Matter, Mercedes, 1913-2001

Variant names

Hide Profile

Biography / Administrative History

R. Buckminster Fuller conceived the World Game as an interactive role-playing experience that would teach participants to organize, revitalize and distribute depleted world resources. Relying on computers to provide raw data, players work non-competitively to allocate the earth?s natural capital worldwide, scoring points through efficient management. If cooperation degenerates into competition, the first step towards war, the game is lost. This archive documents the preparations for and execution of the inaugural World Game at the New York Studio School in 1969, which became a prototypical rehearsal for its 1971 appearance at the University of Southern Illinois. Born in Engelberg, Switzerland, Herbert Matter is best known for his international contributions in photography, photomontage, and graphic design work. Matter was also a filmmaker, exhibition designer, and professor. He came to the United States in 1936 and began work as a freelance photographer for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue magazines and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and created displays for the Swiss and Corning Glass Pavilions for the 1939 World's Fair. He also directed, filmed, and edited Works of Calder in 1950 for the Museum of Modern Art, the first color film to show Alexander Calder's sculptures. While maintaining countless assignments, he introduced the first photography classes offered at Yale University where he taught until 1976. In 1943, Herbert married Mercedes de Cordoba and in 1964 she founded the New York Studio School of Painting and Sculpture (the Studio School). When the 1967 Montreal World?s Fair rejected R. Buckminster Fuller?s proposal to have the World Game played at the fair, Herbert and Mercedes offered to host him at the Studio School and offered the school?s student population for the inaugural World Game. Other related collections at Stanford University researchers should investigate would be the R. Buckminster Fuller papers (M1090) and the Herbert Matter papers (M1446).

From the guide to the Buckminster Fuller's World Game: archive of original graphic art, film, video and audio media, manuscript material, and correspondence, from the files of Herbert and Mercedes Matter, ca. 1965-1980, 1965-1980, (Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Buckminster Fuller's World Game : film, video and audio media, circa 1968-1980. Stanford university libraries
referencedIn Matter, Herbert, 1907-1984. Herbert Matter papers, circa 1937-1984. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Vaclav Vytlacil papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Robert Richenburg papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983. Buckminster Fuller's World Game : archive of original graphic art, film, video and audio media, manuscript material, and correspondence, from the files of Herbert and Mercedes Matter, circa 1965-1980. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Matter, Herbert, 1907-1984. R. Buckminster Fuller materials from Herbert Matter, circa 1960-1969 and undated. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Matter, Mercedes : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf MATTER, MERCEDES. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
referencedIn R. Buckminster Fuller Papers Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Grace Hartigan Papers, 1942-2006 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Buckminster Fuller's World Game: archive of original graphic art, film, video and audio media, manuscript material, and correspondence, from the files of Herbert and Mercedes Matter, ca. 1965-1980, 1965-1980 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Herbert Matter papers, ca. 1937-1984 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Charles Cajori papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner papers Archives of American Art
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Oral history interview with George McNeil Archives of American Art
Relation Name
associatedWith Cajori, Charles person
associatedWith Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983 person
associatedWith Hartigan, Grace. person
associatedWith Matter, Herbert, 1907-1984. person
associatedWith McNeil, George, 1908- person
associatedWith Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956 person
associatedWith Richenburg, Robert person
associatedWith Vytlacil, Vaclav person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Occupation
Collector
Activity

Person

Birth 1913

Death 2001

Female

Americans

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63f61pw

Ark ID: w63f61pw

SNAC ID: 44667882