Ben Morea and Aldo Tambellini Art Papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Painter Ben Morea, and artist and sculptor Aldo Tambellini were both anarchists active in the artistic and political counterculture in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. Aldo Tambellini edited and published a newsletter called The Screw with its slogan "Artists in an Anonymous Generation Arise." In 1966 Ben Morea and the poet Dan Georgakas founded a Dada-influenced art group called Black Mask. In May 1968, Black Mask changed its name to Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers. The Motherfuckers (often referred to as simply "the Motherfuckers", or UAW/MF) were an anarchist affinity group based in New York City's Lower East Side. They contributed to New York City's counterculture by setting up crash pads, serving free food, starting a free store, and helping radicals connect with doctors and lawyers. They used direct action to stage various political-artistic events and demonstrations, and are thought to have inspired members of the Weather Underground and the Yippies. This collection contains clippings, fliers, graphic art, periodicals, posters, photographs, programs and other printed ephemera that document Morea and Tambellini's activities both during and before the founding of Black Mask, and the activity of the Motherfuckers. There is also correspondence and other material relating to the Situationist International, several annotated issues of the Rebel Worker (Industrial Workers of the World), and correspondence and other materials created or collected by donor Max Blechman that also pertain to anarchism and its relationship to the arts.
Historical/Biographical Note
Painter Ben Morea, and artist and sculptor Aldo Tambellini were both anarchists active in the artistic and political counterculture in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. Aldo Tambellini edited and published a newsletter called The Screw with its slogan "Artists in an Anonymous Generation Arise." In 1966 Ben Morea and the poet Dan Georgakas founded a Dada-influenced art group called Black Mask along with elements of another group called Angry Arts. Black Mask produced a broadside of the same name and declared that revolutionary art should be "an integral part of life, as in primitive society, and not an appendage to wealth." In May 1968, Black Mask changed its name and went underground. Their new name, Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers, came from a poem by Amiri Baraka. Often referred to as simply "the Motherfuckers", or UAW/MF, they were an anarchist affinity group based in New York City's Lower East Side. They contributed to New York City's counterculture by setting up crash pads, serving free food, starting a free store, and helping radicals connect with doctors and lawyers. This "street gang with analysis" was known for its direct actions in the fields of politics and the arts, and is said to have inspired members of the Weather Underground and the Yippies.They were opposed to and resisted on principle any attempt to impose order on the political demonstrations they participated in. Among other things, the Motherfuckers instigated brawls with Maoist groups such as the Progressive Labor Party.
Arrangement
Organized into eight series: I, Aldo Tambelini and Ben Morea in the pre-Black Mask Period; II, Black Mask, 1966-1968; II, Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, 1968-1971; IV, Publications of groups in NY and London connected or relevant to Ben Morea and the Up Against the Wall Motherfucker "affinity groups," 1968-1971; V, Situationist International Correspondence; VI, Rebel Worker (Annotated Issues); VII, Max Blechman: Other Anarchy Related Materials; VIII, Oversize Materials.
Each series is arranged alphabetically, except for series V and VI, which are arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains clippings, fliers, graphic art, periodicals, posters, photographs, programs and other printed ephemera that document Morea and Tambellini's activities both during and before the founding of Black Mask, and the activity of the Motherfuckers. There is also correspondence and other material relating to the Situationist International, several annotated issues of the Rebel Worker (Industrial Workers of the World), and correspondence and other materials created or collected by donor Max Blechman that also pertain to anarchism and its relationship to the arts.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Max Blechman were transferred to New York University in 2010 by Max Blechman. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu. Copyright (and related rights to publicity and privacy) to materials in this collection created by Ben Morea and Aldo Tambellini. . Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Ben Morea and Aldo Tambellini Papers; TAM 530; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Max Blechman in 2010. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 2010.028 and 2010.089.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The often-lengthy folder titles were closely adopted from a detailed inventory provided by Max Blechman.
