Page 60 - Studio International - August 1965

New books

Anthea Alley shop in St. James·s. all are described in lived in Spain and Morocco where he·
Spatial Form 1962/63 selective detail that conveys a record of went in 1941 from Germany. He was born
Welded brass. 13¼ x 11 X 11 ¾ in.
Tate Gallery the history of Great Britain in the sense in 1 91 5 in Dantzig and studied in Berlin
From 'British Sculpture since 1945' that the major news events or city gossip where the spirit of Dada infected him.
are reflected in Gillray·s etchings. Napo­ From 1945. with his wife he opened
leon. political and royal scandals. those galleries in Spain and began a school. He
and other topics are the subject of the created a following of artists and writers.
works reproduced. most of which exist an experience he repeated in Mexico
in the British Museum though the author where he opened an experimental museum
has an excellent selection of the drawings. 'El Eco· that was decorated by an enor­
While colour would have heightened the mous mural by Henry Moore. From wood
value of some of the reproductions. since carvings. 'clouages· (nail reliefs). bronzes
Gillray was not a 'black and white· he moves on to stained glass such as a
artist. the book is automatically the monochrome window for Mexico's
standard work henceforth. Cathedral. Though translated sometimes
inaccurately. the biography of one of
Bonnard and his environment Mexico's most dynamic sculptors makes
Texts by James Thrall Soby. James Elliott fascinating reading; the illustrations and
and Monroe Wheeler. 9¾ by 8¾ in. 116 pp. bibliography augment the documentation
The Early works of J.M. W. Turner 107 illus1rations (41 in colour). (New of an artist of whom much more will be
By Mary Chamot. 6¾ by 6� in. 48 pp. 31 York: Museum of Modern Art) $7.50 heard.
plates. 9 in colour. (London: W. H. Allen) 60s.
The Later works of J. M. W. Turner This handsomely produced book. in the Decorative Arts of Japan
By Martin Butltn. 6¾ by 6i in. 48 pp. 31 now well-known style of the Museum of General Editor: Chisaburoh F. Yamada.
plates. 9 ,n colour. Modern Art. New York. is the catalogue 13¾ by 10½ in. 262 pp. (London: Ward
British Sculpture since 1945 for the exhibition of the paintings. draw­ Lock& Co. Ltd.) £11 11s.
By Dennis Farr. 6¾ by 6¾ in. 40 pp. 32 ings and prints by the French Nabi Several years have passed since I first
monochrome plates. (London: Tate Gal­ painter. which showed at the Museum. predicted in The Studio the present revival
lery) 5s. each. at the Art Institute. Chicago and at the of interest in Japanese art. Since that time
On Turner's death nearly 300 oil paintings Los Angeles County Museum of Art from a number of books have been published
from his studio entered the national col­ October of last year to May of 1965. For on the subject. and emphasis has shifted
lection. Most of these paintings are now the reader unable to see this splendid to Japanese taste instead of European
in the Tate Gallery. First two titles in a retrospective it provides an addition to his commercial demands which the few
series of miniature books published by the library that is a more than adequate sub­ earlier works were apt to consider the
Tate are devoted to reproducing some of stitute. For the quality of the reproductions most important aspect.
the best works from the oeuvre of England's no less than the evocative spirit of the The present work has been written by
greatest artist who. it is now recognised. texts by the three distinguished writers a number of Japanese specialists of whom
was in advance of his time. Texts by brings out the individual essence of this the best known in Europe is perhaps
members of the staff deal succinctly with artist who for some unknown reason Fujio Koyama. responsible for the section
the career of the artist of which the suffered a strange neglect in the U.S.A. on ceramics.
paintings illustrate crucial achievements. between the wars. His almost timid To those unacquainted with Japanese
The book on British sculpture by Dennis attitude towards his own art which never­ skill in the art of reproduction in colour.
Farr emphasises the importance of post­ theless was ·cooked' with subtle certainty the plates (over a hundred) will seem
war achievements in the field in which in the end has made him seem almost at surprisi11gly good, and the colours are
the Tate has been appreciative by adding odds with the aggressive individuality of extremely faithful to the originals.
fine examples of the artists' production. present-day artists. Yet Bennard was an Prefaced by a short introduction to
Moore. Hepworth. Armitage. Chadwick. artist loved by artists who at first could see Japanese decorative art as a whole. each
Paolozzi. Robert Adams. Kenneth Martin. little merit in his work; Renoir and of the following plates has a long. informa­
John Hoskin. Laurence Burt and John Matisse both adrnired him and it is easy to tive caption summarizing very adequately
Wragg with fifteen others are represented see why. Bibliography and biographical the progress of the arts of ceramics. metal­
by typical works. Compact little volumes comment complete a book that recom­ work. lacquer. and textiles which. in
that have good quality presswork and mends itself to art lovers without effort. Japan. are accorded more or less equal
photograrihs with informative texts. status with sculpture and painting. Some
Mathias Goeritz of the information is startling. For instance.
Mr. Gillray The Caricaturist By Olivia Zuniga. English translauon by specimens of Jomon pottery-a variety
By Draper Hill. 10 by 7 in. viii & 266 pp. Sonia Levy-Spira. 9 13 by 7 in. 212 pp. which. u11til a few years ago. I had never
147 ii/us. (London: Phaidon Press) 40s. 179 plates. (New York: Wittenborn & Co.) even seen. and which is still extremely
Gillray was one of the most renowned 7. rare in Europe-prove to date back to
caricaturists of his day though his reputa­ In 1958 at the entrance to Satellite City, 7.000 B.C. by the radio-carbon test. This
tion suffered a decline soon after his Mexico. five towers were completed in is slightly older than the pottery of the
death. A contemporary of both Rowland­ reinforced concrete. triangular in section. Near Eastern sites at Jericho and Catal
son and Isaac Cruikshank. his attacks on and varying between 1 35 and 190 feet Huyuk. and it makes the earliest Jamon
George Ill. Queen Charlotte and the Prince high. Three were planned to be coloured pottery tl1e oldest in the world.
of Wales now seem crude as well as cruel white V'Jith one in yellow and another a Not the IAast interesting aspect of the
but for the temper of the time they were bright oranye. though in the event the present work is the difference in emphasis
immediate and effective as well as being colour of one was changed. One of the placed on a variety of objects by Eastern
conceived with a great deal of calculated most important works of modern sculp­ and Western scholars. and to read it is
design. Draper Hill. who is himself an ture. they are the creation of Mathias essential to a balanced view of Japanese
American cartoonist. has spent several Goeritz in collaboration with architect art. This book is not only a repertory of
years on this work and its completeness Luis Barragan. This artist. who is almost illustrations of remarkable quality. but it
is beyond question. Gillray·s childhood. unknown in England (though he has will serve as an authoritative and readable
his training. his published work. his promised to make a new work specially introduction to the whole subject. of
relationship with Mrs. Humphrey who for exhibition at Signals Gallery. London). which much more remains to be learned
published his prints and sold them at her went to Mexico in 1950 after having in the West. GEORGE SAVAGE ■

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