Jess papers, 1941-2004,, bulk 1962-1997
Online content
Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Jess, 1923-
- Abstract:
- The Jess Papers, 1941-2004 (bulk 1962-1997) document his life as an American assemblage artist and painter. The papers are divided into four series: Correspondence, Writings, General Files, and George Herms Papers and consist of correspondence, manuscripts, flyers, announcements, clippings, writings, artwork, and miscellaneous materials.
- Extent:
- Number of containers: 23 boxes, 2 cartons, 3 oversize boxes, 4 volumes Linear feet: 14 linear ft. 1 Digital Object (3 images)
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Jess Papers, BANC MSS 2006/203, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Jess Papers, 1941-2004 (bulk 1962-1997) document his life as an American assemblage artist and painter. The papers are divided into four series: Correspondence, Writings, General Files, and George Herms Papers and consist of correspondence, manuscripts, flyers, announcements, clippings, writings, artwork, and miscellaneous materials.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Jess, American visual artist, was born Burgess Collins on August 6, 1923 in Long Beach, California. Jess was educated as a chemist at the California Institute of Technology. Disillusioned with his scientific career, in 1949 he enrolled in the California School of the Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute) and began referring to himself as "Jess". He met Robert Duncan in 1951 and maintained a relationship with the poet that lasted until Duncan's death in 1988.
By the early 1960s, Jess had won critical esteem for his collage art, which he referred to as "paste-ups". For more than 30 years, Jess was represented by New York's Odyssia Gallery; he also worked closely with Gallery Paule Anglim in San Francisco. Jess's art appears in major museums around the country including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art. Jess died on January 2, 2004 in San Francisco.
- Acquisition information:
- The Jess Papers were a gift of the Phyllis Wattis Foundation in 2005.
- Processing information:
-
Processed to the folder level by Jennifer Davis in 2006.
- Accruals:
-
No additions are expected.
- Physical location:
- Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Jess Papers, BANC MSS 2006/203, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481