Page 16 - Studio International - March 1966

The Democratization of Art

Comment by Jasia Reichardt

Since the late 1950's it has been particularly When the process of source transformation anyone from adapting to his own use what he
noticeable that art movements have tended was completed on the London scene with sees around him. No amount of copyright
to make what could be best described as JOE TILSON'S hoarding advertisement for regulations could actually prevent a fabrio
`instant history'. The general awareness of Gordon's Gin in Piccadilly Circus, Pop art, it designer from making use of a print by
Pop art and Op art, for instance, is most seemed, reached its logical conclusion; it VASARELY for a fabric if one or two forms or
unlikely to have been due to the cumulative assumed in its outer form the very essence of one or two colours were altered. It would
effect of direct experience of either of these what was generally accepted as being its seem that to succeed in holding an Op art
trends, i.e. the confrontation with the paint- source or point of departure—an item of mass show without encountering one's paintings
ings themselves. The widespread notoriety of media. One could say that the development in the form of dress patterns on the day of
these movements has been put down to the which brought about the popularization of opening would mean painting in secret,
fact that we no longer speculate on the Pop was the facility with which the news delivering the pictures in crates, and doing the
validity of new art forms but accept them about its progress could be charted in the hanging with blinds firmly drawn.
wholesale, uncritically, and with an appetite press, including cultural weeklies, fashion The abuse of the artist's intent, and the
that could readily turn any new manifestation magazines and newspapers, not to mention misconstruction of his pictorial ideas which
into a fashionable one. It seems that the only the art trade press. Pop art was the first art firmly belong within the confines of pictorial
difference between something new and movement to develop social associations with relationships, is the negative aspect of the
something fashionable is the speed with the worlds of Pop music, Pop fashion and Pop democratization of an art idiom. Where the
which its impact penetrates through to the movies, and seemed to be given comparable permission of the artist is not specifically
popular press. publicity treatment. obtained, no matter how marvellous the
Needless to say, this has little or nothing to The democratization of art in which Pop result, the adaptation of someone's ideas to
do with the intention of the artist himself, or played such a prominent part assumed rather another field is difficult to excuse. If this
indeed with the profundity, or lack of it, of a different form with Op art. The term was problem does not arise, however, there is no
the actual works. The extraordinary develop- first used as a title for an article in Life doubt that where the artist's imagination and
ment which has made Pop and Op into Magazine in December 1964, two months use of imagery is allowed to penetrate into the
household names is not actually due, as one before the Responsive Eye exhibition at the vast sphere of commerce and consumer
might imagine, to the lightning acceptance— Museum of Modern Art in New York. As in goods, the results are likely to be very
on the part of the art consumer (those the case of Pop, it was a term adopted, not positive. A tray with a design by Vasarely,
involved and interested) or the general public by the artists involved with making optical scarves with designs by Max Bill and
—of anything that is new or strange, but to an paintings, but by a journalist. Capogrossi, the black and white Op mugs
extraordinary process of democratization of Long before the opening of the Responsive from the `Britain can make it' exhibition at
certain types of art which seem to lend Eye show, fabrics with designs taken directly Woollands, are extremely attractive objects.
themselves to exploitation in other fields. from Op paintings by BRIDGET RILEY and It would be a pity to be so dogmatic about
With Pop art, which was already being JEFFREY STEELE (and without consultation the function of art as to prevent it from
pronounced 'dead' in favour of Op 18 months with the artists involved) were manufactured becoming functional in other spheres.
ago, the basis of its vogue was involved with in America. The opening of the exhibition On my wall hangs a pair of Mondrian pants
the feed-back situation between Mass media was graced by at least as many Op art with suspenders. The colours are fairly
and the art object. Most Pop paintings were garments on the visitors as Op art paintings accurate, although the inclusion of a small
idiosyncratic and imaginative expositions of on the walls. If the term Op is used widely black bow at the top and a label with POP
those banal and common images and ideas today it has nothing to do with the critical PANTS in bold lettering seem to suggest that
which are not only accessible to every film- articles written about the paintings them- the manufacturer did not seem to have much
goer, city-dweller, Tv addict, and consumer selves, but with the extensive variety of Op of an idea as to what sort of sources he was
of manufactured goods, but which constitute art fabrics sold in the shops without so much using. The garment is two things simultan-
a sort of permanent unprovoked barrage of as a subdued reference to the original creators eously—a. nothing less than a crude travesty,
information on our minds and senses. Pop of the image. Whereas the popularization of and b. a rather marvellous amusing object.
art, at last, gave every journalist the Pop was not involved with any problems of Somehow one is bound to have an ambivalent
possibility of relating art to life in terms that morality, the extensive abuse of an artist's attitude to any item that is based on
could be generally understood. Since Pop original idea through its free adaptation to vulgarization, misunderstanding, misappro-
art deals with narrative with a bias towards consumer goods puts Op art into a very priateness, naivety and complete indulgence.
mass media, it was a gift to anyone wishing to ambiguous position. The democratization of art assumes many
put pen to paper in defence of art. There is nothing that can be done to prevent other forms—some infinitely more acceptable

Contributors to this issue

Jasia Reichardt, who contributes a monthly Com- Bryan Robertson, director of the Whitechapel Art Charles S. Spencer writes on art for several journals
ment to Studio International, is assistant director of Gallery, is completing a monograph on Robert and reports on art in Britain for the New York Times.
the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Motherwell. His article is drawn from a notebook,
begun in 1963, on the American painter. Robert Hughes is an Australian critic and writer who
The critic J. P. Hodin, who writes on Kokoschka's The Whitechapel Gallery is holding a retrospective divides his time between England and Italy. He
graphic work, has been a close friend of the artist exhibition of Robert Motherwell's paintings from writes for the Sunday Times and various journals,
for many years. His book, Oskar Kokoschka, the March 16 to March 17. and frequently takes part in radio and television
Artist and his Time: a biographical study, is due to be programmes on the arts.
published this October.

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