Andres Serrano papers
Object Details
- Creator
- Serrano, Andres, 1950-
- Names
- Lippard, Lucy R.
- Occupation
- Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York
- Topic
- Latino and Latin American artists
- Provenance
- The papers were donated by Andres Serrano in 2015.
- Creator
- Serrano, Andres, 1950-
- See more items in
- Andres Serrano papers
- Sponsor
- The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
- Summary
- The papers of photographer Andres Serrano, measure 2.8 linear feet and date from 1986 to 2013. The collection documents Serrano's work as a photographer through correspondence, writings, professional files, personal business records, and printed materials.
- Biographical / Historical
- Andres Serrano (1950- ) is a photographer in New York, New York. Serrano was born in New York City to Honduran and Afro-Cuban parents. He attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School from 1967 to 1969. In the late 1980s, he gained notoriety because of the controversy surrounding Piss Christ, a photograph depicting a crucifix submerged in Serrano's urine. The photograph was part of an exhibition, partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. Along with Robert Mapplethorpe and other artists, Serrano became the target of conservative politicians who viewed the photograph as blasphemous resulting in pressure on the National Endowment for the Arts to stop using government money to fund artists deemed as offensive. Serrano's continued exploration of provocative subjects such as the Ku Klux Klan, the deceased, and human sexuality keeps him at the center of debates focused on the freedom of speech in art. Serrano married artist Julie Ault in 1980. They separated in 1990 and divorced in 2005. He is now married to Irina Movmyga.
- Extent
- 2.8 Linear feet
- Date
- 1986-2013
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Art
- Identifier
- AAA.serrandr
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Interviews
- Citation
- Andres Serrano papers, 1986-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
- Arrangement
- The collection is arranged as five series. Series 1: Correspondence, 1987-2013 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet) Series 2: Writings, circa 1990-2008 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet) Series 3: Professional Files, 1987-2008 (Box 1-2; 1.0 linear feet) Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1986-2012 (Box 2-4; 0.6 linear feet) Series 5: Printed Materials, 1987-2008 (Box 4; 0.2 linear feet)
- Processing Information
- The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2019.
- Genre/Form
- Interviews
- Scope and Contents
- The papers of photographer Andres Serrano measure 2.8 linear feet and date from 1986 to 2013. The collection documents Serrano's work as a photographer through correspondence, writings, professional files, personal business records, and printed materials. Correspondence is primarily professional and concerns photography projects, exhibitions, and events. Writings include artist statements and student papers by Serrano, manuscripts by Lucy R. Lippard and others, and interview transcripts. Professional files for various photography projects, including color photographs of portrait subjects, grant applications, and documentation for charities, travel, and exhibitions. Personal business records documenting Serrano's business dealings with galleries, legal issues, and documentation of artwork sales and consignments. Printed materials, including clippings, announcements, and periodicals document Serrano's career and issues such as free speech.
- Restrictions
- Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
- Related Materials
- Also at the Archives of American Art is an interview of Andres Serrano conducted by Frank H. Goodyear from July 29 to July 30, 2009 at Serrano's home in New York, N.Y. for the Archives of American Art.
- Record ID
- ebl-1558023608737-1558023608742-0
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
