Collection - Robert Smithson collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Robert Smithson collection

General material designation

    Parallel title

    Other title information

    Title statements of responsibility

    Title notes

    • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the collection.

    Level of description

    Collection

    Reference code

    CA VAG

    Edition area

    Edition statement

    Edition statement of responsibility

    Class of material specific details area

    Statement of scale (cartographic)

    Statement of projection (cartographic)

    Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

    Statement of scale (architectural)

    Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • 1969 - 1973 (Collection)
      Collector
      Wheeler, Dennis
    • 1951-1977, 2001-2007 (Creation)
      Creator
      Smithson, Robert

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    23 cm of textual records
    ca. 43 photographs
    ca. 38 negatives

    Publisher's series area

    Title proper of publisher's series

    Parallel titles of publisher's series

    Other title information of publisher's series

    Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

    Numbering within publisher's series

    Note on publisher's series

    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    (1938-1973)

    Biographical history

    Robert Smithson is one of the canonical figures in 20th century art. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1938 and died in a plane crash near Amarillo, Texas in 1973. Smithson was an early proponent of earthworks or land art and his practice involved drawings, projects and proposals, sculpture, films and critical writings. He has had an extensive exhibition history beginning in 1959 and which continues to present day.

    Dennis Wheeler, writer and filmmaker, was born in Vancouver in 1948. He studied art history and English at the University of British Columbia and became an integral part of the Vancouver art community during the late 1960s. His writing and criticism was published in <em>artscanada, Grape</em>, and <em>The Georgia Straight</em>. In 1975 he directed the film <em>Potlatch: A Strict Law Bids Us Dance</em> for the U’mista Cultural Centre. In 1976 he collaborated with Nancy Holt on the video Revolve. Wheeler died of leukemia in 1977.

    The Robert Smithson Collection of materials was amassed by Denis Wheeler throughout their friendship.

    Wheeler met Smithson in Vancouver in 1969, when Smithson first travelled to the city to investigate possibilities for undertaking outdoor artworks. Over the following months, Wheeler engaged in extended discussions with Smithson regarding his proposal for the <em>Island of Broken Glass</em> (which was to have been undertaken on an island in the Strait of Georgia) and the broader implications of his practice. Wheeler was also present at the installation of Smithson’s <em>Glass Strata with Mulch and Soil</em> and at the <em>Glue Pour</em> Smithson undertook for the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition <em>955,000</em> in January of 1970. At Smithson’s request, Wheeler photographed the <em>Glue Pour</em> over a number of days with the intent (unrealized) to produce another version of the work. Wheeler also recorded several interviews with Smithson, which have subsequently been published, and published articles on Smithson’s work. Their association continued until Smithson’s untimely death in 1973. Wheeler also maintained a friendship with Smithson’s widow, Nancy Holt, until his own death in 1977.

    Custodial history

    Scope and content

    The material in the Robert Smithson Collection consists of items collected by the late Vancouver writer and filmmaker Dennis Wheeler. All the material is related to Wheeler’s association with the noted American artist Robert Smithson. Materials in the collection include: articles, correspondence, journals, magazines, catalogues, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, notes, slides, and negatives.

    Notes area

    Physical condition

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Susan Penner. Please use the credit line “Gift of Susan M. Penner” for exhibition labels, publications and promotional materials.

    Arrangement

    The collection is comprised of eight series. The files have been arranged by record series as the records came to the art gallery with no evident filing system or internal arrangement.
    The collection consists of eight series:

    Biographical Information & Interviews 1969

    Correspondence 1970, 1975

    Published Materials 1951-1977
    Miscellaneous 19??.

    Posters 19??.
    Notes 1969-1970
    Images 1967-1969
    Vancouver Art Gallery 2001-2007.

    Language of material

    • English

    Script of material

      Location of originals

      Availability of other formats

      Restrictions on access

      Access to the Archives of the Vancouver Art Gallery is at the discretion of the Librarian/Archivist.

      Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

      Finding aids

      A list detailing the box and serial numbers, as well as the titles and dates of all folders in the collection is available in the appendix. Further notation indicates the record forms contained in the folders.

      Associated materials

      Related materials

      Accruals

      No further accruals expected

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Standard number

      Standard number

      Access points

      Subject access points

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      Control area

      Description record identifier

      Institution identifier

      VAG

      Rules or conventions

      Rules for Archival Description

      Status

      Final

      Level of detail

      Full

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      June 2009

      Language of description

      • English

      Script of description

        Sources

        Accession area