Kurt clipped articles from newspapers and magazines like crazy, but rarely kept an entire page let alone a section of the local paper. The exception is this, the front section of the San Francisco Examiner from 1963. Of note is the slogan in the paper's masthead: "America First."
A Postcard from Artist Ken Magri
Kurt was Ken Magri's Masters Degree advisor in the late 1970s at Sacramento State University. Ken went on to enjoy a career of art, photography, teaching, writing and commentary. When Kurt was selected as the head of the Art Department in 1988, he received this postcard from Ken. (Ken has recently contributed his recollection of Kurt).
Hanging Out at the Diamond Sufi Ranch
Want to spend a while hanging out at the Diamond Sufi Ranch in the early-seventies? Here's a recording that allows you to do it; Kurt often put a reel in his Nagra, set it to record and let it run.
Begin the audio, lie down on the floor with a comfortable pillow behind your head, close your eyes and join the ranch family and guests as they hang out on the deck in the grove of timber bamboo, smoke, eat, laugh and play music. Visting the ranch, Harish, an Indian musician and singer, serenades the group while the ranch flute, as Kurt says, "finds" a player. Drums get played, fruits get eaten, pipes get smoked. Just another day in paradise.
Audio runs about 30 minutes.
A 1966 Letter from Roberta Bernstein to Kurt about Andy Warhol
By 1966 Kurt had already gained recognition as an up-and-coming voice in the art historian community. His regular contributions to Art International magazine along with the attention he gained at UCLA for his unconventional teaching approach helped Kurt establish relationships with others with aspirations in his chosen field. Among them was the young Roberta Bernstein, who felt great affection for Kurt; Roberta did indeed fulfill her aspirations and today is a recognized leader in the field art history. This charming 1966 letter about her visit with Andy Warhol has its place in the history of both Roberta and Kurt.
A Letter from Doug Weston of the Troubadour
Kurt's class lectures on Rock & Roll got the attention of Doug Weston, owner of the famous West Los Angeles club Troubadour. Dubbed in the local newspaper "The Professor of Rock," Kurt was invited by Weston in January of 1967 to join him at a club performance.
Two-Word Phrases
This discolored, rumpled sheet of paper fell out of one of Kurt's archived file folders. The chances are good that it was compiled while Kurt and his friend Carl Belz were working on their History of Rock and Roll book project in the early 60s; "Itsy-Bitsy"/"Teeny-Weenie" are the tip off. Or maybe not.
OM TRESPASSING
The photos and thoughts expressed on this website about Kurt's Diamond Sufi Ranch of the 1970s prompted Kurt's dear friend Joseph Duane to pen his own memories of that magical place (with some additional notes from ranch family member Cliff Barney). For example, about the bamboo, Joe writes, "'Harvested stalks were put to innumerable uses around the ranch, and Kurt’s friend Super Dave crafted lovely shakuhachi style flutes from root ended culms. The bamboo inescapably lent an 'oriental' air to the surroundings, and Kurt and his companions were naturals for the roles of the Taoist “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove'."
KurtvonMeier.com is global
Since its launch in August of 2017, KurtvonMeier.com has attracted visitors globally. This map shows the countries where visitors are located. Of these, the vast majority are located within the United States (in black); the lightest gray indicates zero visitors. Other countries with significant numbers include Canada, Thailand, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Australia, Italy, France and New Zealand, but through searches, Facebook and emails, knowledge of the site is spreading every day. The website is well-indexed by Google, and public searches about specific artists or subjects are returning links to Kurt's articles. Who knows where this will lead, but the goal of making Kurt's thoughts and the story of his life available to the world is being accomplished.
A Painting by Kurt von Meier?
One of the effects of this website is viewers around the globe. Accordingly, a gentleman in New Zealand by the name of Xuan Titman made contact and said he had a painting his mother told him was given to her by Kurt. He sent some photos, front and back. His mother was studying fine arts in the early 1960s, though died twenty years ago. Kurt taught in New Zealand in the early 1960s for two years as a visiting professor at the University of Auckland, and a web search turns up evidence of an art exhibition in which a painting by Kurt was listed. This could be it!
On Audio: The AUM Conference Opening Session 1973
Some of the treasures in the Archives of von Meier are recordings of the AUM Conference at Esalen in 1973. Until recently, it was believed these recordings had been lost. In attendance were Alan Watts, Ram Dass, Heinz von Foerster, John Lilly, Karl Pribram, Stewart Brand, Kurt von Meier and other notables. In this recording of the opening session, the participants introduce themselves, and then all turn to G. Spencer Brown (pictured above in 1973) and his discussion of Laws of Form, the book that had brought the group together. Brown discusses, among other topics, his personal history, Four Color Theorem, the Order of Unlearning, Entering the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Theory of Types. The audio runs about one hour and takes a minute to load.
Vajra Mukut - The Ceremony of the Black Crown
"The Ceremony of the Black Crown or Vajra Mukut, which His Holiness alone can perform, transmits the energy and intelligence of the awakened state of mind." So reads a sentence from the program booklet provided for attendees for an empowerment ritual performed by His Holiness, the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa. Kurt von Mieir would not have missed it for the world, and along with a retinue of Diamond Sufi Ranch family members joined the large crowd at Fort Mason on October 13, 1974.
Intermedia '68
The late sixties were a period of ferment in the arts, and the notion of intermedia--the mix of art, technology, kinetic environments, mixed-media, dance and more--became popular as conventional art boundaries began to dissolve. The idea of "happenings" was hot, and Kurt "dug the scene". Among his archives are materials related to various intermedia events and organizations, such as E.A.T. and USCO. Robert Rauschenberg was in the forefront of such movements, and embraced such collaborations. Below is a flyer about an event, Intermedia '68, held in New York, managed by John Brockman Associates, who later acted as a book agent for Kurt. (Photo: Carolee Schneemann performing an enviromental theatre piece).
Who is G. Spencer Brown and where is that marvelous music coming from?
In 1973 Kurt's friend and collaborator Cliff Barney penned this article which appeared in the Pacific Sun newspaper. As Barney tells it, "There really was a conference at Big Sur at which G. Spencer Brown discussed his calculus with a group of far-out scientists." By conference, he means the AUM Conference at Esalen, and by far-out he means an assortment remarkable individuals exploring the cutting edge of human consciousness and culture, like Alan Watts, Ram Dass, John Lilly, Heinz von Foerster, Kurt von Meier and more. The transcripts of the AUM Conference at Esalen can be found here.
On Audio: Warhol Day at UCLA- 1966 with Lou Reed and Gerard Malanga
Left to right: Nico, Andy Warhol, Gerard Malanga, Lou Reed and John Cale (far right)
Kurt thought Andy Warhol was masterful, and after visiting Andy's "factory" in New York had written a lengthy article about Andy and Warhol's "scene" for Art International magazine in 1966. He also invited Andy to present a guest lecture to Kurt's undergraduate art class, and this audio recording captured that event. Andy, typically, did not say anything, but poet Gerard Malanga plus Lou Reed and John Cale (of the Velvet Underground) read poetry to the class, which was then followed by a screening of a Warhol film. The audio runs close to an hour and takes a minute to load.
A Portrait of Dr. Jose Goldolphin Que y Porque
Aka: Dr. von Meier, Buddy Meier, Kurt Eugene von Meier, Kvon Meier, Karma rDorje Wangdu. This weathered portrait (circa 1975, based upon the hairline and facial hair) of Kurt by an unknown student-artist was found unceremoniously tucked away in a moldering manila file folder. More on Jose Que.
Correspondence with Mathematician H.S. Coxeter
Mathematician H.S. Coxeter (1907-2003) was considered one of the world's foremost geometers of the 20th century, the author of many books and a university professor in Canada. Kurt's interest in mathematics, and particularly his fascination with geometry inclined him to contact Coxeter about Segre's Figure--a figure of fifteen lines and fifteen points, with three points on each line--which Kurt had developed as a three-dimensional figure. Coxeter responded, and their correspondence is presented here.
A Cantata for the Dead Sheep of Utah
Folded into quarters and tucked inside one of Kurt's Manila folders, this creatively arresting document was found. A typewritten assemblage of news reports and graphics tell the story of the sheep wretchedly poisoned in Utah by U.S. government nerve gas tests. Signed by George Ashley and dated August, 1968, it meant enough to Kurt to preserve. And now all may read the tale.
Russell's Other Dream
Kurt respected Bertrand Russell (pictured), the British polymath who --philosopher, author, social activist, devoted pacifist--also had a passion for mathematics.
This typewritten sheet was found within what Kurt liked to call his half-vast archives.
I Ching Computerized Horoscope
Found among Kurt's archives was this print-out--his computerized, I Ching horoscope--from 1974. Being a student of the I Ching and with some interest in astrology, it's not surprising that Kurt's curiosity inclined him to generate such a document, if only for purposes of amusement. He kept it, however, perhaps because it touched him in unexpected ways. Those who knew him may find some resonance within this print-out as well.
The Grizzly Bear Dancer
Kurt held bears in high regard. His friend Joe Duane ("Choochi"), who first met Kurt in 1970, sent him the gift of a photograph--Grizzly Bear Dancer, Qagyuhl by Edward Sheriff Curtis--and Kurt sent Joe a note of thanks, dated January 5. The year was 1998, as Kurt's reference to the Unabomber trial indicates, and Kurt's inquiry about "chickens" and the Supreme Court in Hong Kong has to do with historic practices of chicken sacrifice and its connection with honest court testimony. The note closes with Kurt's reference to Brain Droppings, a book by George Carlin; Kurt's signature uses his Buddhist name, rDorje, written in Tibetan. Thanks to Joe for providing this bit of von Meier memorabilia.