Archives of American Art
Gary Falk papers
Falk, Gary M., 1954-1986
AAA.falkgary
Archival Resource Key
2.5 Linear feet
0.005 Gigabytes
circa 1955-2013
The papers of painter and assemblage artist Gary Falk measure 2.5 linear feet and 0.005 GB and date from circa 1955-2013. The papers document his career as an artist in New York through biographical material, including project proposals, student records, and items from his memorial service; a small amount of personal correspondence; four notebooks; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of Falk, Falk with friends, artwork, and travel; digital photographs of artwork; and original artwork, including drawings, collages, and two sketchbooks.
The collection is in English.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 2005, 2007, 2014, and 2016 by Lillian Falk, Gary Falk's mother.
Related Materials
Also at the Archives of American Art is one sound recording of Ned Rifkin in conversation with Gary Falk, December 5, 1984.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Processing Information
The papers were processed and a finding aid prepared by Erin Kinhart in 2015. Additional papers were added to the collection in 2016. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2019 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
Scope and Contents
The papers of painter and assemblage artist Gary Falk measure 2.5 linear feet and 0.005 GB and date from circa 1955-2013. The papers document his career as an artist in New York through biographical material, including project proposals, student records, and items from his memorial service; a small amount of personal correspondence; four notebooks; exhibition files; printed material; photographs of Falk, Falk with friends, artwork, and travel; digital photographs of artwork; and original artwork, including drawings, collages, and two sketchbooks.
Biographical / Historical
Gary Falk (1954-1986) was a painter and assemblage artist from New York, N.Y. Falk developed a personal sign system in his works of art, and often worked in enamel and acrylic on Plexiglas or aluminum.
Falk and his family moved to Bethesda, Maryland, in 1966. He attended the Corcoran School of Art and later graduated from Yale University with a degree in Fine Arts in 1975. After college he moved to New York City and worked as an artist. He had a one-man-show at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in 1983. During the 1980s, he participated in many other group exhibitions, most notably Narrative Forms (1984) at the Museo Rufino Tamayo and SIGNS (1985) at the New Museum. Falk died at the age of 32.
Preferred Citation
Gary Falk papers, circa 1955-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 7 series.
Missing Title
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1966-2013 (0.5 Linear feet; Box 1, 0.005 GB; ER01)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1973-1996 (4 Folders; Box 1)
- Series 3: Notebooks, 1979-circa 2004 (4 Folders; Box 1)
- Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1977-1988 (0.3 Linear feet; Box 1-2)
- Series 5: Printed Material, 1962-1990 (0.2 Linear feet; Box 2, OV 5)
- Series 6: Photographs, circa 1955-1990s (0.7 Linear feet; Boxes 2-4)
- Series 7: Artwork, 1958-1980s (0.5 Linear feet; Box 3, OVs 5-7)
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
Photographs
Art -- Study and teaching
Assemblage artists -- New York (State) -- New York
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Collages
Biographical Material
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
0.5 Linear feet
Box 1
0.005 Gigabytes
ER01
circa 1966-2013
Scope and Contents
Found here are Gary Falk's appointment books, passport, and wallet, as well as lists and digital photographs of his works, project proposals, and records of his time as a student at Yale University. Also found are a short memoir written by Lillian Falk, Gary's mother, and items from his memorial service, including eulogies, and recordings of the speakers and music on two sound cassettes.
Birth Certificate (Copy)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
1
1
Appointment Book Pages
Archival Resource Key
1981
1
2
Appointment Book
Archival Resource Key
1983
1
3
Appointment Book
Archival Resource Key
1983-1984
1
4
Donation to FHI 360 Art Collection
Archival Resource Key
1 Electronic discs (CD)
2013
1
5
Lists and Images of Works in Collections
Archival Resource Key
1999
2013
2004
Includes born-digital records, see ER01
1
6
Images of Works in Collections, Digital Photographs
Archival Resource Key
0.005 Gigabytes
72 computer files
2006
ER01
List of Large Scale Public Projects
Archival Resource Key
circa 1985
1
7
Memoir by Lillian Falk
Archival Resource Key
2006-2007
1
8
Memorial Service
Archival Resource Key
1986
Includes 2 sound cassettes.
1
9-10
Miscellaneous Biographical Material
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1998
1
11
Passport
Archival Resource Key
1982
1
11
Project Proposals
Archival Resource Key
1980-1986
1
12
Rolodex Pages
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
1
13
Wallet
Archival Resource Key
1980s
1
16
Yale University Student Records
Archival Resource Key
1973-1975
1
17
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
4 Folders
Box 1
1973-1996
Scope and Contents
The small amount of correspondence found here includes a personal letters to Gary Falk, and a few postcards he sent his parents. Also found are letters of condolence and letters to his parents regarding the posthumous exhibition of his artwork.
Letters to Gary Falk
Archival Resource Key
1980-1987
1
18
Gary Falk Postcards to Parents
Archival Resource Key
1973
1982-1983
1
19
Letters and Condolences to Lillian and Charles Falk
Archival Resource Key
1986-1996
1
20-21
Notebooks
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
4 Folders
Box 1
1979-circa 2004
Scope and Contents
Notebooks from 1979 and 1985 contain general notes, including some sales records and project ideas. One travel notebook documents a trip to Italy. One notebook from circa 2004 only contains a few entries and possibly belonged to Gary Falk's parents.
Notebook
Archival Resource Key
1979
1
22
Notebook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1985
1
23
Travel Notebook
Archival Resource Key
1980s
1
24
Notebook
Archival Resource Key
circa 2004
1
25
Exhibition Files
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 1-2
1977-1988
Scope and Contents
Found here are files documenting exhibitions in which Gary Falk showed works. The contents of each file varies, but may include exhibition catalogs and announcements, press clippings, photographs, correspondence, loan agreements, and price lists.
Sarah Lawrence College, Painting 75 76 77 (1977)
Archival Resource Key
1977
1
26
Fashion Institute of Technology, Dianne B. Collection Autumn 1981
Archival Resource Key
1981
1987
1
27
New Museum, The Window (1983)
Archival Resource Key
1982-1983
1
28
University of Texas at Austin, New American Painting: A Tribute to James and Mari Michener (1984)
Archival Resource Key
1983-1984
1
29
Bette Stoler Gallery, Art from the Machine (1984)
Archival Resource Key
1984
1
30
White Columns, Bunnies (1984)
Archival Resource Key
1984
1
31
Hallwalls, Objectivity (1984)
Archival Resource Key
1984
1
32
Museo Rufino Tamayo, Narrative Forms (1984-1985)
Archival Resource Key
1984
1
33
Wesleyan University, Wall Installation
Archival Resource Key
1984-1985
1
34
P.S. 1, Narratives (1985)
Archival Resource Key
1985
1
35
New Museum, SIGNS (1985)
Archival Resource Key
1985
1
36
Everson Museum of Art, Computers and Art (1988)
Archival Resource Key
1986-1988
1
37
Rosa Esman Gallery, The Language of Form, The Form of Language (1988)
Archival Resource Key
1987-1988
2
1
Printed Material
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Box 2, OV 5
1962-1990
Scope and Contents
Printed material includes magazines articles and news clippings regarding Gary Falk's work. Also included are exhibition announcements, a few photocopied source images, event programs, publications from Yale which mention Falk, and a monograph about Falk printed after his death.
Exhibition Announcements
Archival Resource Key
1977-1988
2
2
Gary Falk: A Monograph
Archival Resource Key
circa 1988
2
3
Magazines
Archival Resource Key
1978-1987
2
4-5
News Clippings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1978-1997
2
6
Source Images
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
7
Programs
Archival Resource Key
1962
1989
circa 1968
2
8
Yale Publications
Archival Resource Key
1971
1990
2
9
Oversize Poster
Archival Resource Key
undated
OV 5
Photographs
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
0.7 Linear feet
Boxes 2-4
circa 1955-1990s
Scope and Contents
Found here are portraits of Gary Falk, personal color snapshots of Falk with friends, photographs of his apartment, and photographs and slides of works of art. Also found are many travel photographs and snapshots of his time as a visiting artist in Cummington, Massachusetts, and black and white photographs taken by Falk.
Gary Falk
Archival Resource Key
circa 1955-1986
2
10-11
Yale Summer School Group Portrait
Archival Resource Key
1974
2
12
Cummington, Massachusetts
Archival Resource Key
1982
2
13
Montauk, New York
Archival Resource Key
1984
3
1
Mexico
Archival Resource Key
1985
3
2-3
Loft Apartment
Archival Resource Key
1986
1981
3
4
Miscellaneous Polaroids
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
3
5
Photographs and Negatives of Artwork
Archival Resource Key
1980s-1990s
3
6
Slides of Gary Falk and Artwork
Archival Resource Key
1970s
4
1-2
Photographs Taken by Gary Falk
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
4
3-6
Negatives of Photographs Taken by Gary Falk
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
4
7
Artwork
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
0.5 Linear feet
Box 3, OVs 5-7
1958-1980s
Scope and Contents
Found here are pencil drawings, collages, and two sketchbooks belonging to Gary Falk. Included are clock designs in colored pencil on black paper. Many of the pencil drawings and collages have source material from magazines attached. Also found are student and childhood drawings and two works of art on fabric.
Clock Designs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
3
7
Collage
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
8
Drawings and Collages
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1980s
3
9
Scope and Contents
Oversized material housed in OV 5
Drawings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
3
10
Holiday Cards Designed by Gary Falk
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
3
11
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
3
12
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
3
13
Print by L. Kerr
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
3
14
Oversize Drawings and Collages
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1980s
OV 5
Oversize Childhood Drawings
Archival Resource Key
1958-1959
OV 5
Oversize Student Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
OV 6
Oversize Artwork on Fabric
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
OV 7