Art dealer Irving Blum narrates his entry into the New York art world in the 1950s, and his eventual entry into the gallery business. He talks about moving to Los Angeles and hosting shows with pieces by Jasper Johns and Kurt Schwitters with the help of Leo Castelli, and then opening Ferus Gallery. There he would host Andy Warhol's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles before hosting the 1964 group show which showcased Rauschenberg. He speaks about learning to trust his own instincts as a dealer and on Rauschenberg's role in moving away from abstract expressionism. Blum recalls Rauschenberg's shows at Blum-Helman: Works on Paper, 1972-1983; the Gluts, 1987; and then Gluts Series, 1988
Irving Blum was born in New York, and is an art dealer and collector. Blum was one of Los Angeles’ first successful contemporary art dealers in the 1960s. Blum bridged the contemporary work of artists from the East and West Coast, selling works from N ew York pop artists like Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella alongside contemporary LA artists
Note
Interviewed by Sara Sinclair on October 16, 2014
Note (Provenance)
Irving Blum, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2019