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Harry Shunk and Shunk-Kender photographs.

Shunk, Harry, creator.

Available at Special Collections  SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - CONTACT REFERENCE  (2014.R.20 ) and other locations()

  • Title:
    Harry Shunk and Shunk-Kender photographs.
  • Author/Creator: Shunk, Harry, creator.
  • Creation Date: 1957-1990s
  • Biographical/Historical Note: Harry Shunk (1924-2006) was born in Reudnitz, Germany, and moved to Paris in his teens. In the 1950s Shunk became affiliated with Janos Kender (1938-2009). Kender, a Hungarian, had fled to France in order to escape the revolution in his country. The two photographers developed a romantic and professional partnership that flourished until the 1970s. Shunk's friendship with artist Dora Tuynman facilitated their introduction to a circle of artists, gallerists and galleries for whom they worked as documentarians. This circle included Yves Klein, Arman, Jean Tinguley, Jean Fautrier, Georges Mathieu, Mimmo Rotella, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Daniel Spoerri, Jacques Villeglé as well as Galerie Iris Clert, Galerie J and Ileana Sonnabend. They captured intimate and candid portraits of artists in their homes and studios, as well as the installation process, exhibitions, openings, performances, and other events. By the 1960s they also had developed productive relationships with a group of American artists including Claes Oldenburg, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschnberg, James Rosenquist, George Segal, Andy Warhol, Christo and Jeanne-Claude. In 1967 Shunk and Kender moved to Canada and then to New York. During the late 1960s and early 1970s they continued to travel and document artists and their work, and numerous important exhibitions. The partnership lasted until 1973; Shunk continued to record artists and the art world independently until the 1980s
  • Physical Desc.: 247 boxes and 1 flatfile folder (165 linear feet) + ADD1 (275 boxes, unprocessed).
  • Summary: The Harry Shunk and Shunk-Kender archive contains photographs, negatives, contact sheets, slides, transparencies and working materials. Photographs dated after 1973 are attributed solely to Harry Shunk. There are several photographs included in this collection that are attributed to other photographers who documented the same events as Shunk-Kender. At this time only the photographic prints are processed and available for research. The following material is unprocessed at this time: contact sheets; 4x5 negatives; color negatives, transparencies and slides; various papers. The finding aid will be update as other materials become available.
    Series I contains Shunk and Kender's most extensive body of work documenting artworks and key artists of the time, including candid portraits of artists in their homes and studios, as well as photographs of the installation process, exhibitions, exhibition openings, performances, events, and occasionally editorial work for Interview magazine.
    Series II comprises Shunk and Kender's personal photography projects such as documentation of street scenes and images of their home life. An erotic photography project is also found here. Shunk and Kender's photomontages and photocollages make up part of this series. These artistic photographic works typically combined images of New York skyscrapers paired with nude females.
    The papers contained in Series III are made up of Shunk and Kender's working materials such as notes and photographic housing.
  • Language: English
  • Notes: Gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in memory of Harry Shunk and Janos Kender.
  • Form/Genre: Black-and-white photographs
    Black-and-white negatives -- New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century
    Gelatin silver prints -- New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century
    Photographs, Original
  • Subjects: Christo, 1935- Fontana, Lucio, 1899-1968 Johns, Jasper, 1930- Klein, Yves, 1928-1962 Serra, Richard, 1938- Warhol, Andy, 1928-1987 Leo Castelli Gallery Ileana Sonnabend (Gallery) Conceptual art Performance art
  • Contributors: Kender, Janos, contributor
  • ID/Accession Number: 2014.R.20
  • Access/Rights: Photographic prints are open for use by qualified researchers; other material is unavailable until processing is complete.
  • OCLC Record Number: 894379520
  • Source: GRI Library Catalog
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