The following is not a complete inventory of the Fine Art and P hotography archive, but is sufficient to underscore the breadth and scope of the collection. Very few artists have retained as thorough archives as Matuschka. This partial list was reviewed by the appriaser John Henley in 2017.
Documents, press, visual mock-ups, letters , ephermera and other pertinent items are contained in 108 binders, 165 archival boxes, 4 flat files, a dozen large portfolio cases and several filing cabinets,.
The archival boxes, usually ranging in length from 14 to 36 inches, and in some instances larger, plus numerous storage tubs contain extraordinary artifacts that the artist kept since 1968. There are approximately 10,000 letters, 5,000 documents, numerous art works, all of her photographic images & thousands of artifacts including the artist’s cameras, tripods, lights, contact sheets, slides, negatives and wardrobe.
A simple division of the archives would generate at least eight separate, and inclusive categories within their scope of work.
Fields include:
- Matuschka’s early work as artist, model, and photographer (1971-1979)
- Matuschka's artistic works unrelated to photography, (i.e. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.) 1971-2025)
- Matuschka’s correspondence – featuring a large section entitled “Letters from Men” (1971-2006)
- Matuschka’s performance archive (1973-2023)
- Photos of Matuschka taken by renowned photographers (1970s-2021)
- Matuschka’s private collection: Elliott Erwitt, Nick Knight, Nadav Kander, William Silano, Anton Perich (Andy Warhol Portrait) Don Snyder, Gerard Malanga, etc.
- Fine art works, paintings, drawings on paper, etc
Fine Art Works
- Abstract – Journal of art sold, slides of art sold. 200 sheets
- Scans of Matuschka’s art to her “Bagit” book project, published in 2009
- Abstract – Negatives, 150 sheets, 20 per page
- Art projects: Shoes and Chess Sets. Photograph of Anatoly Karpov and Matuschka. 100 sheets, approximately 30% of which contain negatives
- Art project: 3-dimensional furniture; found objects turned into furniture; 50 sheets, 50% approximately are slides
- Drawings – Drawings and photo-shop work done by Matuschka – approximately 400 pages which includes 250 original illustrations
- Art project: “Whores Galore.” Work done by Matuschka 1984-1988. Approximately 100 sheets, 75% being slides.
- Illustrations by Matuschka, approximately 100 Pieces
- Expressionistic art projects by Matuschka: 1970-1999. 50 sheets of slides and prints of work done by Matuschka, some of which has been lost, stolen or sold
- Many boxes contain artworks created by Matuschka as a young woman and paintings created when she was a student of Jennifer Bartlett at SVA
- There are approximately 500 cartoons and caricatures drawn by Matuschka in several boxes
Photographic Works by Matuschka
- 1000 contact sheets, 2000 slide sheets and negatives
- Books of photography featuring Matuschka’s work
- Spain – Malaga – approximately 50 sheets
- Photographic Project: “The Ruins.” Approximately 225 sheets, 50% of which contain slides.
- Photographic Project: “Iris Prints,” 1994 – painted photographs. Approximately 100 sheets.
- Photographic Project: “Don’t Globalize This.” 1994-2003. Approximately 600 sheets, 20% being slides, negatives and transparancies
- Photographic Project: Tattoo designs. 100 sheets, some compact discs
- Box Labelled: “Don’t Globalize This.” 200 sheets, contact sheets
- Boxes Labeled “Chemically toned works” approximately 50 items
- Box “Wall” 100 duplicates
- Box “Ruins and Series”
- Box – Art project: “Cockwatch” 50 images
- ( 8 ) large black portfolio cases containing matted photographs
- Box: “France.” Photographs taken in Malta of Matuschka
- There are binders relating to art and photography shows and installations of past exhibits
Photographic Works by Renowned Photographers & Illustrators
- Nick Knight studio work – approximately 12 images
- Box Labelled: Don Snyder. Snyder was a noted photographer and mentor to Matuschka in her early years. Approximately 100 sheets.
- Box Labelled: “Anton Perich.” Perich is a noted film-maker, video-artist, and photographer in the 1970’s. He founded the famous “Night” Magazine and video channel J in the 1970’s and was a good friend of Andy Warhol. Extensive video footage and photographic prints of Perich’s work and photographs and video tapes he made of Matuschka, their work for fashion designer Charles James, as well as original prints of Perich’s photographs of Warhol and Mick Jagger.
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- Box Labelled: “Gerard Malanga” – relating to noted art dealer, Jimmy Jacobs. Approximately 50 sheets/page
- Several boxes containing portraits of Matuschka by numerous photographers since 1971.
- Box: “Modelling.” Early 1970’s modelling by Matuschka. Approximately 20 items.
- Several Boxes containing work by Don Snyder. Approximately 100 prints and 100 sheets/ pages
- Box “Jeff Dunas " – Palm Springs. Mr. Dunas, noted photographer, worked with Matuschka for Oui Magazine (approximately 25 items)
- Box “Bill Les Chaus photography” – 100 images
- Box "Julie Skarratt" – 200 images
- Box "Richard Ely" Designer- 25 images, poloroids, and posters
- Boxes containing works by Bill Silano, Cervin Robinson, Nadav Kander, Knick Night, John Loenquard, Ira Cohen and Elliott Erwitt (from 1976 - 2011)
There are several containers (i.e. tubs, filing cabinets, archival boxes, binders, etc.) filled with thousands of letters in albums, photographs in albums and smaller page sized artwork. I estimate that there are at least 5,000 pages in these trunks.
Correspondence
A large body of the correspondence contains letters from men to Matuschka. It is largely fan mail but saved for its artistic or literary merit – and in some cases, surreal or humorous content. There are also letters and emails from Matuschka’s intimate friends. There are letters relating to Matuschka’s time she spent in the Berkshires , California and Europe.
Personal Artifacts
- Box: Containing various “mug shots” of Matuschka, including Matuschka's NYC taxi-driver lisence
- Box: “Rock and Roll.” Among other creative endeavors, Matuschka formed a rock band – the contents of this box relate to “Jersey Jo” (Matuschka).
- Matuschka’s correspondence (professional and personal, Approx 5,000)
- Box: Misc. materials, including art invitations, announcements in the press, press, documentary photographs and videos.
- There are personal photograph albums of Matuschka, her family, and her friends.
Other Formats
There are dozens of back-up drives, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs; all of Matuschka's Apple computers since 1984, and computer data that include Matuschka’s artwork, personal files, her memoir in progress, and more than 300 audio/video recording tapes, which include computer archival files – including artwork, Musical Recordsings, Matuschka’s family files, Matuschka’s rock performances as Jersey Jo; story boards for a work in progress “The Incredible Maintenance of Being”.
There are tubs of video footage, in particular b-roll from the Film Part Time God (1992) which featured the artist. Other reels include TV programs and documentaries that featured Matuschka.
- Thousands of slides, negatives, polaroids and photographs of Matuschka during her modeling career from 1975 - 2000.
There are approximately 60 video tapes featuring Matuschka on International Television programs, documentaries, B Roll, 21 Beta tapes for her portrayal in the feature documentary "Part Time God" (1992) and dozes of DVDS containing her work on Public Access with Anton Perich.