Robert Kipniss papers
name: label: Creator
content: Kipniss, Robert
topic: label: Occupation
content: Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Papers donated in 2013 by Robert Kipniss and in 2024 by Laurie Lisle, Kipniss' spouse.
creator: label: Creator
content: Kipniss, Robert
setName: label: See more items in
content: Robert Kipniss papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter and printmaker Robert Kipniss measure 3.2 linear feet and date from circa 1932-2023. They illustrate his career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, and printed and photographic material.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Robert Kipniss (1931-) is a painter and printmaker who works mainly in New York. 


Kipniss was born in Brooklyn, New York. During his childhood he attended New York's Art Students League when he was sixteen on Saturdays and he began college in 1948, attending Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio for two years before transferring to the University of Iowa. After graduating with a B.A. in English Kipniss stayed at the university and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1954. After gaining this degree he, and his former wife Jean, moved to Manhattan and Kipniss was drafted into the United States Army in 1956 where he used his talent to create training aids. 

Kipniss has written poetry, published books, and illustrated two volumes of poetry. He is known for his paintings, lithographs, and mezzotints. His early work was with paintings focusing on abstracts, biomorphic forms, landscapes, still lifes, and figures. The lithographs he later created followed this style. Kipniss did not fully focus on mezzotints until 1990 and had his first solo mezzotint show in 1992.


Since 1965 Kipniss has had more than twenty-two museum exhibitions around the world and his work is held by more than eighty-eight museums and institutions.  


Kipniss currently maintains a studio on the Hudson River in Westchester County, New York and is married to his second wife Laurie Lisle.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1932-2023
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.kipnrobe
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection consists of five series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1979-2021 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1989-2017 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1954-2017 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Printed Materials, circa 1952-2023 (1.9 Linear feet: Boxes 1, 2, 4, and 5)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, circa 1932-2007 (.8 Linear feet: Boxes 3, 5, and 6)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared, by Allessandra Liberati in 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Robert Kipniss papers measure 3.2 linear feet and date from circa 1932-2023. Biographical materials consist of Kipniss' CV, awards and honorary degrees, and an interview with WWNO New Orleans in digital format. Correspondence is personal and professional and is to and from Kipniss. Writings include the manuscript of Shine (2017) and Kipniss' thesis, as well as Kipniss' poetry. Printed materials consist of exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and materials about two exhibitions in digital format. Photographic materials consist of photographs of Kipniss, his exhibitions, and his artwork.