Page 15 - Studio International - July 1966

The New Generation

by Patrick Procktor
Studio International invited Patrick Procktor, one of the participants in the 1964 New Generation exhibition
at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, to look at the work of the thirteen artists represented in this year's
exhibition (June 22—July 31). The magazine had gone to press before the opening of the show, and the
following notes are based on recent visits paid by Patrick Procktor to the studios of the artists.

May 20 of tone, like semi-precious jewels. Around yellow 3, has
CENTRAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS Four artists. A a similar though lighter beauty, appealing particularly to
group, not a GROUP. They all happen to be final-year the very refined myopic business-man who is in all of
students there. Only one, Colin Cina, exhibited in this us a little. Viking's delight, his two-sided free-standing
year's Young Contemporaries. We talk about that. I say I perspex painting, I admire less, it's less seductive, perhaps
think the Young Contemporaries has gone off in the last two more courageous, but not in a way I care to understand.
or three years, even allowing for the natural prejudice on Knighton Hosking has two paintings of folded doors,
my part of creeping age and general remoteness from the one real painted folding door and a painting of the top
art schools' arena. At the same time the New Generation of a beaker. The scale huge, and, like Richard Smith,
exhibitions both '64 and '65 attracted wide attention. simplified in structure, but unlike him, altered, and un-
Setting a higher standard, they have taken away from like him, almost no colour, mostly black, white, and silver.
the Young Contemporaries the reputation as a showcase for Roger Barnard's are fair examples of optical paint-
new talent. The average age in this year's New Generation ings, the most recent one moving towards something less
is lower and the average degree of exposure, the mathematically regular. Where?
amount the artists have been shown to the public, less Roger Brace's paintings have bright non-objective
Left than before. These four artists are of the same age, for structures with a 'figurative element' slithering across. I
Colin Cina example, as a few years ago would have been those hate that term but there's no more specific way to describe
Around yellow 3 1965
Oil on canvas showing in the Young Contemporaries. It must be added it. Actually there are two elements, one big and bosomy
84 x 84 in. that the structure of both exhibitions is different: the and leggy, the other ? —yes, wriggly long and thin. Sex,
Young Contemporaries comprehensive, though- it was never regular sex, in fact it wouldn't matter what kind of sex,
Right
Knighton Hosking sufficiently so; the New Generation highly selective. I'd prefer more sensuality.
Splen-door 1 1966 Colin Cina's Vivarium has a deep velvety background, I leave feeling like a kind of one-man art Juke Box Jury.
Oil and aluminium paint on the colour of uncooked calves' liver; against this —little You know the 'There are so many records like this, all
canvas
108 x 84 in. unspecified organisms wriggling about in close harmonies the same' remark—this is how I feel about these paintings.