ArchivesSpace at the University of Iowa

In her essay "The Myth and the Mythmaker," curator Kathleen Edwards wrote that Roth was influenced by Dadaism, Surrealism, Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, Fluxus and Conceptual Art. Buzz Spector contributed an essay "The Artist as Archivist, The Book as Body: Dieter Roth's Gesammelte Werke." He defined an Archive as a "repository of texts and/or images organized around a given subject. It provides for a relation of general equivalence between its components, and for a means of sorting through their accumulation. Unlike dictionaries or encyclopedias, which define words or ideas in relation to general linguistic or cultural models, and whose cognitive "force" is directed centrifugally, toward the margins of a discursive terrain, the force of the archive is centipetal, drawing in traces of its concern that coalesce to form clearer - which is to say, denser, more focused - insights into the meaning of its subject." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

These cards describe the scope of the collection -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Different parts of Tom Phillips' poster print, "Benches" are collaged onto the covers of the catalogues. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

The three covers have different collaged images taken from Tom Phillip's Words and Texts. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

This catalogue documents how in recent years, Williams has gone from composing classic concrete poems to adding visual ornamentations to them. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

The letterhead is Monks Pond. Merton writes Emmett Williams that "All the things you are making happen sound good. Or helping make happen. Yes, visual poetry. I'd like to see that exhibit in Minneapolis. When will it be?" He continues, "I'm starting on some visual stuff. Hasn't loosened up yet but I think it will start to break soon. If only we had some more type here and the monastery printer had more time we could really do something about it." In a postscript, Merton adds a handwritten request, "Could I see a copy of the Bense reader? Looks interesting. Also the MacLow stanzas, as I am doing some, that - & Dieter Rot. Your catalog is very good. Only interesting one I've seen in a long time. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

This is a reprint of a book that was first published in 1968. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Checklist for the exhibition of works from international experimental artists and writers curated by Barbara Moore and Jon Hendricks. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Most of the works offered in this catalogue were made by Dieter Roth. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.