Archives of American Art
Ian Hornak papers
Hornak, Ian, 1944-2002
AAA.hornian
Archival Resource Key
2.7 Linear feet
circa 1951-2002
The papers of Ian Hornak measure 2.7 linear feet and date from 1951-2002 and document the life and work of Ian Hornak through biographical materials, correspondence, exhibition and gallery files, printed materials, photographs, and artwork.
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 2007 by Ian Hornak estate via Hornak's executor and nephew Eric Ian Spoutz. Spoutz donated 15 additional photographs and a printed card in 2016.
Biographical / Historical
Ian Hornak (1944-2002) was an American draughtsman, painter, and printmaker based out of Easthampton, New York. He was a founder of the Hyperrealist and Photorealist fine art movements and has been named the first Photorealist artist to take the effect of multiple exposure photography and incorporate it into his landscape paintings. Born on January 9th, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Slovakian immigrants. During his childhood he lived in both Brooklyn Heights, New York and Mount Clemens, Michigan. He graduated from New Haven Highschool in Michigan and continued onto the University of Michigan-Dearborn before he transferred to Wayne State University in Detroit.
Hornak earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art in 1964 and a Master of Fine Arts in studio art in 1966 from Wayne State University. During his career Hornak came to know both Lowell Nesbitt and Gertrude Kasle as well as many other notable figures in the art world. Through these relationships Hornak was introduced to the New York City art scene. Hornak had exhibits at Eleanor Ward's Stable Gallery and in the Tibor de Nagy Gallery where he had his first solo exhibition in New York. Later he moved his exhibitions to the Fischbach Gallery where he remained until 1984, and in 1985 Hornak moved to the Armstrong Gallery in New York City where he had one exhibition. Hornak finally settled at the Katharina Perlow Gallery where he held nine critically and financially successful solo shows.
Ian Hornak passed away on December 9th, 2002 in Southhampton, New York at the age of 58.
Scope and Contents
The papers of Ian Hornak measure 2.7 linear feet and date from circa 1965-1999. Correspondence is with friends, family, and associates including Lowell Nesbitt, Hanna Tillich, Gertrude Kasle, relatives, and the Weinstein family. There are also files pertaining to various galleries including the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, the Fischbach Gallery, and the Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery. Photographs are of Hornak and Hornak's friends and family, including Hanna Tillich and Virgil Thompson. Also included are slides of Hornak's works of art and photo studies for his artwork including studies for a pencil portrait of the Gertrude Kasle family. Artwork includes drawings and sketchbooks. Printed material consists of newspaper and magazine clippings featuring Hornak, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and various correspondence with galleries.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 6 series:
- Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1951-1998 0.2 Linear feet (Box 1)
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1968-2000 0.1 Linear feet (Box 1)
- Series 3: Exhibition and Gallery Files, circa 1971-2002 0.3 Linear feet (Box 1)
- Series 4: Printed Materials, circa 1970-1997 0.8 Linear feet (Boxes 1-2)
- Series 5: Artwork, circa 1960-1989 0.3 Linear feet (Box 4)
- Series 6: Photographic Materials, circa 1960-2002 1 Linear foot (Box 2-3)
Conditions Governing 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 collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Allessandra Liberati in 2023.
Preferred Citation
Ian Hornak papers, 1955-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Painters -- New York (State) -- Long Island
Draftsmen (artists) -- New York (State)
Photo-realism
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- Long Island
Katharina Perlow Gallery
Biographical Materials
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1951-1998
Scope and Contents
Biographical Materials contains Hornak's Resume/CV materials, a folder regarding Hornak's sister Rosemary's artwork, various folders for Hornak's life partner Julius (Jay) R. Wolf, and materials relating to Hornak's personal life such as passports and personal writings.
CV/Resume
Archival Resource Key
circa 1998
1
1
Personal Writings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
1
2
Passports
Archival Resource Key
circa 1967-1978
1
3
Rosemary Hornak
Archival Resource Key
circa 1973-1993
1
4
Julius (Jay) R. Wolf
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s-1970s
Letter from David Buck
Archival Resource Key
n.d.
1
5
Business Documents
Archival Resource Key
circa 1967-1977
1
6
Photographs, Home at 69th and Lexington
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
1
7
Photographs by Peter Basch
Archival Resource Key
circa 1951-1968
1
8
Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1976
1
9
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
0.1 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1968-2000
Scope and Contents
Correspondence is varied, and is both personal and professional in nature.
General Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
circa 1973-1994
1
10
Bernice D'Vorzon
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
1
11
Correspondence by Hornak
Archival Resource Key
circa 1972-2000
1
12
Lowell Blair Nesbitt
Archival Resource Key
circa 1968-1973
1
13
Weinstein Family
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-1989
1
14
Exhibition and Gallery Files
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1971-2002
Scope and Contents
Exhibition an Gallery Files contains materials relating to the business activities of various galleries. Exhibition and gallery files includes correspondence and show files including sales information and checklists for various galleries and museums, as well as grant applications and information.
Business Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-1989
1
15
Gallery and Museum Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
circa 1985-1997
1
16
Sales and Consignments of Various Galleries
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-2002
1
17
Detroit Institute of Arts (Fred Cummings)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
1
18
Grants, Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Archival Resource Key
circa 1981
1
19
Grants, National Endowment for the Arts
Archival Resource Key
1993-01-01
1
20
Perlow Gallery
Archival Resource Key
circa 1984-2001
1
21
Sherry French Gallery
Archival Resource Key
circa 1979-1985
1
22
Presentation Materials to Sidney Janis and Leo Castelli
Archival Resource Key
circa 1984-1985
1
23
Tibor de Nagy Gallery
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-1982
1
24
Gallery Price List
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980-2000
1
25
Printed Materials
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
0.8 Linear feet
Boxes 1-2
circa 1970-1997
Scope and Contents
Printed Materials contains materials promoting the exhibitions of Hornak and his friends, as well as magazine and newspaper clippings pertaining to Hornak, his artwork, and his life. Also included is a book of poetry by D. E. Moriarity with illustrations by Hornak.
Exhibit Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1972-1989
1
26-28
Printed Material, Friends of Hornak
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970-1997
1
29
Gallery Announcements
Archival Resource Key
circa 1972-1993
1
30-31
Memorando by D.E. Moriarity with illustrations by Ian Hornak (1971)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971
2
1
Journal Clippings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-1976
2
2
Newspaper Clippings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1971-1997
2
3-7
Artwork
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 4
circa 1960-1989
Scope and Contents
Artwork contains various sketchbooks and sketches of artwork by Hornak and photographs taken by Joe Grill.
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
4
1
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
4
2
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s-1970s
4
3
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
4
4
Bird Sketches and Other
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s-1980s
4
5
Photographs by Joe Grill
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
4
6-7
Photographic Materials
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
1 Linear foot
Box 2-3
circa 1960-2002
Scope and Contents
Photographic Materials contains the printed photographs of Hornak's work, slides and source materials, and the contact sheets and negatives of various photographs present in the collection.
Ian Hornak
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-2002
2
8-10
Ian Hornak in Studio
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-2002
2
11
John Huszar and Ian Hornak photographed by Huszar
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
2
12
Blair Nesbitt
Archival Resource Key
circa 1983-1993
2
13
Virgil Thompson
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980
2
14
Hanna Tillich
Archival Resource Key
circa 1985-1986
2
15
Hanna Tillich, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1985-1986
2
16
Pencil Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s-1990s
2
17
Black and White Photographs - Landscapes
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
2
18
Photographs by Hornak - Black and White
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s
2
19-20
Photographs of Artwork - Color
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1990s
2
21-24
Photographs of Artwork - Black and White
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
2
25
Photographs of Artwork, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1975-2002
2
26
Miscellaneous Color Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1980s
2
27
Miscellaneous Black and White Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970-1971
2
28
Source Photographs, Gertrude Kasle Family
Archival Resource Key
circa 1995
2
29
Source Photographs, Gertrude Kasle Family, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1990s
2
30
Photograph Negatives
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1990s
2
31
Source Material
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s-1990s
2
32-35
Source Material
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s-1990s
3
1-2
Source Material, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1975-2002
3
3-4
Personal Photographs, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1975-2002
3
5
House Photographs, Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1975-2002
3
6
Miscellaneous Photograph Slides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-1980s
3
7
Miscellaneous Photograph Film Strips
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970s-2002
3
8
Contact Sheets
Archival Resource Key
circa 1970-2000
3
9-10