Art Attack records

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

Some materials are restricted due to content. Please see inventory for more details. All other materials are open to access.

Terms of access:

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Preferred citation:

Art Attack records, C0507, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
21 Linear Feet 43 boxes, 1 map case
Abstract:
The Art Attack records contains materials that documented the creative process of multidisciplinary American and international artists as a part of the Art Attack collective from 1979-2009. The collection contains audience feedback, cassette tapes, contact sheets, correspondence, mixed-media artwork, notes, oversized blueprints, photographs, photo negatives, photo slides, contact sheets, and press and reviews created by and related to the Art Attack collective.
Language:
English , German , Polish .
Preferred citation:

Art Attack records, C0507, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

The Art Attack records contains audience feedback, cassette tapes, contact sheets, correspondence, mixed-media artwork, notes, oversized blueprints, photographs, photo negatives, photo slides, contact sheets, and press and reviews created by and related to the Art Attack collective. This collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Art Installations and Events consists of correspondence, planning documents, trip expenses, and reviews, and is separated into two subseries. Subseries 1: Installations in the United States contains materials of projects created or displayed in the United States. Subseries 2: International installations contains materials from projects conducted and displayed in European countries, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and France.

Series 2: Art Attack Organization Records contains materials that have to do specifically with Art Attack as an organization, including articles, correspondence, their mission statement, portfolios, press reviews, and trip information that was not explicitly tied to any installation.

Biographical / historical:

Art Attack was a guerilla art collective founded in Los Angeles in 1979, by Lynn McCary and Billy Burns. The group relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1981, and again to New York City shortly after. Initially, Art Attack did not have any official members. Participants joined and left sporadically; however, it eventually formed a core group of four artists: Lynn McCary, Evan Hughes, Jared (Hendrickson) Louche, and Alberto Gaitán. This core group worked with multiple select artists on projects in the United States and Europe. Their creative process aimed to reflect the "'real world' interactive systems" to create discussion of differing interpretations of their work. The core group, alongside collaborating artists, worked towards utilizing their adaptability to address problems that many artists are confronted with. You can read more about Art Attack at their website.

Lynn McCary studied at American University, graduating with a double major in Graphic Design and Visual Communications. She co-founded Art Attack in 1979 and has worked with many institutions, including Artist Space, the Washington Project of the Arts, and the National Institute for Music Theatre. McCary currently works as an event planner in New York City, primarily planning fundraising events for cultural and educational nonprofits.

Evan Hughes graduated from the School of American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology, and his work specialized in designing and creating unique furniture and sculptures. His work has been featured in the Franz Bader Gallery and has been involved in Art Attack since 1984. Hughes continues to collaborate professionally with architects and artists, such as 1100 Architect and constructing sculptural work for Frank Stella. He also worked extensively with the late Richard Artschwager, including the commissioned artist interiors of the elevators at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Jared (Hendrickson) Louche is a musician, primarily know as founder and frontman of the Washington, D.C. industrial rock band Chemlab, which he has intermittently performed with from 1989 through the present. In 1997 when Chemlab initially broke up, Louche worked as an investment banker on Wall Street. Louche has released solo music outside of Chemlab, and is also one of the founders of the electro-industrial music supergroup H3llb3nt. Louche's work with Art Attack included performance poetry.

Alberto Gaitán studied multiple creative fields throughout his professional and academic career. He received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Miami but also pursued music theory, composition, programming, and photography studies. He joined Art Attack in 1985 and has performed and had his work featured at institutions such as the Corcoran Gallery of Arts, The National Theatre, and many others. Gaitán passed away in 2022.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Art Attack co-founder Lynn McCary in 2018 and 2023.
Processing information:

Processing completed by Vilma Chicas Garcia from September-December 2023. Additional processing completed by Amanda Menjivar in February 2024. Finding aid completed by Vilma Chicas Garcia in December 2024. Finding aid edited and uploaded by Amanda Menjivar in February 2024.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series based on the content of the materials.

Series
  1. Series 1: Installations and Events
  2. Subseries 1.1: Installations in the United States
  3. Subseries 1.2: International Installations
  4. Series 2: Art Attack Organization Records
Physical location:
R 74, C 4, S 1-6
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Art
Art -- Exhibitions
Photography