Page 33 - Studio International - December 1965

Sculpture returns to Athens

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PHOTOS: ROLAND ESSEN

formulas, rather than investigations of form. In the sprawling pine trees, whose fuzzy, grey-green foliage
long run their importance and influence may be tended to obscure objects and blur edges. To overcome
greater than their traditional contemporaries, but they this difficulty, little open spaces such as the Picasso
belong to an entirely different exhibition. floor, or open plateaux on the hillside were arranged.
It could be argued, of course, that this first exhibition Many of these were adorned with somewhat incon­
should have been devoted to modern Greek sculptors, gruous white-canvas awnings, beneath which small
of whom little is known. Originally it had been decided sculpture was shown on shelves. This solution was far
to include none of them, but the organisers eventually from satisfactory; an abstract Matisse head against the
capitulated to pressure. Even so their choice was Parthenon was decidedly bizarre, and a delightful
nothing short of puzzling, since many fine artists were Daumier figure or a Degas dancer against the pine
excluded and most of those represented extremely dull. leaves invited optical illusion.
Without detailed comment I would, on this viewing, Although I have raised various criticisms of the
select only Theodorus, who was recently awarded the exhibition, I am not unmindful of the enormous effort
Prix Rodin at the Paris Biennale, and Philolaos. made by Tony Spiteris in organizing the Biennale,
Finally, the setting. Ideal as it may have seemed in against great physical and economic difficulties, or the
prospect. the hill proved cumbersome especially real problems which beset the designer George
as the more suitable summit was ruled out by the Condilis. The points raised may well have occurred to
archaeologists. Open-air sculpture displays need open them before their labours ended. It will be interesting
spaces, good vistas, air and freedom of movement. The to see what they have learned when they arrange
Philop,3ppos hill is dry and rough, covered with the second Panathenaia in two years' time. ■
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