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R.B. Kitaj Papers, 1950-2007 (Bulk 1965-2006)

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R.B. Kitaj Papers, 1950-2007 (Bulk 1965-2006) http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt3q2nf0wf No online items Finding Aid for the R.B. Kitaj papers, 1950-2007 (bulk 1965-2006) Processed by Tim Holland, 2006; Norma Williamson, 2011; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé. UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Manuscripts Division Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library Box 951575 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/ © 2011 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Finding Aid for the R.B. Kitaj 1741 1 papers, 1950-2007 (bulk 1965-2006) Descriptive Summary Title: R.B. Kitaj papers Date (inclusive): 1950-2007 (bulk 1965-2006) Collection number: 1741 Creator: Kitaj, R.B. Extent: 160 boxes (80 linear ft.)85 oversized boxes Abstract: R.B. Kitaj was an influential and controversial American artist who lived in London for much of his life. He is the creator of many major works including; The Ohio Gang (1964), The Autumn of Central Paris (after Walter Benjamin) 1972-3; If Not, Not (1975-76) and Cecil Court, London W.C.2. (The Refugees) (1983-4). Throughout his artistic career, Kitaj drew inspiration from history, literature and his personal life. His circle of friends included philosophers, writers, poets, filmmakers, and other artists, many of whom he painted. Kitaj also received a number of honorary doctorates and awards including the Golden Lion for Painting at the XLVI Venice Biennale (1995). He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1982) and the Royal Academy of Arts (1985). He is the author of two books, The First Diasporist Manifesto (1989) and Second Diasporist Manifesto (2007). Kitaj's works are in the permanent collections of over 50 museums internationally. Language: Finding aid is written in English. Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections. Los Angeles, California 90095-1575 Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information. Restrictions on Access COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information. Restrictions on Use and Reproduction Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright. Provenance/Source of Acquisition Gift of R.B. Kitaj, 2006, 2007, 2008. Processing Note Processed by Tim Holland, 2006; Norma Williamson, 2011 Processing History The R.B. Kitaj Papers came to UCLA in three installments. The first installment, received in 2006. The following was the organization and arrangement of the first installment: • Academies • Assorted Writings • Publicity • Miscellaneous • Personal Correspondence • Business Correspondence The second installment, received in 2007, was combined with the first installment, maintaining the organization and arrangement of the 2006 installment as much as possible. Due to the nature of the third installment materials, received in 2008, some changes were made to the existing organization and arrangement. In addition, 4 new series were created for the third installment of material that did not belong in the existing series. Finally, the number order of the series was changed from alphabetical order to a mixed order primarily determined by the significance of the material. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], R.B. Kitaj papers (Collection 1741). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA. Finding Aid for the R.B. Kitaj 1741 2 papers, 1950-2007 (bulk 1965-2006) UCLA Catalog Record ID UCLA Catalog Record ID: 5598339 Biography R.B. Kitaj was born Ronald Brooks, in Cleveland Ohio, on October 29, 1932 to Jeanne Brooks and Sigmund Benway. His parents divorced when he was two years old and the he had no further contact with his father who died in Los Angeles, California in the late 1940s. Jeanne Brooks supported herself and young Kitaj by working as a secretary at a steel mill. Kitaj's first art training came in the form of children's art school classes at the Cleveland Museum where he spent his Saturdays, while his mother worked. Ronald grew up in an agnostic, liberal home influenced by his mother's circle of friends, some of whom had fled the rise of Nazism in Europe. In 1941, Jeanne married Viennese refugee and research chemist, Walter Kitaj. Ronald adopted his stepfather's surname. In 1942, the family moved to Troy, New York where Kitaj attended Troy High School and developed lifelong friendships with Jim Whiton, John and David Ward and others. At the end of the World War II, Walter Kitaj's mother Helene came to live with the family in New York. Helene had fled Vienna in the 1930s and survived the Holocaust by taking refuge in Sweden while many of her family members, including two sisters, had been killed. Helene's presence had a strong impact on young Kitaj and also helped to form a distinct part of his Jewish identity. In one of his early works, The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg (1960) Kitaj depicts Helene along with his maternal grandmother, Rose Brooks. In 1949, at the age of 17, Kitaj left Troy for the first of many voyages as a merchant seaman. Between jobs, Kitaj attended art school at the Cooper Union where he studied under the artist Sydney Delevante. In 1951, Kitaj made his first trip to Europe. Encouraged by his grandmother Helene, Kitaj visited Austria and enrolled in the Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna. While studying in Vienna, Kitaj met his first wife, and fellow American, Elsi Roessler. They were married in 1953 in New York's oldest Methodist chapel. That winter, the newly-wed couple made a first of many visits to San Feliu de Guíxols in Catalonia, Spain. Years later, Kitaj bought a house in San Feliu where he spent several summers along the Catalan coast, painting and meeting with his good friend Josep Vicente Roma. In 1956, Kitaj was conscripted to the U.S. Army serving first at Darmstadt, Germany, then as an illustrator in Fontainebleau, France. After completing his military service, Kitaj, inspired by the many American artists and writers who had expatriated to London before him, enrolled in the Ruskin School of Art at Oxford with support from the G.I. Bill. Kitaj sold his first painting from this period to philosopher friend John Searle. In 1959, his first son Lem Kitaj (screenwriter Lem Dobbs) was born. From 1959 to 1961 Kitaj attended the Royal College of Art (RCA) where he studied under Carel Weight, Roger de Grey, and David Sylvester. Kitaj befriended several classmates Adrian Berg, Peter Phillips, Allen Jones and David Hockney, who became a lifelong friend. Key paintings of the RCA years include: The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg (1960), Kennst du das Land? (1962), and Reflections on Violence (1962). Kitaj's first solo exhibition, Pictures with Commentary, Pictures without Commentary was held at the Marlborough Gallery in 1963. In 1964, Kitaj and Elsi adopted a daughter, Dominie Kitaj. Between 1962 and 1969, Kitaj taught at Ealing Art College, Camberwell College of Arts, The Slade School of Fine Art, and University of California, Berkeley. In 1969, Kitaj's first wife Elsi committed suicide. Kitaj took his family to Saskatchewan, Canada to recover while he taught at the Emma Lake Workshops. In 1970, they returned to California where he taught for a year at UCLA. While living in Los Angeles Kitaj befriended the photographer Lee Friedlander and first met fellow artist, Sandra Fisher. Upon returning to London, Kitaj and Sandra Fisher met again at the opening of the Neal Street Restaurant in 1971. This chance encounter marked the beginning of their relationship of more than twenty years. In 1975, Kitaj was asked by the Arts Council of Great Britain to curate an exhibition he named, "The Human Clay." The exhibition took place at the Hayward Gallery. In the introductory text of the catalogue Kitaj coined the term "School of London" to describe the group of artists, that he was a part of, working in London at the time, with a focus on drawing from and representing the human form. Some key paintings during this time include: The Arabist (1975-76), The Orientalist (1975-1976), The Hispanicist (1977-1978), Smyrnka Greek (1976-77), From London (James Joll and John Golding) (1975-76), The Neo-cubist (1976 -87) as well as numerous figurative pastel and charcoal drawings. In 1981, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden held the first retrospective of Kitaj's work. In that same year, Kitaj moved to Paris for a year with Sandra Fisher to work. In Paris he developed a close friendship with Avigdor Arikha and his wife Anne Atik. Upon returning to London Kitaj and Sandra Fisher were married by Rabbi Abraham Levy at London's oldest synagogue, Bevis Marks. Several important friends were in attendance including David Hockney, Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, and Leon Kossoff. Max Kitaj was born a year later in 1984. During this time, his work began to focus on the Holocaust, "The Jewish Question" and Kitaj's exploration of Jewish identity. Key works on these themes include, The Jew, Etc. (1976-1979), The Jewish School (Drawing a Golem) (1980), Self-Portrait as a Woman (1984), Germania (The Tunnel) (1985), and The Jewish Rider (1984-1985).
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