. His sculptures are on display terrain and revisit earlier problems and concerning the affairs of the Association. In Jalll/aJy/February 1997 Kubler well knew that he was always throughout the United States, and he formulations. Before 1960 Kubler had order to insure consideration, such resolu fully present and happy to share himself was recently designated an important explored the relationships between such tions must (1) be received in the office of the Past CAA Greats, Kubler with us. We remember his humility and figure in African American art in A and Wilson social sciences as economics, demo 1 his great, joyful smile and sweet voice History of African-American Artists, 1972 Executive Director no later than 80 days graphics, linguistics, and anthropology to the Present, published by Pantheon prior to the Annual Business Meeting;. (2) be Notice of Members' Annual that greeted us whenever we carne into to the study of art and artifacts. After Books. He is survived by a daughter, a in proper parliamentary form; (3) be signed 3 Business Meeting his presence. 1960 he expanded iconography through George Kubler was a man with son, and four grandchildren. by at least 25 members of the Association in linguistics and semiology, epigraphy Legal Update relentless energy and rigorous goals. -Submitted by the Art Department of good standing or proposed by Board of through configurational analysis, textual 4 CAANews Triennial leaves from Yale enabled him Binghamton University Directors' resolution; (4) be no more than analysis through Levi-Strauss's notion of three hundred words in length; and (5) deal CAA Elects New Board to pursue research and writing, and he bricolage, myth and ritual through rewarded his institution with twenty with matters relating to the purpose of the 6 Members, 1997-2001 history, formal analysis through COlll books and over one hundred scholarly Association as set forth in Article II herein. puter mapping, epistemology through Cal~or Nominations to articles. His research agenda was broad, The President shall determine the order of the oard,1998-2002 quantum physics, aesthetics through extending temporally from American consideration of xresolutions. Resolutions 7 CAA in the News biography-and the list goes on. Edward N. Wilson PHOTO: PETER FINGER from the floor will be considered as time and . antiquity to the Enlightenment, and Kubler was at work on a study of geographically across all cultural areas appropriateness allow." evolution, vision, and the brain as he 8 From the Executive Director that played a role in the formation of invited by the Board of Directors to, slipped into the disorientation of Notice of Agenda vast unstudied artistic landscapes. Alzheimer's disease, which made it participate in a discussion with an If Kubler really designed a twenty impossible for him to finish this assess advisory delegation of African American Annual Conference Update The results of the election of new 9 year plan after graduate school as his ment of the relations among images, scholars. His report on the meeting Members' friends attest, he always made space for members to the Board of Directors who eAA Statement on visual thought, and evolution. Indeed, it expressed the difficulty that his will serve from 1997 to 2001; the 1997 Deaccessioning Works of Art improvisation. Indeed, he was easily was evolutionary theory that he had colleagues at historic black colleges were 11 Thanks to CAA Members seduced by opportunities to make Annual Nominating Committee; and the officers criticized relentlessly in The Shape of experiencing in their attempts to start who will serve from 1997 to 1998. interesting detours. He wrote Toward Time, especially as scholars applied it to and maintain art departments at Absolute Time: Guano Archaeology (1948) questions of historical development and institutions with limited,resources. Advocacy Business Amendment to the By-laws 12 with scientist G. Evelyn Hutchinson representation. Our conversations about Wilson was also invited to be a member during the war years. A request from the work suggested to me that he hoped of the newly formed Artist-Teacher anthropologist Wendell Bennett yielded Financial Report-John Hyland, Jr., Solo Exhibitions by Artist Members to present neurological evidence that Committee, which was charged with Meeting 13 The Quechua in the Colonial World (]946), Treasurer might support his hypothesis that art addressing the particular needs of visual and he and the historian Charles Gibson and artifacts-and the problems of form arts educators.