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Laura Foreman Papers

Call Number

MSS.122

Dates

1949-2001, inclusive
; 1967-2001, bulk

Creator

Foreman, Laura

Extent

133.74 Linear Feet
in 122 records cartons, 27 photo binders, 2 document cases and 5 oversize boxes

Language of Materials

Materials are written primarily in English.

Abstract

Laura Foreman was a dancer, choreographer, visual artist, writer and director of dance at New School University. She lived and worked in New York City from the mid-1960s until her death. Material in the Laura Foreman Papers related to Foreman's art includes project notes, sketches and drafts, photographic and audiovisual documentation, grant applications, props, art objects, and press clippings. Material related to Foreman's personal life includes correspondence, personal notes, journals, and appointment books. The collection also contains course planning materials and administrative files related to Foreman's career at the New School.

Biographical Note

Laura Foreman was a dancer, choreographer, visual artist, writer and director of dance at New School University. She lived and worked in New York City from the mid-1960s until her death.

Foreman worked primarily in dance for the first decade of her time in Manhattan, operating both the Laura Foreman Dance Company and Composers' and Choreographers' Theatre with her husband, John Watts. In the late 1970s she began working in more abstract performance and visual art. Perhaps her most well-known piece was 1981's "Wallwork," a collaboration with Watts which took the form of a rigorous advertising campaign for a nonexistent performance.

After Watts's death in 1982, Foreman's work shifted towards visual art and writing. She created an extensive sculpture series, "Birdhouse as Metaphor," which consisted of numerous functional and non-functional birdhouses and showed in 1990 at Souyun Yi Gallery. In 1997, Close Encounters, a volume of Foreman's short stories, was published by Outloud Books.
Foreman died of cancer in Manhattan in 2001.

Source:
Dunning, Jennifer. "Laura Foreman, 64, Director Of Dance at the New School." The New York Times, July 5, 2001.

Stage Works:
- Solo Suite (1967)
- A Time (1968)
- Perimeters (1969)
- Untitled (1970)
- Epicycles (1970)
- Signals (1970)
- glass and shadows (1971)
- Laura's Dance (1971)
- Songandance (1972)
- Margins (1972)
- Spaces (1972)
- Locrian (1973)
- Performance (1973)
- city of angels (1974)
- a deux (1974)
- Postludes (1974)
- Bud / Monopoly (1975)
- Program (1976)
- Heirlooms (1977)
- Entries (1978)

Artworks:
- TimeCoded Woman (1979-80)
- Coney Island Cray-Pas (1981)
- Philadelphia Story (1981)
- Poetry Peep Show (1981)
- Roomwork (1981)
- Wallwork (1981)
- Reclining Nudes (1982)
- Sweet Land of Liberty (1983)
- Word Painting / I have nothing to paint and I'm painting it (1983)
- Birdhouse as Metaphor (1989-93)
- Cry Uncle (1991)
- Window on the World (1995)
- Shacks of America (undated)

Written Works:
- A Message to Michael (1990)
- Close Encounters (1997)

Arrangement

Materials are arranged almost entirely as they were received. The collection was processed at the box level; a description of contents is given for each box. These descriptions are in no way comprehensive. See the Arrangement Notes for each series for more specific details. Loose items and those in need of special preservation attention were appropriately housed, and all efforts were made to preserve the collection's original arrangement.

  1. Series I: Files
  2. Series II: Notebooks, Address Books and Date Books
  3. Series III: Correspondence
  4. Series IV: Photographic Material
  5. Series V: Artworks, Sketches and Posters
  6. Series VI: Video recordings
  7. Series VII: Films
  8. Series VIII: Sound recordings
  9. Series IX: Objects
  10. Oversize Series I: Files
  11. Oversize Series IV: Photographic Material
  12. Oversize Series V: Artworks, Sketches and Posters

Scope and Contents

The Laura Foreman Papers contain materials pertaining to Foreman's life as a dancer, choreographer, visual and performance artist, as well as her personal life and career as Director of the Dance Department at the New School. Material related to Foreman's works includes project notes, sketches and drafts, photographic and audiovisual documentation, grant applications, props, art objects, and press clippings. Material related to Foreman's personal life includes correspondence, personal notes, journals, and appointment books. The collection also contains course planning materials and administrative files related to Foreman's career at the New School. Items in the collection date as far back as 1949, but the bulk of the collection covers a range from 1967 until Foreman's death in 2001.

The collection is divided into eight series:

SERIES I: Files contains documents and items related to Foreman's personal life and artistic career, including project drafts, personal notes, source material and press clippings.

SERIES II: Notebooks, Address Books and Date Books contains bound notebooks relating to Foreman's personal and artistic life, as well as originally collocated notecards.

SERIES III: Correspondence contains correspondence, primarily addressed to Foreman and dealing mostly with her personal life. A small portion of the correspondence pertains to her professional and artistic life.

SERIES IV: Photographic Material contains photographic prints, color slides, contact sheets and negatives pertaining both to Foreman's personal life and to her work as a choreographer and visual artist.

SERIES V: Artworks, Sketches and Posters contains primarily visual material produced by Foreman, including sketches, drafts, and posters from her own as well as others' performances and exhibitions.

SERIES VI: Video recordings contains Foreman's collection of video documentation of her dance performances and other artworks and exhibitions.

SERIES VII: Films contains a small amount of moving image documentation captured on film instead of video.

SERIES VIII: Sound recordings contains audio recordings.

SERIES IX: Objects contains various items once owned by Foreman or employed in her artworks, including props from dance performances.

OVERSIZE SERIES includes materials too large to be stored in a records carton or photo binder.
Series I: Files
Series IV: Photographic Material
Series V: Artworks, Sketches and Posters

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date (if known); Laura Foreman Papers; MSS 122; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Some materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the Fales Library by Laura Foreman in 1999.

Separated Materials

The following materials have been removed to Fales Downtown Collection, Fales Special Collections and Fales American Collection:

Art now 74: a celebration of the American arts. Washington, D.C.: Artrend Foundation, 1974.
The comics journal. Vol. 111. Bethel, CT: Comics Journal, 1986.
Downtown. No. 40. New York, N.Y.: Arts Weekly, 1987.
Foreman, Laura. Close encounters: a book of short stories. Claryville, N.Y.: Outloud Books, 1997.
Fujimura, Makoto. Makoto Fujimura: works '90-'92. Tokyo: Tamaya Gallery, 1992.
Fujimura, Makoto, and International Arts Movement. Wouldest thou love.... New York, N.Y.: International Arts Movement, c1991.

Related Materials

John Watts Papers (MSS.093)

Robert Alexander Papers (MSS.114)

Collection processed by

Nicholas Martin, 2010.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:12:33 -0500.
Language: Description written in English

Processing Information

In February 2019, materials in boxes 164 and 165 were rehoused.

Revisions to this Guide

March 2017: Updated by Jacqueline Rider to reflect incorporation of video preservation master and sub-master files.

Repository

Fales Library and Special Collections
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012