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Krishna Reddy Papers

Call Number

MC.244

Dates

1924-2018, inclusive
; 1955-2012, bulk

Creator

Reddy, Judy Blum (Role: Donor)
Reddy, Krishna, 1925-2018

Extent

11.25 Linear Feet in 6 record cartons, 4 flat boxes, 5 manuscript boxes, 1 folder in a shared manuscript box, and 2 folders in a shared oversize box.

Language of Materials

The Krishna Reddy Papers consist of predominantly English-language materials, but French, Hindi, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, and other languages are also represented in publications and exhibition catalogs.

Abstract

The Krishna Reddy Papers were created in conjunction with the life and career of Krishna Reddy, a longtime professor of art at New York University. Most of the collection's materials reflect Reddy's work as a teacher or as a printmaker, and include solo and group exhibition catalogs, as well as programs, promotional materials, and audiovisual footage of workshops. Some materials are of a documentary nature, and include transcribed and taped interviews with Reddy, newspaper articles, and a hardcover book on his career. The collection also contains two hardcover books written by Reddy on printmaking methods.

Biographical Note

Krishna Reddy, a printmaker, professor of art, and author, was born in Chittoor, India, in 1925.

Reddy began his art studies under poet-artist Rabindranath Tagore, receiving a Diploma of Fine Arts from Vishva-Bharati University in 1946. He taught at a Madras art school until 1950 before emigrating to Europe, where he continued training as a painter and sculptor. His first teacher, at London's Slade School of Fine Arts, was semi-abstract sculptor Henry Moore. In 1951, Reddy earned a Certificate of Fine Arts and moved to Paris, where he studied in Ossip Zadkine's studio.

Reddy's reputation as an artist grew throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He began showing his work internationally in the late 1950s, and soon Reddy was receiving regular invitations to participate in group and solo exhibitions. In 1965, he joined his mentor Stanley William Hayter as co-director of Atelier 17. The Paris printmaking workshop was famed for its experimental work; in 1988, Reddy would author "New Ways of Color Printmaking," detailing the innovative techniques he had developed at Atelier 17. In recognition of these new methods, the government of India honored Reddy with the Padma Shri Award in 1972.

Upon leaving Atelier 17 in 1976, Reddy joined the art faculty of New York University's Art and Art Education department. He was appointed as a full-time Professor of Art the following year. During his 25-year tenure at the School of Education, Health, Nursing, and Arts Professions (now the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development), Reddy directed numerous printmaking workshops and served as Director of the Graphics and Printmaking Program. As a visiting professor, he also instructed student artists at The Cooper Union; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of California, Davis; University of Wisconsin--Madison; and Carnegie Mellon University.

Reddy was named Professor Emeritus at NYU in 2001. Krishna Reddy died in 2018.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged chronologically within each series, with the exception of Series I: Correspondence; this is alphabetically arranged. Files from a 2019 accretion were placed at the end of listings within appropriate series.

The collection is arranged into six series.

  1. Correspondence
  2. Exhibition Materials
  3. Publicity and Biographical Materials
  4. Teaching and Written Works
  5. Photographs
  6. Audiovisual Materials

Scope and Contents

The Krishna Reddy Papers relate to the life and career of Krishna Reddy, a longtime professor of art at New York University. The materials in the collection largely reflect Reddy's work as a teacher or as a printmaker, and include manuscript essay drafts, solo and group exhibition catalogs, as well as programs, promotional materials, and audiovisual footage of workshops and exhibitions. Reddy's personal photographs depict his and his colleagues' artwork of various forms and illustrate his involvement in printmaking workshops and international exhibitions. Some materials are of a biographical nature, and include transcribed and taped interviews with Reddy, newspaper and magazine articles and newsletters.

The Krishna Reddy Papers contain materials from Reddy's time as a student and as a teacher, including copies of works produced by his own mentors and students. As a result, the collection sheds particular insight on the training and development of students of art.

The collection also contains a few published volumes authored by Reddy that detail his printmaking innovations. One hardcover book, Krishna's Cosmos, covers Reddy's career from a biographical perspective.

Conditions Governing Access

Administrative records and unpublished reports of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation. Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials. Board of Trustees records are closed for 35 years from the date of creation. Materials related to personnel, grievances, job and fellowship searches and applications, and all files that fall under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are permanently restricted. Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. For questions regarding specific restrictions, please contact the University Archives.

Conditions Governing Use

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the creator are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives, (212) 998-2646, university-archives@nyu.edu.

Preferred citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Krishna Reddy Papers; MC 244; box number; folder number; New York University Archives

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Krishna Reddy Papers were donated to the New York University Archives by Krishna and Judy Blum Reddy in 2014, with an additional donation by Judith Blum Reddy in 2019. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 14.014 and 2019.039.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

Some audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact University Archives with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Collection processed by

Deborah Shapiro

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 17:53:58 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

During processing, the alphabetical arrangement of Series I was maintained; folder titles for this series, as well as for Series IV, are transcribed from previous housing. Folder titles in Series II, III and V are largely devised. A chronological and topical arrangement was also imposed on the exhibition materials that constitute Series II.

Item titles in Series VI are formal titles transcribed from labels and notes on the materials' original secondary housing.

In 2019, materials from the the 2019 accretion were incorporated into the end of file listings for Series I-IV. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Material was primarily left as it was received by the donor.

Revisions to this Guide

March 2018: Finding aid updated by John Zarrillo to meet current descriptive standards.
April 2019: Updated to include materials integrated from accession number 2019.039 by Jasmine Sykes-Kunk.
September 2019: Record edited by Stacey Flatt to include processed 2019 accretion

Repository

New York University Archives
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012