Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Martin, Steve, 1945-
| title | Oral history interview with Steve Martin, 2013 February 4-5 | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | An oral history interview with Steve Martin conducted 2013 February 4-5, by James McElhinney, for the Archives of American Art and the Center for the History of Collecting in America at the Frick Art Reference Library of The Frick Collection, at Martin's home, in Beverly Hills, California. Martin speaks about his first encounters with art while majoring in philosophy at California State University, Long Beach; the significance of dining at Dalton Trumbo's home with luminaries of the artistic community; how the cost of the up-and-comers of the 1960s has changed since he bought his first print; his perception of art in the 1960s, coinciding with Warhol's eminence; having an art show at the Molly Barnes Gallery called Invisible Art, which he has not discussed since; learning to buy valuable art using the catalogue raisonné; studying American art in college libraries and museums while touring the country as a comedian; his transition from aspiring aesthete to collector of art; his philosophy of collecting, from coins to art; his thoughts on taking custody of paintings; envying other collections as the dark side of collecting; the validity of the artist's statement; trying to describe a painting; notoriety of American artists abroad; seeking an emotional response to art; reading a painting; and the difference between his past and current collecting styles. Martin also recalls Melissa Trumbo, Dalton Trumbo, Phil Carey, Armand Duvantes [sp], Terry Delapp, Gerald Peters, Anne Martin, Eric Fischl, April Gornik, Victoria Dailey and others. Biographical/Historical Note Interviewee Steve Martin (1945- ) is an art collector, comedian, actor, musician, and author in Beverly Hills, Calif. Interviewer James McElhinney (1952- ) is a painter and educator of New York, N.Y. |
| extent | Transcript: 77 p. |
| formats | Interview Transcript |
| access | ACCESS RESTRICTED; Use requires written permission. For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services. |
| record link | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-steve-martin-16132 |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-steve-martin-16132 |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:58 |
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