Thursday, March 25, 2021

Wallace Berman Retrospective Catalog 1978


As far as I know this is the first full catalog of Wallace Berman's art. It was published by the Fellows of Contemporary Art in 1978. Two years after my dad's death. The exhibiton was curated by Hal Glicksman and located at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Walter Hopps was originally going to curate the show, but he disappeared and I can't remember why. I do have a memory having a meeting with Walter at a big table at someone's house. I was there with my mom, I'm pretty sure Hal was there as well. Walter spoke slowly with a sense of drama. He said "Wallace's art is.....on the wall....and the walls are white....." We all silently thought about this, and we all nod our heads yes. Nevertheless, Hal did a remarkable job in putting the show together, and it looked beautiful.

"Wallace Berman Retrospective" (1978) is out-of-print and be expensive when found. But for the collector..... "Perfect bound in wrappers, 118 pp., illustrated throughout. Includes a foreword by Hal Glicksman, an interview with Walter Hopps, essays by Robert Duncan and David Meltzer, a chronology, a catalog of the exhibition, and a bibliography. An important early gathering of Berman's work, his first retrospective."
-Tosh Berman

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