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Oral history interview with Salvatore Scarpitta

Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Salvatore Scarpitta, 1975 January 31.-February 3, Transcript
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
Finding aid
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

Object Details

sova.aaa.scarpi75
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95bac49d5-0671-41ab-b93a-f734a61ff344
General
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 11 min.
Interviewee
Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007
Interviewer
Cummings, Paul
Names
American Academy in Rome
Castelli, Leo
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997
Guston, Philip, 1913-1980
Kline, Franz, 1910-1962
Levine, Jack, 1915-2010
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970
Topic
Art, American
Sculptors -- Interviews
Futurism (Art)
World War, 1939-1945
Automobile racing
Art, Abstract
Cubism
Painting -- Technique
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews
Provenance
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 others.
Interviewee
Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007
Interviewer
Cummings, Paul
Sponsor
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Biographical / Historical
Salvatore Scarpitta (1919-2007) was a sculptor.
Extent
67 Pages (Transcript)
Date
1975 January 31.-February 3
Archival Repository
Archives of American Art
Identifier
AAA.scarpi75
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Genre/Form
Sound recordings
Interviews
Scope and Contents
Interview of Salvatore Scarpitta conducted 1975 January 31.-February 3, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Scarpitta speaks of his family's background; growing up and going to school in California; moving to Italy and going to art school at 17; attending the American Academy; his experiences in Europe after the war broke out in 1940; being arrested and interned for 18 months in Italy and escaping; joining the United States Navy; getting thrown out of the American Academy after being accused of being a Communist; his abstract paintings; moving back to America after Leo Castelli saw his work; his painting techniques; his thoughts on futurism and cubism; why he shifted from working on a canvas to tearing it apart and using it as materials; his use of color; how his interest in race cars influenced his art work; building race cars; living in New York and the art scene there; his successful art show on the Piazza San Marco in Venice; the reason for using belts in his paintings; how certain paintings led him to building sleds; his feelings about Leo Castelli; and teaching art. He recalls Phil Guston, Jack Levine, Franz Kline, Bill de Kooning, Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko, and many others.
Restrictions
Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
AAA.scarpi75
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95bac49d5-0671-41ab-b93a-f734a61ff344
AAA.scarpi75
AAA
Record ID
ebl-1596312046791-1596312046793-0
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