Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Peter Bradley Peter Bradley: A Life in Paint Getty Trust Oral History Project African American Art History Initiative, Getty Research Institute Interviews conducted by Andrianna Campbell and Shanna Farrell In 2019 Interviews sponsored by the J. Paul Getty Trust Copyright © 2020 by J. Paul Getty Trust Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley ii Since 1954 the Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* Copyright in the manuscript and recording is owned by the J. Paul Getty Trust, which has made the materials available under Creative Commons licenses as follows: Manuscript is licensed under CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and recording is licensed under CC-BY-NC (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Peter Bradley, “Peter Bradley: A Life in Paint” conducted by Andrianna Campbell and Shanna Farrell in 2019, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, under the auspices of the J. Paul Getty Trust, 2019. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley iii Peter Bradley, 2018 Photograph by Sean Donnola for T Magazine, June 2018 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley iv Peter Bradley grew up in Connellsville, Pennsylvania after his mother adopted him in 1940. He later split his time between Connellsville and Detroit, Michigan. He attended the Society for Art and Crafts in Detroit and Yale University. He left Yale to pursue a career in art dealership with the Perls Gallery in New York City. He painted for most of his life, and had work on display as part of the Whitney Biennial in 1973. In this interview, Bradley discusses his early life, education, moving to New York to work in the art world, the community of artists, including musicians, with whom he interacted, inspiration for his paintings, techniques, and artistic process, as well as specific art shows, like the Whitney Biennial. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley v Table of Contents Project History viii Interview 1: March 25, 2019 Hour 1 1 Birth in 1940, recollections of Connellsville, PA — Memories of mother, Edith — Large foster family, interracial households — Growing up as an artist and an athlete — Personal painting studio and materials used — Mother’s husbands, origin of last name — William Bradley — Long summer trips on the railroad — Trip to San Francisco at fourteen — Mother’s informal jazz club, Bradley and the Green Book — Miles Davis, influence of musicians — Hosting jazz musicians who played in Pittsburg, height of the jazz era — Summers in Detroit, first impressions — Meeting Aretha Franklin — Escaping Detroit for New York City — Struggles with police racism in Detroit and New Jersey — Quitting jazz music — Coming to New York to paint — First jobs in New York: Frank’s Frame Shop, Hispanic Society of America, and the Guggenheim Museum — Experience at Society for Arts and Culture in Detroit — Individuality in painting Intersections of artists and jazz musicians — Perls Gallery and Picasso — Reflection on working with successful artists — Alexander (Sandy) Calder — Racism at Yale — John de Menil — Artists at Pels, interactions with Picasso — Leaving Yale, 1967 — Thoughts on color courses and crits at Yale — Sharing a studio with Frank Stella Hour 2 31 Mary Frances Rand’s purchase of The Dearest One La Gaza M.F.R., 1967 — Issues at Yale’s artistic community — 1968 MLK exhibition at MoMA — Miles Davis’ museum work — Problems with Norman Lewis, personal opinion on abstraction — Lack of influence from other artists — Kenneth Noland and Clement Greenberg — Painting materials: Golden Paint and Pearl Paint — Early acrylic use on canvas —Frank Bowling — Thoughts on black art — Finances in the art world —Firehouse property, real estate in New York City — Thomas Messer, job at Perls — Jodie Eastman (Guggenheim), Paul McCartney at Perls — Trips to Europe, handling painting sales — John de Menil at Perls — Slavery: The Black Man and the Man — Work on The Deluxe Show — Curator job and separating art from the artist — Methods of applying paint — Spray painting, late 60s-70s — Selling paintings as an artist — 1973 Whitney Biennial — Memories of Junior — Thoughts on artists in the gallery at Andre Emmerich — Anthony Caro sculpture — Amelia Perls Interview 2: March 25, 2019 Hour 1 62 Celebrity clients at Perls Gallery — Edward G. Robinson’s collection — Early Picasso dealer, Daniel Kahnweiler — Evolution of galleries, art dealers in 1960s Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley vi — Thoughts on Rauschenberg and Warhol — Artist restaurant hangouts — Inspiration around selling art pieces — Making of Hemming painting — Deep space photographs — Relationship with Ed Clark — Art scene during the 60s — — Hosting loft parties — Thoughts on various artists, Michael Steiner, William T, James Wolf — Olitski and spray painting — Displaying Alvin Loving — Danny Johnson — Sam Gilliam, draping his artwork — Process behind selecting artwork for show — Clay Creek at Whitney Biennial — Naming of Hemming painting — Importance of fashion — Significance of cars in presentation — First expensive car, XK 150 Jaguar — Move to 82 Jane Street Hour 2 102 Minimalist movement artists — Wooster studio loft — Security issues at the studio during Rambush years — Move to firehouse, Engine 33, 1979-1989 — Conversion of firehouse with Paul Heyer and Paul Rudolph — Description of firehouse and blueprints — Leaving Perls — Painting jobs for Rambush, John Kennedy — Feelings about figure art as an abstract painter — Decorum in the art world — Thurman Hedgepeth — Painting focus in the mid to late 70s — Isom Dart — Stanley Whitney’s wife, Marina Adams — Robert Blackburn and printmaking — Perspective on art prices —Howardena Pindell and A.I.R. Gallery — Mel Edwards, thoughts on own art during 1970s — First museum experiences — Frank Lloyd Wright house — First time listening to Kool and the Gang — John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, thoughts on other musicians — Kenneth Noland Interview 3: March 26, 2019 Hour 1 129 Children, Lisa, Miles and Garrett — Moving between Detroit and New York — Marriage to Grace Burney — Meeting Suzanne McClelland, 80s — Triangle Artists’ Workshop and Anthony Caro — Suzanne as an artist — Breakaway from Triangle Workshop, invitation from Thupelo in South Africa — Staying at Bill Ainslie’s house in Johannesburg — Segregation in South Africa — Dangerous situations in Johannesburg — Discussion about the wealthy — Silver Dawn — Work on art in South Africa — Studio at Witsendam University — Switch from painting to sculpting— Reluctance to return to South Africa — Interaction with Joe Manana in New York City — Process of creating sculptures — Experiments with steel, welding it together — US-South African Leader Exchange Program, working at Fuba — Experiences in South Africa — Work on Silver Dawn and other sculptures — CIA and Abstract Expressionism, issues with name of Silver Dawn — Leaving South Africa before unveiling of Silver Dawn — Thoughts on apartheid — Return to New York, navigating painting again — Assistants in New York, inability to show sculptures — Impact of time spent in South Africa — Disbursement and theft of artwork— Artwork shown in 1980s, Hersey Gallery — Drug use during 80s — Acquisition of elephant skull — Life with Deborah in Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley vii Greenwich Village — Mysterious acquisition of Greenwich apartment — Creation of a studio space with architect John Johansen Hour 2 160 Clearing out junk in Greenwich apartment — Steel from World Trade Center — — Thoughts on scale for sculptures — Drinking culture in the art world — Relationship with Clement Greenberg, David Smith — Work with Anthony Caro — Process behind choosing Caro —Squire Foundation, Santa Barbara — Struggle painting in Santa Barbara — Random drawing, interest in chance and randomness — Paintings on the black market, stolen work — Discussion of work from Alexander Calder’s studio — Influence and theft of African objects in art— Discussion on art with unusual materials — Airplane series, interest in airplanes — Discussion of various drawings, late 60s-80s — Famous clients at