In Situ and On Location: The Early Works of Maria Nordman by Laura Margaret Richard A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History of Art and the Designated Emphasis in Film Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Associate Professor Julia Bryan-Wilson, Chair Professor Whitney Davis Professor Shannon Jackson Associate Professor Jeffrey Skoller Summer 2015 Abstract In Situ and On Location: The Early Works of Maria Nordman by Laura Margaret Richard Doctor of Philosophy in History of Art and the Designated Emphasis in Film Studies University of California, Berkeley Associate Professor Julia Bryan-Wilson, Chair This dissertation begins with Maria Nordman’s early forays into capturing time and space through photography, film, and performance and it arrives at the dozen important room works she constructed between 1969 and 1979. For these spaces in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Italy, and Germany, the artist manipulated architecture to train sunshine into specific spatial effects. Hard to describe and even harder to illustrate, Nordman’s works elude definition and definitiveness, yet they remain very specific in their conception and depend on precision for their execution. Many of these rooms were constructed within museums, but just as many took place in her studio and in other storefronts in the working-class neighborhoods of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Milan, Genoa, Kassel, and Düsseldorf. If not truly outside of the art system then at least on its fringes, these works were premised physically and conceptually on their location in the city. This project pays particular attention to the relationship between studio and storefront works in Los Angeles vis-à-vis not only their museum-based and international counterparts, but not before exploring Nordman’s earliest films and desert performances to set up fundamental terms, conditions, and themes consistent throughout her oeuvre. Ultimately, I argue that rather than a “Light and Space” artist, her seemingly exclusively formal and phenomenological room works are actually in close dialogue with Hollywood movie-making, cinematic avant-gardes, and the “post-studio” and feminist art movements. Because the works’ difference is most visibly manifest in their use of space and place and sight, I draw on theories of vision and feminist geography to investigate the cultural, social and political dynamics at play within the work and between its concept and site and to suggest a more intrinsic political reading of Nordman’s works vis-à-vis the Cold and Vietnam Wars. 1 For My Darlings, Olivia, Alexandra, and Helena Janku i Table of Contents Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………..…iii List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….….v Introduction: ……………………………………………………………………….….…..1 Chapter One: Ever-Moving Images……………………………………………………….9 Chapter Two: Fires, Fragments, Words, Books…………………………………………..39 Chapter Three: Beams and Walls…………………………………………………………66 Chapter Four: On and In Location: The Room Works……………………………………85 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...121 Figures………………………………………………………………………………….…124 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………227 ii Acknowledgements The seven-year journey that concludes with this dissertation has been incredibly rich, marked as much by intellectual as personal growth. Any kind of long-term project is ultimately a collaborative effort, and there are many people who have made my experience an extremely satisfying and sane one. None of this would have been possible without Anne Wagner. Her belief in my “pluck” and potential opened up great possibility, for which I remain forever grateful. I also offer many thanks to Kaja Silverman for her model of creative, rigorous scholarship, and generous pedagogy. George Janku’s early support was essential in setting me on my way. Thank you. Without Connie Lewallen’s introduction to Maria Nordman’s work, I may not have found so rich a topic; I am grateful for that, and for her ongoing friendship. Archivists, librarians, and scholars everywhere smoothed the way for my research, and I commend them for their professionalism and kindness: Marisa Bourgoin and Erin Kinhart at The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute; Jessica Gambling at the Balch Art Research Library, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Amy Wong and Brandon E. Barton in Special Collections, and Charlotte Brown in University Archives, at UCLA; Bart Ryckbosch at The Art Institute of Chicago; Aimee Calfin at the Getty Research Institute; Tom Norris at the Norton Simon Museum; Stephanie Cannizzo at the UC Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive. David E. James was particularly encouraging in offering new contexts and angles for thinking about Nordman’s films. I am similarly thankful to Thomas Hines for elucidating the artist’s relationship with Richard Neutra. I am indebted to the UC Berkeley Arts Research Center for the community and support they provided during my fellowship, and to the Townsend Center for the Humanities for their funding of the Townsend Working Group in Contemporary Art, where I was fortunate to work with Jadine Collingwood, Sarah Cowan, Jez Flores, Aglaya Glebova, Megan Hoetger, and Emma Silverman. Very little of this scholarship would have come to light without the ongoing commitment, generosity, and forbearance of the Department of the History of Art at UC Berkeley. Special thanks go to Linda Fitzgerald, Matt Joyce, and John McChesney-Young for keeping me on track. Classes with Todd Olson, Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby, and Margaretta Lovell pushed my practical, pedagogical, and theoretical proficiency in our field, as did teaching with Diliana Angelova and Anneka Lenssen. Courses and conversations with Whitney Davis and Tim Clark were particularly influential to my thinking, and I am grateful to them both for being readers of my early work. Jeffrey Skoller’s generous comments and suggestions around film and its history were indispensible. And I am privileged to have not only benefited from Shannon Jackson’s expertise in time-based art, but to have worked together at the Arts Research Center. Finally, I am most indebted intellectually to Julia Bryan-Wilson for her excellent advising, invaluable pragmatic advice, and unflagging optimism. iii Countless empathetic friends have seen me through this venture. My warmest thanks go to Elizabeth Ferrell, Meredith Tromble, and George Frazier for their ongoing interest, encouragement, and inspiration. I am especially grateful to Moira Roth, whose broad knowledge, generosity of spirit, warm friendship, and unwavering, everyday support were present throughout the process—and were crucial to its completion. Thank you so very much, Moira. Finally, I am extremely lucky to have been surrounded by many whose patience, understanding, and love made this journey so meaningful: Paula Richard, Cathy Richard, Russ Richard, Olivia Janku, Alexandra Janku, and Helena Janku. My deepest gratitude always to Laurie Hessen Pomeranz for the constancy of her wit, wisdom, and friendship. And to John Edgcomb for showing up to help me close this special chapter in the best way possible. iv List of Figures Figure 1 Maria Nordman, Found Room: Venice, 1967. Figure 2 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of exterior view of Washington and Beethoven, 1979, Los Angeles. Figure 3 Maria Nordman, Found Room: New Mexico, 1967. Figure 4 Maria Nordman, Found Room: Lincoln Boulevard, Venice, 1966. Figure 5 Maria Nordman, filmstrip of Film Room: Eat, 1966. Figure 6 Maria Nordman, filmstrips of Film Room: Smoke, 1967. Figure 7 Maria Nordman, architectural drawing for Saddleback Mountain, Irvine, California, 1973. Figure 8 Maria Nordman, Fire Performances: Garden of Smokeless Fire [Mojave], Trona, California,1967. Figure 9 Maria Nordman, Found Room: West Los Angeles, 1966. Figure 10 Maria Nordman, Found Room: Mountain Air, New Mexico, 1967. Figure 11 Maria Nordman, plan for Film Room/Projection Room, 1966. Figure 12 Maria Nordman, installation views of Film Room: Smoke, 1967–Present, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2011. Figure 13 Maria Nordman, filmstrip of Jemez, 1968. Figure 14 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of Fire Performances: Garden of Smokeless Fire [Trona], Trona, California, 1967. Figure 15 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of Fire Performances: City of the Clouds, Mojave Desert, California, September 4, 1967. Figure 16 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of Fire Performances: City of the Clouds, Mojave Desert, California, December 19, 1967. Figure 17 Maria Nordman, “Poeima;” artist catalogue entry. Figure 18 Maria Nordman, photo-fragments of interior views of 6/21/79 Berkeley, Berkeley Art Museum, California, 1979. Figure 19 Maria Nordman, exterior view of artist’s studio and Pico II [workroom], at 1014 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, 1971. Figure 20 Maria Nordman, exterior view photo-fragment of Newport Harbor, Newport Beach, California, February 28, 1973. Figure 21 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of Fire Performances: Garden of Smokeless Fire [Trona], Mojave Desert, California, 1967. Figure 22 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of Fire Performances: Garden of Smokeless Fire [Trona], Mojave Desert, California, 1967. Figure 23 Maria Nordman, collage of photo-fragments of interior views of Saddleback Mountain, Irvine, California, 1973. Figure 24 Maria Nordman, collage of photo-fragments of interior views of Venezia, Venice, Italy, 1976. Figure 25 Maria Nordman, photo-fragment of City of the Clouds, Mojave Desert,