Kurt was a collector. He'd find objects and relics, then place them in containers and boxes which he'd squirrel away in closets, cabinets and hiding places known only to him. From time to time he'd pull one out and talk about each item so contained. Some treasure boxes were filled with Native American artifacts, others with bones and ivory. Every item had a story. This box held horns, mostly. For a closer look at the contents, read more.
Getty Funded Guest Lectures in Aesthetics & Criticism
In 1988, Kurt von Meier was one of the beneficiaries of a grant provided by The Getty Center for Education in the Arts, which specifically enabled him to invite a series of guest lecturers to his Aesthetics & Criticism class at Sacramento State University. The lectures were video-taped, later transcribed, and copies of those transcriptions were found in Kurt's archives. Drawing upon his academic and cultural relationships, Kurt assembled a remarkable group of speakers, and these transcripts document the thoughts of talented academics and artists, some of whom have since died. The transcripts can be accessed from the links below.
Dr. Raphael Monteñez (Ralph) Ortiz - Artist and Professor
In this powerful lecture, Ralph Ortiz discusses art that enchants and art that dis-enchants, artistic creativity, the cultural framework of what's called "art" and nature of experiencing art.
Dr. Daniel Herwitz - Professor of Aesthetics and Philosophy
In his presentation, Daniel Herwitz reviews the history of aesthetics as a discipline which arose in the 18th century, how those roots continue to affect our present view and appreciation of art, and the difficulty twentieth century art presents in aesthetic analysis.
Dr. Keith Gunderson - Professor of Aesthetics
Keith Gunderson tackles the difficult problem of defining what is and what is not art by recounting the struggles attempting to do that have engendered.
James Hanlon - Artist
Commercial artist James Hanlon discusses artistic creativity, satisfying oneself as an artist while satisfying a client, and the practical nature of the creative process.
Morrie Turner - Cartoonist
As a black cartoonist, Morrie Turner confronted some unique challenges, and met them with humor and creativity. In his presentation, he discusses this through the examples of the multi-cultural cartoon characters he created for his syndicated comic strip "Wee Pals."
Kurt's Conversation with Destruction Artist Raphael Monteñez Ortiz
Raphael Montenez Ortiz, Ralph to Kurt, is a Brooklyn born artist of Puerto Rican decent whose lengthy career as an artist (he is now in his mid-eighties) includes what has been termed "destruction art." Kurt and Ralph became friends early in the 1960s, and Kurt covered Ralph's participation in the Destruction In Art Symposium held in London in 1966 in the pages of Artscanada magazine. Noted for his theatrical art pieces wherein Ralph destroyed pianos with an ax, beheaded live chickens, tore apart mattresses, and spilled buckets of blood, his work was and remains controversial and for many, uncomfortable.
In this recording made by Kurt circa 1966, Kurt, Ralph and an unidentified woman discuss Ralph's plans for a theatrical art performance to be held in a gallery in Los Angeles, and Ralph exuberantly describes what it will include--namely chickens, mice, snakes, a piano, a harp, paper bags and buckets of blood--in his words "...a whole crazy kind of thing." Kurt suggests the work is a "menstruation ritual" and Ralph explains that his intent is to provoke people to the point where one "can't stand behind all your defenses." Note: Ralph's plans are graphically described; the discussion lasts about fifteen minutes.
November 24, 1963
Kurt clipped articles from newspapers and magazines like crazy, but rarely kept an entire page let alone a section of the local paper. The exception is this, the front section of the San Francisco Examiner from 1963. Of note is the slogan in the paper's masthead: "America First."
A Postcard from Artist Ken Magri
Kurt was Ken Magri's Masters Degree advisor in the late 1970s at Sacramento State University. Ken went on to enjoy a career of art, photography, teaching, writing and commentary. When Kurt was selected as the head of the Art Department in 1988, he received this postcard from Ken. (Ken has recently contributed his recollection of Kurt).
Hanging Out at the Diamond Sufi Ranch
Want to spend a while hanging out at the Diamond Sufi Ranch in the early-seventies? Here's a recording that allows you to do it; Kurt often put a reel in his Nagra, set it to record and let it run.
Begin the audio, lie down on the floor with a comfortable pillow behind your head, close your eyes and join the ranch family and guests as they hang out on the deck in the grove of timber bamboo, smoke, eat, laugh and play music. Visting the ranch, Harish, an Indian musician and singer, serenades the group while the ranch flute, as Kurt says, "finds" a player. Drums get played, fruits get eaten, pipes get smoked. Just another day in paradise.
Audio runs about 30 minutes.
A 1966 Letter from Roberta Bernstein to Kurt about Andy Warhol
By 1966 Kurt had already gained recognition as an up-and-coming voice in the art historian community. His regular contributions to Art International magazine along with the attention he gained at UCLA for his unconventional teaching approach helped Kurt establish relationships with others with aspirations in his chosen field. Among them was the young Roberta Bernstein, who felt great affection for Kurt; Roberta did indeed fulfill her aspirations and today is a recognized leader in the field art history. This charming 1966 letter about her visit with Andy Warhol has its place in the history of both Roberta and Kurt.
A Letter from Doug Weston of the Troubadour
Kurt's class lectures on Rock & Roll got the attention of Doug Weston, owner of the famous West Los Angeles club Troubadour. Dubbed in the local newspaper "The Professor of Rock," Kurt was invited by Weston in January of 1967 to join him at a club performance.
Two-Word Phrases
This discolored, rumpled sheet of paper fell out of one of Kurt's archived file folders. The chances are good that it was compiled while Kurt and his friend Carl Belz were working on their History of Rock and Roll book project in the early 60s; "Itsy-Bitsy"/"Teeny-Weenie" are the tip off. Or maybe not.
OM TRESPASSING
The photos and thoughts expressed on this website about Kurt's Diamond Sufi Ranch of the 1970s prompted Kurt's dear friend Joseph Duane to pen his own memories of that magical place (with some additional notes from ranch family member Cliff Barney). For example, about the bamboo, Joe writes, "'Harvested stalks were put to innumerable uses around the ranch, and Kurt’s friend Super Dave crafted lovely shakuhachi style flutes from root ended culms. The bamboo inescapably lent an 'oriental' air to the surroundings, and Kurt and his companions were naturals for the roles of the Taoist “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove'."
KurtvonMeier.com is global
Since its launch in August of 2017, KurtvonMeier.com has attracted visitors globally. This map shows the countries where visitors are located. Of these, the vast majority are located within the United States (in black); the lightest gray indicates zero visitors. Other countries with significant numbers include Canada, Thailand, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Australia, Italy, France and New Zealand, but through searches, Facebook and emails, knowledge of the site is spreading every day. The website is well-indexed by Google, and public searches about specific artists or subjects are returning links to Kurt's articles. Who knows where this will lead, but the goal of making Kurt's thoughts and the story of his life available to the world is being accomplished.
A Painting by Kurt von Meier?
One of the effects of this website is viewers around the globe. Accordingly, a gentleman in New Zealand by the name of Xuan Titman made contact and said he had a painting his mother told him was given to her by Kurt. He sent some photos, front and back. His mother was studying fine arts in the early 1960s, though died twenty years ago. Kurt taught in New Zealand in the early 1960s for two years as a visiting professor at the University of Auckland, and a web search turns up evidence of an art exhibition in which a painting by Kurt was listed. This could be it!
On Audio: The AUM Conference Opening Session 1973
Some of the treasures in the Archives of von Meier are recordings of the AUM Conference at Esalen in 1973. Until recently, it was believed these recordings had been lost. In attendance were Alan Watts, Ram Dass, Heinz von Foerster, John Lilly, Karl Pribram, Stewart Brand, Kurt von Meier and other notables. In this recording of the opening session, the participants introduce themselves, and then all turn to G. Spencer Brown (pictured above in 1973) and his discussion of Laws of Form, the book that had brought the group together. Brown discusses, among other topics, his personal history, Four Color Theorem, the Order of Unlearning, Entering the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Theory of Types. The audio runs about one hour and takes a minute to load.
Vajra Mukut - The Ceremony of the Black Crown
"The Ceremony of the Black Crown or Vajra Mukut, which His Holiness alone can perform, transmits the energy and intelligence of the awakened state of mind." So reads a sentence from the program booklet provided for attendees for an empowerment ritual performed by His Holiness, the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa. Kurt von Mieir would not have missed it for the world, and along with a retinue of Diamond Sufi Ranch family members joined the large crowd at Fort Mason on October 13, 1974.
Intermedia '68
The late sixties were a period of ferment in the arts, and the notion of intermedia--the mix of art, technology, kinetic environments, mixed-media, dance and more--became popular as conventional art boundaries began to dissolve. The idea of "happenings" was hot, and Kurt "dug the scene". Among his archives are materials related to various intermedia events and organizations, such as E.A.T. and USCO. Robert Rauschenberg was in the forefront of such movements, and embraced such collaborations. Below is a flyer about an event, Intermedia '68, held in New York, managed by John Brockman Associates, who later acted as a book agent for Kurt. (Photo: Carolee Schneemann performing an enviromental theatre piece).
Who is G. Spencer Brown and where is that marvelous music coming from?
In 1973 Kurt's friend and collaborator Cliff Barney penned this article which appeared in the Pacific Sun newspaper. As Barney tells it, "There really was a conference at Big Sur at which G. Spencer Brown discussed his calculus with a group of far-out scientists." By conference, he means the AUM Conference at Esalen, and by far-out he means an assortment remarkable individuals exploring the cutting edge of human consciousness and culture, like Alan Watts, Ram Dass, John Lilly, Heinz von Foerster, Kurt von Meier and more. The transcripts of the AUM Conference at Esalen can be found here.
On Audio: Warhol Day at UCLA- 1966 with Lou Reed and Gerard Malanga
Left to right: Nico, Andy Warhol, Gerard Malanga, Lou Reed and John Cale (far right)
Kurt thought Andy Warhol was masterful, and after visiting Andy's "factory" in New York had written a lengthy article about Andy and Warhol's "scene" for Art International magazine in 1966. He also invited Andy to present a guest lecture to Kurt's undergraduate art class, and this audio recording captured that event. Andy, typically, did not say anything, but poet Gerard Malanga plus Lou Reed and John Cale (of the Velvet Underground) read poetry to the class, which was then followed by a screening of a Warhol film. The audio runs close to an hour and takes a minute to load.
A Portrait of Dr. Jose Goldolphin Que y Porque
Aka: Dr. von Meier, Buddy Meier, Kurt Eugene von Meier, Kvon Meier, Karma rDorje Wangdu. This weathered portrait (circa 1975, based upon the hairline and facial hair) of Kurt by an unknown student-artist was found unceremoniously tucked away in a moldering manila file folder. More on Jose Que.
Correspondence with Mathematician H.S. Coxeter
Mathematician H.S. Coxeter (1907-2003) was considered one of the world's foremost geometers of the 20th century, the author of many books and a university professor in Canada. Kurt's interest in mathematics, and particularly his fascination with geometry inclined him to contact Coxeter about Segre's Figure--a figure of fifteen lines and fifteen points, with three points on each line--which Kurt had developed as a three-dimensional figure. Coxeter responded, and their correspondence is presented here.
A Cantata for the Dead Sheep of Utah
Folded into quarters and tucked inside one of Kurt's Manila folders, this creatively arresting document was found. A typewritten assemblage of news reports and graphics tell the story of the sheep wretchedly poisoned in Utah by U.S. government nerve gas tests. Signed by George Ashley and dated August, 1968, it meant enough to Kurt to preserve. And now all may read the tale.
