Kristine Stiles collection, 1936-2025

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Summary

Creator:
Stiles, Kristine
Abstract:
Kristine Stiles is the France Family Professor of Art, Art History & Visual Studies at Duke University. Her main field of research is contemporary art with a focus on experimental practices, as well as representations of destruction, violence, and trauma in art. The collection includes Stiles' personal and family papers; materials documenting her study of art and artists, particularly contemporary and modern artists; writings, talks, projects, and teaching files; and other materials including correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual items. Together, the materials in this collection document Stiles' study and teaching of art and art history; her scholarly interests in violence, destruction, and trauma in art; her relationships with artists around the world; and her personal life. Artists represented in this collection include Chris Burden, Lynn Hershman, Allan Kaprow, Gustav Metzger, John Latham, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Yoko Ono, Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Dan and Lia Perjovschi, Carolee Schneemann, Wolf Vostell, and many more.
Extent:
233 Linear Feet
0.83 Gigabytes
Language:
Materials are mostly in English, with a smaller amount in French.
Collection ID:
RL.01254

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes Stiles' personal and family papers; materials documenting her study of art and artists, particularly contemporary and modern artists; writings, talks, projects, and teaching files; and other materials including correspondence, photographs, and audiovisual items. Together, the materials in this collection document Stiles' study and teaching of art and art history; her scholarly interests in violence, destruction, and trauma in art; her relationships with artists around the world; and her personal life.

The Personal and Family Papers series includes scrapbooks, photographs, and albums of Stiles' family history, dating back to the early 20th century and including much of her extended family. The majority of the series consists of family correspondence between Stiles and her parents, siblings, ex-husbands, and other extended family members. Also included are Stiles' diaries, poetry, schoolwork, and other personal papers, as well as writings by her mother, Katherine Haller Dolan, and materials related to Stiles' horses, Eryk and Faynce (also known as "Ultimately About Me").

The Artist Archive series represents the bulk of the collection, and is Stiles' archive of correspondence, documentation, interviews, and other interactions with over 60 modern and contemporary artists from around the world. This series frequently focuses on the Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS), and many of the original participants are represented here. Artists represented include Chris Burden, Lynn Hershman, Allan Kaprow, Gustav Metzger, John Latham, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Yoko Ono, Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Dan and Lia Perjovschi, Carolee Schneemann, Wolf Vostell, and many more.

The Art Movements series documents Stiles' research on major artistic movements, including Abstract Art, Conceptual Art, and Feminist Art. These materials include news and journal articles, writings and scholarship about various movements, and photographs of art exhibitions.

The Theorists series contains materials related to the theoretical work of artists and thinkers central to Stiles' scholarship. Most of these materials are writings from artists about their works, writings from theorists about art movements and artists, and scholarship from academics on artists and their works.

The Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS) series, which forms the foundation of Stiles' dissertation research, includes three subseries: the DIAS Artists subseries, focusing on artists central to her study such as Kurt Kren, Jean-Jacques Lebel, and Barbara Gladstone, includes materials such as journal articles, book excerpts, and handwritten notes from Stiles; the DIAS Interviews subseries, consisting of interviews with artists and their associates, contains materials such as handwritten notes, transcriptions, and correspondence between Stiles and the artists or their associates; and the Dissertation Research subseries, which contains drafts, notes, and supporting research materials such as articles, book excerpts, and photographs and drawings of artwork.

The Writings, Talks, Art, and Projects series is focused largely on Stiles' research and artwork, and dates from her early childhood through recent research as a professor at Duke. Included are details and ephemera from her performance art and exhibitions, such as the "Romeo Drawing Book" and cassette tapes from her "Questions" installation. Also contains her Ph.D. dissertation. This series also includes more recent essays, lectures, and audiovisual materials addressing subjects such as performance art, the Nuclear Age, and an unpublished book project. The subseries Uncorrupted Joy documents Stiles' research and drafting process for her work of the same name, including materials such as scholarship from others on joy in art, examples of art pieces included in her subsequent work, and writings from artists documented in her book.

The Perjovschi Project series largely relates to the "States of Mind" exhibit that Stiles curated for the Nasher Museum of Art in 2007, highlighting the art of Dan and Lia Perjovschi. The couple's relationship with Stiles is also documented in this series, which includes correspondence between them, as well as original art, books sent to her, and details about their earlier visits to Duke and Stiles' visits to Romania in the 1990s.

The Teaching series contains course materials and research related primarily to Stiles' Art since 1945, Global Art since 1945, and Trauma in Art classes taught at Duke and other universities. These materials include multiple iterations of syllabi, lecture notes, and assigned reading materials on twentieth century art. The Trauma Class subseries contains news articles, writings from artists about trauma in art, and photographs and drawings depicting trauma. These materials may be disturbing and include references to Nazism, lynching, and child abuse.

The Name Files series is another large series that includes small amounts of correspondence, brochures, clippings, and communications from a variety of artists, family members, colleagues, and galleries. This series does not include much of Stiles' communications with artists, which is largely contained in the Artist Archive series.

The Photographs series includes a wide range of items, including personal and family photographs of Stiles and her family, photographs taken by Stiles during her trips around the world, and photographs by other people of the DIAS movement. Also included are some scrapbooks and other fragile materials from Stiles' childhood.

Printed Materials is a series that includes zines, newsletters, and other periodicals that Stiles collected throughout her life. Many of these publications lasted only 1 or 2 issues. A notable portion of this series is the Apexart.org publications and the DIA Center for the Arts brochures.

The Audiovisual Materials series includes videotapes and recordings collected by Stiles from artists promoting their work.

Other Artist Writings includes articles, books, and writings by people other than Stiles; she collected them in the course of her research.

Posters and Oversize Materials include large items from a variety of sources in the collection. Many of these materials were pulled from other series for preservation and housing.

Addition 2020-0107 is an unprocessed addition to the collection.

Biographical / historical:

Kristine Stiles is a professor of Art and Art History at Duke University. Her main field of research is contemporary art with a focus on performance art and other interdisciplinary experimental art practices. Her research is especially concerned with global representations of violence, trauma, and destruction.

Acquisition information:
The Kristine Stiles Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from Kristine Stiles from 2009-2025.
Processing information:

Accessioned (2009-0187) and processed by Meghan Lyon, October 2009

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, October 2009

Addition (2010-0025) added February 2010

Addition (2012-0120) added and portions of the collection re-processed by Kate Collins, June 2012

Addition (2020-0034) added February 2020

Addition (2025-0158) added May 2026 by Reina Henderson and Leah Tams.

Materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Arrangement:

Arranged into series: Personal and Family Papers; Artist Archive; Art Movements; Theorists; Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS); Writings, Talks, Art, and Projects; Perjovschi Project; Teaching; Name Files; Photographs; Printed Materials; Audiovisual Materials; Other Artist Writings; Posters and Oversize Materials.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Access restricted. Donor permission is required to access. Contact Research Services for information.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are original audiovisual items that need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are digitized audiovisual materials that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Kristine Stiles Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1zh38