Frampton, Hollis, 1936-1984

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There is no telling what Hollis William Frampton, Jr.'s mental age was when he was born on March 11, 1936 in Wooster, Ohio ; however, when tested at approximately age 12, he was found to have that of one older than 18. At the biological age of 15 he attended Phillips Academy, Andover on full scholarship, where, from 1951 – 1954, as a classmate of Frank Stella and Carl Andre, he studied languages (French, German, Latin, and Greek), literature, and the arts (especially photography and poetry). A full scholarship to Harvard University was rescinded after complications surrounding Frampton's graduation from Andover, and so he attended Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio from 1954 – 1957, studying languages (Russian, Sanskrit, Chinese) and mathematics. In 1956, in relation to a radio program Frampton was running at Oberlin College, a correspondence began with Ezra Pound that resulted in Frampton moving to Washington, D.C. to study with Pound at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. In 1958, Frampton moved to New York, N.Y. and began his career as a still photographer and photographic lab technician.

Although Frampton began making films in 1962, he did not begin producing or exhibiting them on a regular basis until 1968-69. His Zorns Lemma (1970) was included in the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center and his serial film Hapax Legomena (1971-72) won him many in-person appearances at museums and colleges around the country. As his filmmaking career took off so did his career as a critic and academic (teaching at Cooper Union and SUNY/Buffalo [1973-1984]). Throughout the 1970s Frampton wrote substantial articles for Artforum and October on photography and film (many of these are collected in Circles of Confusion: Film, Photography, Video – Texts 1968 – 1980 [Rochester, New York: Visual Studies Workshop Press, 1983]). After 1972, he turned his attention to the project that would dominate his attention for the rest of his life, the 36 hour calendrical film cycle Magellan, which was to be viewed over a period of 369 days, and remained incomplete at the time of Frampton's death. In the last decade of his life, Frampton also produced xerographic and photographic works and pursued his interests in computers.

From the guide to the Hollis Frampton Collection, 1963-2001, (Harvard Film Archive, Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Essential cinema repertory collection, [ca. 1915-1972], [ca. 1960-1970] (bulk) New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Hollis Frampton Collection, 1963-2001 Harvard Film Archive, Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Frampton, Hollis, 1936-1984. Hollis Frampton : vertical file. Toledo Museum of Art
referencedIn Hollis Frampton Collection, 1963-2001 Harvard Film Archive, Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Frampton, Hollis, 1936- : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf Frampton, Hollis. Frampton, Hollis : [photography bio file]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Addison Gallery of American Art sound recordings Archives of American Art
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Oral history interview with Carl Andre Archives of American Art
Relation Name
associatedWith Addison Gallery of American Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Albright-Knox Art Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Alex Sweetman person
associatedWith Amelunxen, Hubertus v. person
associatedWith Andre, Carl, 1935- person
associatedWith Anger, Kenneth. person
associatedWith Annenberg School for Communication corporateBody
associatedWith Anthology Film Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Art Gallery of Ontario. corporateBody
associatedWith Bianchini Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Brakhage, Stan person
associatedWith Bruce Conner person
associatedWith Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Chauvin, Serge. person
associatedWith Cooper Union corporateBody
associatedWith Ehricht, Horst person
associatedWith Erdman, John person
associatedWith Faller, Marion, 1941- person
associatedWith Festival D'Automne a Paris corporateBody
associatedWith Fischer, Lucy. person
associatedWith Foushée, Sandra. person
associatedWith Frampton, Hollis, 1936-1984 person
associatedWith Frederick Wiseman person
associatedWith Gardner, Robert. person
associatedWith Green Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Hampshire College corporateBody
associatedWith Harpur College of Arts and Sciences corporateBody
associatedWith Henderson, Brian. person
associatedWith Henrich, Biff person
associatedWith Holender, Barbara. person
associatedWith Isaacs Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Jacobs, Ken person
associatedWith Jenkins, Bruce person
associatedWith Joseph Cornell person
associatedWith Kenneth Anger person
associatedWith Kenneth Kahn person
associatedWith Kent State corporateBody
associatedWith Krane, Susan person
associatedWith Larry Gottheim. person
associatedWith Mangolte, Babette. person
associatedWith Marianne Boesky Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Marie Menken person
associatedWith Marvin Minsky person
associatedWith Max Kozloff person
associatedWith Maya Deren person
associatedWith Michael Snow person
associatedWith Michelson, Annette. person
associatedWith Mike Chikiris. person
associatedWith Museum of Fine Arts Houston corporateBody
associatedWith Museum of Modern Art. corporateBody
associatedWith Nathan Lyons person
associatedWith Nauman, Bruce person
associatedWith Paul Zukofsky. person
associatedWith Peninsula Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Phillip Glass person
associatedWith Phillips Academy. corporateBody
associatedWith Poindexter Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Poons, Larry person
associatedWith Richie, Donald person
associatedWith Rochester Institute of Technology corporateBody
associatedWith Samos. person
associatedWith Sarah Lawrence corporateBody
associatedWith Sergei Eisenstein person
associatedWith Serra, Richard person
associatedWith Steve Reich person
associatedWith The National Gallery of Canada Ottawa. corporateBody
associatedWith The Vancouver Art Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Tuchman, Mitch. person
associatedWith Village Voice corporateBody
associatedWith Walker Art Center. corporateBody
associatedWith Whitney Museum of American Art corporateBody
associatedWith Woody Vasulka person
associatedWith Yvonne Rainer person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Art, American
Occupation
Photographers
Activity

Person

Birth 1936-03-11

Death 1984-03-30

Americans

English

Information

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