Peter Selz: Sketches of a Life in Art by Paul J. Karlstrom (review)

Peter Selz’s career as a progressive supporter of modern and contemporary art has made him a renowned figure in the art field. An examination of his career provides insight into the eras of modern and contemporary art and the development of institutions like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA). Relying greatly upon Selz’s own words and recollections, Paul J. Karlstrom’s biography portrays Selz’s life history as a German Jew who fled from Nazi Germany to the United States and proceeds to follow Selz through his prestigious career in the art field, which included positions at Chicago’s IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology), Institute of Design, Pomona College, MoMA, and BAM/PFA. Selz has had a significant impact on the art world, supporting new, unknown, and often controversial artists from all over the world. Additionally, his willingness to strive for thought-provoking exhibitions helped provide a space for these artists. His exhibits pushed what people expect art to be and pushed them to think outside the box in conceptualizing how exhibits should be installed or how the art should be exhibited.

Utilizing oral histories from Selz and his contemporaries in the field allows Karlstrom to illustrate a more extensive portrayal of the twentieth-century art world and the influence of modern and contemporary art on the practice and theory of fine art. By interviewing Selz’s colleagues and acquaintances, differing interpretations of events in, and perspectives on, twentieth- and twenty-first-century art emerge. These opposing narratives provide a more intricate understanding of the inherent tensions and struggles that exist in the field. Although the interviewees’ opinions, insights, or relation of facts often oppose one another, the use of oral histories with multiple interviewees balances the overall story that could have easily become unilaterally Selz’s point of view. While Karlstrom’s use of his interviews with Selz enhances the understanding of Selz’s life through his own words, the narratives from other people offer a more thorough study into Selz’s career, in addition to his character.

Using these differing perspectives also better portrays the competitiveness, rivalry, and infighting within the art world, because the opposition and even aversion to Selz’s views becomes apparent through the accounts of the other interviewees. Karlstrom makes use of the multiple narratives to examine Selz’s controversial stances, stances that often disconnected Selz from his colleagues. Selz’s perspectives often served to reinforce his own belief that the human experience is what should be expressed through art. For example, early on he saw German Expressionism as motivated by the era’s politics rather than as a progression of stylistic changes. Throughout his career, people were divided between considering him a genius and feeling that he was too radical and extremist in his views. By weaving varying narratives from other characters in the field of art, Karlstrom lets the conflicts, difficulties, and differing attitudes of the field emerge, thereby providing a complex understanding that is wrought with tension, power struggles, and huge egos. Furthermore, allowing a variety of voices to be heard creates a level of transparency about the internal operations and development of art institutions from New York to California during the twentieth century.

The biography’s narrative likewise captures the personal side of Selz’s life, derived, in part, from oral histories with his family members, such as ex-wives, children, and grandchildren. These familial conversations depict a complex man who often was not around when needed but also made sure to share his passion for art with them. In addition, Selz was close friends with some prominent artists, such as Willem de Kooning, Christo, and Mark Rothko. Oral histories with these well-known artists provide further insight into Selz’s character and his work by revealing those shared moments that occur between predominant art personalities and the routine...