Raw Material

This episode marks the beginning of a series that will dig deep into our media archives. While our building is closed for expansion, the staff at SFMOMA is focusing on reshaping our interpretive materials and developing new ways to bring our audiences the most interesting and engaging stories and information about the artists and artworks in our collection. We'd like to bring you, our listeners, into that process by sharing some of the gold nuggets we've been resurfacing. Over the next few episodes of SFMOMA Artcasts we'll weave together stories from interviews and public programs with artists and scholars that haven't seen the light of day since they were recorded. In this episode we'll hear excerpts from interviews with artists John Baldessari and Sophie Calle.

For our December Artcast we bring you a story t by Mia Paschal about Jim Dine's painting Blue Clamp. This recording was made live in the galleries last May, before SFMOMA closed for expansion construction. Paschal is one of several storytellers and writers we invited to produce fictional narratives in response to artworks of their choosing in the museum's collection. Each performer was recorded telling his or her story in front of the work that inspired it.

For our December Artcast we bring you a story t by Mia Paschal about Jim Dine's painting Blue Clamp. This recording was made live in the galleries last May, before SFMOMA closed for expansion construction. Paschal is one of several storytellers and writers we invited to produce fictional narratives in response to artworks of their choosing in the museum's collection. Each performer was recorded telling his or her story in front of the work that inspired it.

For our December Artcast we bring you a story by W. L. Dherin about Fred Tomaselli's painting Field Guides. This recording was made live in the galleries last May, before SFMOMA closed for expansion construction. Dherin is one of several storytellers and writers we invited to produce fictional narratives in response to artworks of their choosing in the museum's collection. Each performer was recorded telling his or her story in front of the work that inspired it.

For our December Artcast we bring you a story by W. L. Dherin about Fred Tomaselli's painting Field Guides. This recording was made live in the galleries last May, before SFMOMA closed for expansion construction. Dherin is one of several storytellers and writers we invited to produce fictional narratives in response to artworks of their choosing in the museum's collection. Each performer was recorded telling his or her story in front of the work that inspired it.

In this episode of SFMOMA Artcasts we visit two of the four site-specific artworks SFMOMA commissioned as part of the 2012 SECA Art Award exhibition. We begin at San Francisco's Neptune Society Columbarium, where artist Josh Faught has installed three of his hand-woven and hand-dyed fiber sculptures. Caretaker Emmitt Watson provides a rich oral history of the columbarium, and Faught discusses why he chose the site and how it resonates with his work. Next we head to Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, where artist Zarouhie Abdalian has installed five brass ship bells that ring for several minutes once a day at varying times, each bell playing a randomized rhythm. Abdalian explains the subtle ways her work impacts the surrounding space, and visitors to the plaza speculate about what her bells might signify.

In this episode of SFMOMA Artcasts we visit two of the four site-specific artworks SFMOMA commissioned as part of the 2012 SECA Art Award exhibition. We begin at San Francisco's Neptune Society Columbarium, where artist Josh Faught has installed three of his hand-woven and hand-dyed fiber sculptures. Caretaker Emmitt Watson provides a rich oral history of the columbarium, and Faught discusses why he chose the site and how it resonates with his work. Next we head to Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, where artist Zarouhie Abdalian has installed five brass ship bells that ring for several minutes once a day at varying times, each bell playing a randomized rhythm. Abdalian explains the subtle ways her work impacts the surrounding space, and visitors to the plaza speculate about what her bells might signify.

Our October episode takes a virtual tour of Beyond Belief: 100 Years of the Spiritual in Modern Art, an exhibition co-organized by SFMOMA and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Three members of the curatorial team--Jeanne Gerrity, Caitlin Haskell, and Dan Schifrin--take us through the exhibition to discuss spiritual aspects of the works on view and test the possibility that the creative process is itself an act of faith.

Our October episode takes a virtual tour of Beyond Belief: 100 Years of the Spiritual in Modern Art, an exhibition co-organized by SFMOMA and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Three members of the curatorial team--Jeanne Gerrity, Caitlin Haskell, and Dan Schifrin--take us through the exhibition to discuss spiritual aspects of the works on view and test the possibility that the creative process is itself an act of faith.

Our August episode focuses on artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) and his Combine painting Collection (1954/1955). We'll hear archival audio of Rauschenberg himself discussing the work, as well as interviews with curator Sarah Roberts, editor Amanda Glesmann, and paintings conservator Paula De Cristofaro. These segments examine the work's title and materials, describe SFMOMA's conservation efforts relating to Collection, and introduce the Rauschenberg Research Project, a new online publication produced by SFMOMA under the auspices of the Getty Foundation's Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative.

Our August episode focuses on artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) and his Combine painting Collection (1954/1955). We'll hear archival audio of Rauschenberg himself discussing the work, as well as interviews with curator Sarah Roberts, editor Amanda Glesmann, and paintings conservator Paula De Cristofaro. These segments examine the work's title and materials, describe SFMOMA's conservation efforts relating to Collection, and introduce the Rauschenberg Research Project, a new online publication produced by SFMOMA under the auspices of the Getty Foundation's Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative.

Our June episode goes back in time to SFMOMA’s Countdown Celebration, the final days before the museum closed to begin our expansion project. While the museum was bustling with round-the-clock programming and events, we caught up with artists, makers, visitors, volunteers, and staff members to talk about the celebration and what they would miss during closure. First up, installation manager Brandon Larson sheds some light on what it takes to pack up an art collection. Next, artist Desirée Holman reflects on organizing the closing processional that led everyone out the building one last time. SFMOMA will reopen in 2016.

Our June episode goes back in time to SFMOMA’s Countdown Celebration, the final days before the museum closed to begin our expansion project. While the museum was bustling with round-the-clock programming and events, we caught up with artists, makers, visitors, volunteers, and staff members to talk about the celebration and what they would miss during closure. First up, installation manager Brandon Larson sheds some light on what it takes to pack up an art collection. Next, artist Desirée Holman reflects on organizing the closing processional that led everyone out the building one last time. SFMOMA will reopen in 2016.

Our May Artcast examines Christian Marclay's The Clock, a twenty-four-hour masterpiece of appropriation. In this episode we hear from curator of media arts Rudolf Frieling, exhibitions technical manager Steve Dye, gallery attendants, and SFMOMA visitors. The second chapter focuses on The Long Now Foundation's 10,000-Year Clock. Alexander Rose, the organization's executive director and project manager, explains the mechanics of the clock and the Foundation's hopes for the future. Each SFMOMA Artcast brings you illuminating audio and video interviews with artists, curators, and visitors as they respond to the works on view and in the museum's collection.

Our May Artcast examines Christian Marclay's The Clock, a twenty-four-hour masterpiece of appropriation. In this episode we hear from curator of media arts Rudolf Frieling, exhibitions technical manager Steve Dye, gallery attendants, and SFMOMA visitors. The second chapter focuses on The Long Now Foundation's 10,000-Year Clock. Alexander Rose, the organization's executive director and project manager, explains the mechanics of the clock and the Foundation's hopes for the future. Each SFMOMA Artcast brings you illuminating audio and video interviews with artists, curators, and visitors as they respond to the works on view and in the museum's collection.