Authors of such books as the Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists (published by Abbeville in 1990), The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art (published by Northland Publishing in 1994), and Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector's Guide (published by Abbeville in 1996), Chuck and Jan Rosenak donated their extensive research files?including letters, more than 1,000 photographs of artists, printed material and tape-recorded interviews?to the Archives of American Art in 1998.
The collection documents the Rosenak's research and collecting trips in the United States, often to isolated locales, in pursuit of new art and insights for their writing projects. It is of enormous interest to the growing number of students in this field.
Like his self-taught subjects, Chuck Rosenak has no formal education in photography. He learned by doing and picked up tips along the way from professionals photographers. His photographs not only document the artist in his or her environment but provide a window to the soul. In an oral history interview with Chuck and Jan Rosenak for the Archives of American Art, Chuck said, ?What I want is to catch something in an artist?s expression, his or her eyes, and face, that tell something about the artist...and that?s what I want for my own personal preference.?
To learn more about this collection, read the collection description: Chuck and Jan Rosenak research material, ca. 1987-1998.