Page 16 - Studio International - April 1966

The Ideal Book on Cubisn1

Comment by Jasia Reichardt

Four publishers 1 under the chairmanship of text accompanying the illustrations are the size of Bauhaus by Hans Wingler; and The Thinking Eye
Edward Lucie-Smith met at the ICA in February plates, their quality, binding and general presen­ by Klee. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that most
to discuss some of the problems of art book tation. The text is often treated as an element that of these books were written by artists. None of them
publishing since 1945. This was a polite tourna­ makes the almost self-indulgent desire for colour involve the sort of academic conception which
ment due mainly to the fact that each member of reproductions respectable by giving it a tone of results in the following type of presentation: forty
the panel applied objective and constructive scholarship, culture and information. The writing pages of solid text full of references to footnotes
criticism to his own titles as well as those published is usually read by reviewers in a specifically oblique which are at the very back of the book, as well as
elsewhere. The reasons for the various short­ fashion and probably by one-thirtieth of those .references to plates which are in a separate section
2
comings were readily acknowledged and actually possessing copies of the book. Few to which full captions are also to be found else­
explained-but the audience, who might have complaints are made about books in these cate­ where. The game of turning pages from one part
looked for an opportunity to air grievances about gories, especially if the author is eminent, but one of the book to another that one is required to
colour reproductions, prices, distribution, quality frequently encounters aspiring young art historians indulge in is presumably meant to be indicative of
of texts, were routed when confronted by four who hope one day to be allowed to put matters the reader's determined quest for scholarship and
representatives of the publishing trade who were right and to produce a more authoritative version knowledge. Few readers, certainly among students,
obviously doing their best to serve the public, the of the book already published. Their hopes may or are that determined. No author of such a book
artists, and those specifically in pursuit of art may not be realized-after all, how many eight ever seems to find it necessary to open his disserta­
historical knowledge. or ten guinea books, say on Mondrian, could be on tion with a short definition or description of the
One point of the discussion is specifically worth the market simultaneously? Despite this, what content of the book, or for that matter publish a
mentioning-it involves art book texts. One doubts market research has been done so fa,r seems to glossary of his terms (by the term 'concrete', for
somehow if there is another field or subject where prove that the amount of review copy in square instance, one could mean at least five different sorts
the author would get away with quite such shoddy, inches or lines accorded to two books, on Pop Art of involvements with creative activity-from Arp
uninformed, incomprehensible, and inaccurate for instance, would tend to be more than double to Albers). Also, the notion that seriousness of
pieces of writing. The same lack ofrationale which what would normally be aportioned to a single content would be contradicted through the use of
is the very essence of art seems to be applied to volume on a given subject. Thus the general lively and entertaini ng presentation seems still
writing about it, thereby shrouding those ideas, interest seems to undergo a geometrical progression to be a generally accepted criterion.
historical data, and critical opinion which might as the number of books dealing with one particular Few publishers take into account the art student
conceivably emerge if the subject was treated more theme is increased. Although there is obviously market when publishing a book since most students
analytically and in a wider context. Who is to room for a number of books on one topic in ' rely on libraries for access to art literature. Nor are
blame ? During the ICA discussion, shortage of different price ranges, it does not follow that this there any specific art history text books which
historians and critics who could write suitable would apply to two or more definitive volumes on would comprise the basis of required reading on
texts was mentioned as the main reason responsible one artist, priced over five guineas.• any specific subject. Since there are more than
for this state of affairs. The reasons, however, may Before one can evaluate the text of an art book, 16,000 full-time students in the country, it might be
be far more complex. It seems that the fact that a or the selection of pictures, the volume is seen as well worth while to consider publishing the sort of
text leaves much to be desired has no great an object of which the ingredients consist, as in book on each basic art history subject _which the
influence on the sales, or lack of them, of a parti­ any work of art, of content and formal structure. students would feel they would really very badly
cular book unless the volume is presented as a Where these two interrelate in a completely wish to possess. What sort of a book should this be?
definitive study. Since the majority of art books are satisfactory manner, one is presented with a book With this question in mind I held several seminars
bought as picture books, whether one means the which will be read, re-read, looked at, referred to, with second-year students in Bath Academy of Art,
grand coffee-table variety (seven to fifteen guineas), and coveted. In this category one could include on the theme The Ideal Book on Cubism. Cubism
or the popular large-format thin-spine books, Motherwell's Dada Painters and Poets; Hans was chosen as the subject of this exercise since, as
usually brought out in series (twenty-five shillings Richter's Dada; The Foundations of Modern Art by the most fundamental movement in the histoty of
and under), what seem to count for more than the Ozenfant; Vision in Motion by Moholy-Nagy; Das twentieth-century art, it would obviously form an

Contributors to this issue

Naum Gabo talks about his work is based on discus­ John Ernest, a constructionist and former painter, Among our book reviewers are Michael Sullivan,
sions held with Mr Gabo by Alan Bowness, lecturer in was born In the U.S. in 1922 but has lived in London lecturer in Asian art in the University of London, and
the history of art at the Courtauld Institute, David since 1951. In 1949 he turned to non-figurative paint­ Guy Atkins, lecturer in Bantu languages in the Uni­
Thompson, critic and writer (who contributes an arti­ ing, and in 1954 began making constructions. He has versity of London. Dr Atkins is currently working on a
cle to this issue), and the editor, Peter Townsend. The shown in numerous mixed exhibitions both in the catalogue raisonne of Asger Jorn's work.
text was checked by Naum Gabo. U.K. and abroad, i,:icluding exhibitions at the Stede­
lijk Museum, Amsterdam, Kunstgewerbemuseum, George Savage, a member of the committee of the
Anthony Hill describes himself as a 'plastician' (he Zurich, and the Tate Gallery (Painting and sculpture British Antique Dealers' Association, has written
makes abstract constructions using industrial mater­ of a decade 1964; British sculpture of the 60s 1965). extensively on art and antiques.
ials) and a 'polemicist' (he has been an active prota­ Last year he had one-man shows at the Institute of
gonist for abstract art since 1950, and since 1954 for Conte(Tlporary Arts and the University of Belfast.
Constructive art). He is also interested in applications His writings include articles for Architectural Design, Acknowledgements
of structure. He has published articles in Structure, Structure, and Gazette, and The Introduction to Titian We wish to acknowledge the help of the following in
mathematical periodicals, and other journals, and is (Letchworth Press 1961). Until 1965 he taught at the the preparation of this issue: the publishers Lund
currently editing a symposium, From Painting to Con­ Bath Academy of Art, and now teaches at Chelsea Humphries, London, who allowed us to reprint The
struction, to be published by Faber & Faber. He has School of Art. Realistic Manifesto from Gaba by Herbert Read and
taken part in numerous exhibitions, mostly group/ Leslie Martin (London, 1957) and loaned blocks and
didactic exhibitions of Constructive tendency, in the Charles S. Spencer writes on art for several journals electros for the pl,;1tes on pages 131, 134 to 137; the
U.K., U.S., Israel, and Japan, and on the Continent, and reports on art in Britain for the New York Times, Bollingen Foundation, New York, who provided shells
and teaches at Chelsea School of Art.
Jasia Reichardt, assistant director of the Institute of forthe plates on pages 134, 138 and 139; and Staempfli
Frank Whitford is researching on twentieth-century Contemporary Arts, Edward Lucie-Smith, poet and Gallery, New York, who loaned the block for the colour
painting at the Courtauld Institute-and is also a car­ critic, and Dore Ashton, the American critic and plate on page 156; and the publishers Thames & Hud­
toonist. writer, are regular contributors to Studio Inter­ son, who loaned the photograph for the work reprodu­
national. ced on page 150.
124