Page 15 - Studio International - August 1965
P. 15

Editorial






                                    Recently a storm in une tasse du the has blown up over  Marzotto  Prize winners, as was Corneille and Wilfredo
                                    the  refusal  of  the  Musee  National  d'Art  Mod'erne  in   Lam,  do not and in fact cannot flourish purely on the
                                    Paris to house the exhibition of entries for the Marzotto  local  fame  that  attaches  to  him  as  an  artist  of  one
                                    European  Community  Prize for  Painting,  an exhibition  country.  He has an active  New York dealer and in this
                                    which had already been seen at Valdagno.  Italy, where  it is possible that some of the French rancour is seated.
                                    the  prizes  were  awarded,  then  at  the  Staatliche  Time  was  when  the  streets  on the  Left  Bank  in  Paris
                                    Kunsthalle. Baden-Baden, the Whitechapel Art Gallery,   echoed  to  the  twanging  voices  of  Middle  Western
                                    London. the  Louisiana  Museum.  Copenhagen. and the  collectors  searching  Europe  for  modern  masterpieces.
                                    Stedelijk  Museum.  Amsterdam.  Apparently  Mr.  Jean  Then  French  dealers  such  as  Rosenberg,  Matisse,
                                    Cassou,  who  was  a member of the jury awarding  the  Wildenstein, decided  it was not good enough to await
                                    Marzotto  Prize  and  is  also  Director  of  the  Musee  the  visitors;  they opened establishments in  New York
                                    National  d'Art  Moderne  in  Paris.  had  agreed  to  the  and the export business was done on the spot.  That it
                                    dates of the exhibition but following the award of the  was logically successful can be proved by the case of
                                    prizes wrote to the organisers saying that the exhibition.   Martial Raysse. a French artist, showing with Alexandre
                                    since it did not include the work of any prize winners  lolas.  His New York exhibition was such a sell-out that
                                    who  were  of  French  nationality  or  of  the  School  of  the  gallery's  Paris  branch  was  worried  that  the
                                    Paris.  would constitute a rebuff to  France and he had  exhibition  advertised  to  follow  there  would  not  be
                                    been  instructed  by  the  Minister  of  State  for  Cultural  possible without carrying only loaned works.
                                    Affairs  (Mr.  Andre  Malraux)  not  to  present  the   The  international  art  exhibition  has  become  an
                                    exhibition.  Despite  representations  to  the  Minister  by  established feature of the present day scene and while
                                    the  Marzotto  Prize  Organisation,  the decision was not  one  can  take  exception  to  the  operation  of juries.  by
                                    rescinded. although the show did go on-at the Galerie  and large the hanging together of the works by artists of
                                    Raymond Creuze.  Paris.                           most  nations  provides  a  possibility  of  comparison
                                     While  one  may  sympathise  with  Mr.  Cassou  on  the  which.  after all,  is the  keystone  of taste.  The biennial
                                    embarrassment  caused  to  him  by  the  decision  of  the  exhibitions  at  Venice,  Sao  Paulo  and  Paris  are  now
                                    Minister.  it  is  worth  while  considering  if  the  decision  secure in their support from the contributing countries;
                                    has produced any valid result beyond proving that the  the  organisation  is  based  on  the  internationality
                                    French are becoming unduly sensitive to any reflection  mentioned  above.  The  dangers  and  the  faults  of  jury
                                    that all is not well in Paris as an artistic nursery in which  votes are or should be accepted by everyone involved.
                                    genius  in  painting,  sculpture  and  the  allied  arts  must   Nothing  is  perfect  in  the  decisions  of  majorities  that
                                    thrive  and  succeed.  This sensitivity has in  fact drawn  must  by  such  decisions  create  minorities.  Corporate
                                    attention to itself in a particularly petty fashion such as  verdicts  are  no  more  than  the  luck  of  the  draw  that
                                    the  mounting  of  the  exhibition  itself  as  originally  decides how many will be more of one way of thought
                                    agreed would not have done. despite the excuses of the  than  the  other.  Patriotism  is  not enough,  as was  said
                                    authorities.                                      in a more tragic context, and the balancing vote should
                                     France. after all, is the second home of all artists as has  be cast to quality.
                                    been said frequently but as a second home it does not   Count  Paolo  Marzotto,  President  of  the  European
                                    as  of  right  confer nationality  on  the  artist living  and  Community  Prize  that  bears  his  name,  has  thought  it
                                    working  there.  Picasso,  to  take  the  arch-example,  is  right to circulate the facts regarding the refusal of the
                                    none the less Spanish for all the years he has spent in   French authorities to honour an agreement to show the
                                    France-and given a  change of political  regime in his  paintings at the Musee National d'Art Moderne. This is
                                    native  country  he  would  as  likely  as  not  make  his  in fact the second occasion when the French authorities
                                    home there once again, for the bull fights, if for nothing  have  refused  to  house  the  exhibition  in  a  national
                                    else.  Recent events have also proved that Paris is losing  museum  after  previously  agreeing  to  do  so.  The  first
                                    some of its attraction for artists to live and work in  vis  occasion was in 1963 when they requested the removal
                                    a  vis  the  increasing  facilities  and  more  sympathetic  of  a  painting  by  Matta  from the  exhibition  as a  con­
                                    atmosphere  that  are  growing  in  other  countries.  dition of housing it.  Since Matta was the  Grand  Prize
                                    England and particularly London is proving that the old  winner,  the organisers could not accept the condition
                                    attitude of non-sympathy with the artist is passing and  and certainly  no  one  can blame  them.
                                    that a painter can live and work as cheaply in England   As was said before, it was a storm in a tea cup. Looking
                                    as in Paris and, what is more encouraging can have the  at the leaves in a cup some people profess themselves
                                    possibility of an exhibition at one of the hundred or so  capable  of  telling  fortunes.  We could not claim  to  do
                                    galleries now open.                               so  but  a  prediction  could  be  fairly  safely  made.  The
                                     For better and worse,  the  war  and the  Nazi  pogrom  Marzotto Prize will continue; for the hungry eyes of the
                                    brought  to  England  a  number  of  very  talented  and  gallery-going public it will be welcome;  the  jury will
                                    cultivated  people.  But  from  their  suffering  the  British  continue-to be condemned by the unsuccessful and
                                    artistic community benefited.  Galleries were opened­  blessed by the fortunate. Art will continue, such as it is
                                    the  Marlborough,  Roland,  Browse  and  Delbanco.  -and. if we cannot see it, how good or how bad can
                                    Gimpel Fils, the Hanover, the Molton are the chief ones  we say it is?  Or how wrong the judgment of the jury
                                    -where  a  European  background  established  a  yard­  can be,  even if it does not give the  palm to a  French
                                    stick for the  promotion and selling of work by British  painter?                                ■
                                    artists on an  international  scale.  Since the  end of  the
                                    war.  if one thing has been made manifestly  clear it is
                                    that art exists in an internationality never known before,
                                    a condition upon which it depends for its survival and
                                    to which  it contributes its  own  value  of freedom and
            Studio  International
            Volume  CLXX  No.  868   equalisation of exchange.
            August,  1965            Artists  such  as  Pol  Bury,  for  example.  one  of  the
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