Oral history interview with Dennis Oppenheim
odd: label: General
content: Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 31 min.
name: label: Interviewee
content: Oppenheim, Dennis, 1938-2011
label: Interviewer
content: Richards, Judith Olch
label: Names
content: Biennale di Venezia
label: Names
content: Olympic Games (29th : 2008 : Beijing, China)
label: Names
content: Acconci, Vito, 1940-
label: Names
content: Aycock, Alice
label: Names
content: Irwin, Robert, 1928-
label: Names
content: Levai, Pierre
label: Names
content: Lipski, Donald, 1947-
label: Names
content: Nauman, Bruce, 1941-
label: Names
content: Serra, Richard, 1938-
label: Names
content: Sonnier, Keith, 1941-2020
label: Names
content: Warhol, Andy, 1928-1987
topic: label: Occupation
content: Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Abstract expressionism
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Oppenheim, Dennis, 1938-2011
label: Interviewer
content: Richards, Judith Olch
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Dennis Oppenheim (1938- ) is a conceptual artist and sculptor in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y. Oppenheim was educated at California College of Arts and Crafts and Stanford University.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 49 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 2009 June 23-24
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.oppenh09
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Pages
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of Dennis Oppenheim conducted 2009 June 23-24, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at Oppenheim's studio, in New York, N.Y. Oppenheim speaks of his work in the past 15 years; the evolution of his work and its lack of continuity; his use of writing as a catalyst for constructing works and the importance of language in conceptual art; the role of the audience and the effects of positive reaction to one's work; the risks involved in moving away from successful work to find another avenue; experimentation and the ability to exhibit failures; the emotionality and detached qualities of Abstract Expressionism during the 1950s; the experimental side of studio art in comparison to public art; the seniority felt by fine artists over the applied arts, such as architecture, during the 1950s and 1960s; listening to the public opinion, including those that do not come from the art world; the theoretical progression of works such as, "Jump and Twist," [1999], and "Device to Root Out Evil," [1997]; how to react to controversial work; his lack of representation by galleries and dealers; his staff of assistants and his more theoretical role in the operation; his lack of fellowship with other artists and his dislike of collaboration; the Venice Biennale in 1997; the Olymics in Beijing in 2008; his current work and on-going commissions. Oppenheim also recalls Andy Warhol, Pierre Levai, Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Robert Irwin, Richard Serra, Alice Aycock, Keith Sonnier, and Donald Lipski.