SCA opens new Dennis Hopper exhibit


The recently acquired Dennis Hopper exhibit, “Part of Being an Artist: The Dennis Hopper Collection, Selected Artwork and Ephemera”, opened at the School of Cinematic Arts on Tuesday. The exhibit is currently open exclusively to USC students, faculty and staff, but will be open to the public Oct. 10 through Nov. 26.

The exhibit contains photographs, scripts and other memorabilia commemorating Hopper’s work as an actor, director and photographer. The main features of the exhibit are two large photographs of Andy Warhol and his work from Hopper’s collection, “The Lost Album”. Also on display is the Louisville Slugger baseball bat that was made personally for Hopper.

The photographs on display were taken between 1961 and 1967 during Hopper’s most prolific period. Steve Hanson, head librarian of the Cinematic Arts Library, is a co-curator of the exhibit. Hanson said the Hopper exhibit has “a touch of everything.”

“He took photos of everything. That was his thing,” he said.

Hopper’s life is documented through his work in both the film and music industries. According to Hanson, Hopper’s career as a director began based on the advice of James Dean. Dean, Paul Newman and John Wayne were all friends of Hopper and can be seen in some of the photographs on display.

“The circle of friends he had was amazing, from all walks of life,” Hanson said.

The Hopper exhibit was acquired by USC from the Hopper Art Trust, which distributes the artist’s work throughout the world. Initially, the collection started with various movie scripts, VHS tapes and books. It has grown to its current size with the help of Hopper’s daughter, Marin, and Steve Hanson’s co-curators, Taylor Livingston and Sandra Garcia-Meyers.

“It’s sort of like a family thing. Anything that someone donates to us, we work with,” Hanson said.

Pieces of Hopper’s collections have previously been on display in the Gagosian Gallery in New York and the Museo Picasso in Málaga, Spain. This is the first time a Hopper collection has been on display in Los Angeles since 2010.

SCA is working in collaboration with Visions and Voices to honor Dennis Hopper. Easy Rider, a film Hopper both directed and acted in, will be screened on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. by Visions and Voices, which will also be showing another Hopper film, The Last Movie, on Nov. 14. After the screenings, panel discussions with some of Hopper’s colleagues will be held.

In March 2010, Dennis Hopper was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He passed away two months later in Venice, California, after a 55-year career in the film industry.