Born May 19, 1934, Judith Hoffberg was a librarian, archivist, lecturer, a curator and art writer, and editor and publisher of Umbrella, a newsletter on artist's books, mail art, and Fluxus art. She received an M.A. in Italian Language and Literature in 1960 and an M.L.S. from the UCLA School of Library Service in June 1964.Judith Hoffberg passed away peacefully on January 16, 2009
I last saw Judith this past Saturday at Hariet Zeitlin's opening at Track 16, still seeing shows, even though she was in a wheelchair. Her last editorial for Umbrella is excerpted below. There is also a great reminiscence by Judith on the Getty Villa and her days in Italy at ArtScene's website. She will be missed by many.
One would not have imagined a disease chasing me down the end of the road, but it happened in August, diagnosed in September, analyses were done by experts, and I came home on the first of October to hospice at my home. To say that I was in a state of shock would be a euphemism. It all came too fast.As soon as I walked into the house, my life completely changed. I was no longer a writer, editor, publisher, traveler, choc-o-holic, insomniac; I was a cancer patient. I have acute myeloid leukemia. And in the interim between October 1st and as I write this, I have been organizing my archives, throwing things away I never would have otherwise, and preparing myself for the last journey. This is the most difficult editorial I’ve ever written to you, and it will be my last.
In the past, you have learned about alternative spaces all over the world, itineraries of trips that I have taken that have led me to exotic and creative places. You never bargained about learning about Fluxus, mail art and archives, video art, sound art, performance art, rubber stamps, and so much more that was fecund in those early years.
The whole field of artist books became my life and I wanted to share it with all of you. Although marginal at the beginning, it has grown into a movement, a new chapter in art history, one which is recognized by art historians, artists, and all of you. It has become almost too much now, with so many conferences, book fairs, and symposia to attend. And as usual, it has spread globally.
Obsessed with umbrellas and parasols, it allowed me to create a huge collection of “umbrelliana” which has overwhelmed both my domestic and storage settings. I learned more about textiles, fashion, kitsch, marketing, performance art, multicultural innovations with the object umbrella, encountering artists who used the image to intrigue me as well as to whet my appetite. It has been an easy image to collect in paper ephemera as well as almost 200 three-dimensional umbrella objects. From a tiny Chinese lace umbrella to a 19th century silk parasol, from 333 antiquarian books to countless artifacts, the collection has grown over the past 30 years.
Thank you for this tribute.
ReplyDeleteJudith and I took a break from the last AICA conference in Paris to survey the graves of celebrated artists and writers at Pere-Lachaise Cemetery. Tombs and memorials, their placement and how they reflect the lives and times of those they honor, became the subject of our lively conversation.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that Judith has left instructions for any words or images to be carved in marble on a tombstone erected in her honor. However, as I scan through the hundreds of emails from ”jumbrella” that I don’t have the heart to delete, I see in the quantity and variety of her posts, clear evidence of the breadth of her knowledge and concerns in areas including political activism, books and umbrellas, art and cultural events, critical reviews, etc. world wide. Along with slews of emails she made to umbrella recipients, were others directed specifically to issues of interest to me. Judith’s urgings ran the range from lists of hundreds of shows and events I was directed to see when I was planning to travel anywhere outside L A to links to the latest research benefiting my husband in his struggle with Parkinson’s.
An email I received from Alexandra Pollyea sums it up beautifully: “Judith was for me an extraordinary observer and appreciator of culture and humanity; a person of direct opinion, great wit, and a generous heart.”
Thank you for the tribute to Judith. I was in contact with her for more then 25 years. Always exchanged information and we even met in San Francisco when I was doing a lecture there she attended. Always was amazed by her knowledge and kindness of sharing. Even did a mail-interview with her that is published (online at www.iuoma.org and in a book at www.lulu.com). Will think of her whenever I see an Umbrella.....
ReplyDeleteRuud Janssen
Oh dear. Judith was such a brilliant scholar in her field, and just a tremendously generous person. I used to run into her all the time at book related events, hungry and passionate about everything, and relentlessly serious in her practice. I'll truly miss her.
ReplyDeleteJudith curated me into an exhibit at Traction Gallery in 1982 way back when I was an obscure book artist who didnt until that moment realize that other people were making books too. She encouraged me and always responded to my work and I was glad to feature her and her work on behalf of artist books in an article for Nashim, Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues. She was an original thinker who never forgot her roots and always took an interest in others efforts. The art world is certainly a better place because of her energetic thoughtful attention. God bless her soul. Judith Margolis
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