Page 64 - Studio International - December 1967

ROSC Among works on
exhibition in ROSC:

Left
J-R. Soto
Curvas immateria!es
Courtesy: C. Gordon
The first Irish quadrenial, ROSC, opened in the Lambert, Dublin
Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, on November 14. It
continues until December 31. The exhibition consists Centre
of some 150 pictures by 50 living artists, all painted in Mary Martin
the last four years, and selected by a three-man Jury: Inversions 1966
Professor Jean Leymarie of the University of Geneva; polished aluminium,
Dr Willem Sandberg, formerly director of the Stede- hardboard, wood, on
1 ijk Museum and now chairman of the executive com­ black-painted wood
mittee of the new Israel Museum in Jerusalem; and support, (5 panels)
Mr James Johnson Sweeney, director of the Houston
Museum of Fine Arts, Texas, who acted as chairman Bottom left
of the jury. Alechinsky
The exhibition includes a number of British and Oans /'arbre 1967
American artists-Francis Bacon, Lee Bontecou, ink
Alan Davie, Jim Dine, Sam Francis, Robert Indiana, 60½ X 96½ in.
Mary Martin, John Latham, Victor Pasmore, Mark
Tobey and others-and artists from a number of other
countries. Two Japanese artists are represented­ Bottom right
Tako Shinoda
Okada and Shinoda.
Describing the way in which the exhibitors were Genji 1967
chosen, Mr Sweeney said: ink
'When an exhibition of international contemporary 24 X 36 in.
art was being considered, it was natural to look at the
patterns and performances of the two best-known
exhibitions in the same field, the Venice Biennale and
the Bienal of Sao Paulo. And the report from those
familiar with these displays was that both had come
to be seriously handicapped in their efforts lo provide
a stimulating panorama of contemporary art by these
three main features:
'1. the emphasis on nationalist interests through the
national nomination of exhibits and their grouping in
the exhibition in national sections;
'2. the tendency of the jury to be influenced by
nationalist prejudices and a consequent involve­
ment in political intrigue in the selection of awards;
'and 3. the lack of first-quality work to support an
exhibition of this character every four years, or
annually when the two exhibitions draw in great part
on practically the same resources.'
The jury was therefore asked to choose work not as
'the best', but as work which appealed aesthetically
to their three individual tastes. For inclusion, how­
ever, an artist had to be a unanimous jury choice.

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