Page 26 - Studio International - October 1967

the purpose of discussing facts and feelings arising such a market ever existed at all. There are compara- arts' system are the ones who visit museums and
out of the polytechnic scheme. It became clear that to tively few art galleries in London and of those present- galleries regularly and are the ones who buy works of
bulldoze every art college in the country into a ly existing many will undoubtedly find it more difficult art.
polytechnic college was unsound policy. Different to endure. The artist cannot thrive in such an environ- In my opinion the Polytechnics can be seen as a step
places had obviously different needs, quite apart from ment and in most cases must turn to other jobs to in the right direction of the 'liberal articizing' of the
the fact that uniformity in colleges would inevitably supplement his income. Although teaching positions British system of higher education. In these schools
arise from such action, in place of a more varied and are becoming hard to secure, these are the jobs the art student and the science student would be able
individually developed college 'personality'. most artists desire in order to survive. The pedagogue/ to work in a wider and more rewarding environment
It was expressed at this meeting, which unanimously artist is common both in America and in England yet and the interchange of ideas would be facilitated.
opposed the scheme, that aside from the considerably the American painter or sculptor sees this position The science students would benefit by having an
doubtful economics of the plan (which is its prime as an infringement on his freedom as an artist, and opportunity to be exposed to art and their enlighten-
reason for being), the educational advantages could one cannot disagree that the painter or sculptor must ment would ultimately benefit the students of art.
just as well be derived from more informal links with subordinate his role as an artist while in an educating With such forces as light, movement and sound
other colleges, perhaps in the form of federations, situation. becoming integral parts of the tools of the artist,
which in some cases are already in the process of The British lack of interest in art is a result of the increased technological devices and a highly skilled
developing, and thus preserve academic autonomy. existing educational system. When someone comple- technical staff will be needed by the art departments.
Yours, etc., tes his public or preparatory school training he goes The Polytechnics will hopefully be able to provide
Marc Vaux directly to an institute of higher education and begins this machinery.
Hornsey College of Art, to specialize. The course of advanced education that Of course, the art student will meet with dis-
London. he wishes to follow must be defined at this interval, advantages in the Polytechnic situation, such as a
for one does not have the opportunity to dabble in lack of research facilities and perhaps a loss of auto-
different fields while objectives are maturing. There- nomy; but I feel that the benefits that would be
Dear Sir, fore, for example, if he decides to enter into a scienti- derived when the student leaves such an institute and
As an American art student I would like to comment fic programme of higher education his orientation the possibilities of what the Polytechnics could lead
upon Elma Askham and Harry Thubron's article from then on would be solely a scientific one and it is to far outweigh the adverse possibilities. Since the
'The Case for Polytechnics'. Although the amalgama- not likely that this student would come into contact Polytechnics have the ability to stimulate an interest
tion of schools specializing in different types of train- with the arts in his restricted academic environment in art on the part of science students, the environment
ing is a radical departure from Britain's traditional without conscious effort. into which all the students will ultimately emerge will
method of education, I feel that those artists and If one looks at the similar situation in the United certainly be more beneficial than the presently
students taking the view against Polytechnics have States one sees an astonishing difference. Interest in existing one. The galleries and museums of the next
only considered the immediate effects of such a the arts has never been as strong as it is at the present decade will be visited by many more people, a large
system and have failed to see the long-range benefits time. Presently there are over 300 galleries in New proportion of whom would not have been exposed to
that could be derived from a situation similar in York City, 140 of which specialize in and show modern art in the pre-Polytechnic situation. And, with this
theory to that put forth in the White Paper Plan for art. How does this compare with London where there increased interest in art, when the art student is out
Polytechnics and Other Colleges. is not even one 'genuine' modern art museum ? In New on his own, there will be more galleries in which he
The obvious lack of widespread genuine (or super- York the number of collectors is rising and a new can show paintings and sculpture and more interested
ficial) interest in art in the United Kingdom is a fact breed of collector is common— recent college people to buy his work, giving him the freedom that is
one need not emphasize. The market for paintings, graduates and the generation of younger people so important to the artist.
sculpture, etc., is small and one wonders whether under thirty. There is no doubt that the artist can Yours sincerely,
quite definitely sell more work in the United States. Andrea Katz
This widespread American interest in art can be Bennington College,
accredited to a very great extent to the advent of the Bennington,
American 'liberal arts' college. After a student Vermont,
finishes his preliminary high school training he does U.S.A.
not immediately begin to specialize but instead
attends this undergraduate 'liberal arts' level of
education. During the first two years of a 'liberal arts' ROSC exhibition in Dublin
education one pursues an 'echantillonnage' of
A major international exhibition, entitled `Rosc' (`The
subjects, thereby coming into contact with diverse
Poetry of Vision'), opens in Dublin on November 14
orientations. Underthis system the would-be engineer,
and continues to the end of the year. It is Government-
for example, would probably take an introductory art
supported.
history course during his first year and might perhaps
The works to be shown have been chosen by James
follow it up with other art courses throughout his
Johnson Sweeney, Prof. Jean Leymarie and Dr
college career. This interdependency of art and
Willem Sandberg, and comprise 150 paintings by
science is creditable on this level of education, for it
fifty living artists. Among those whose work has been
enables the student who is not interested in art as a
chosen are Agam, Bacon, Bontecou, Davie, De
career to become semi-involved in it by having studio
Kooning, Dubuffet, Johns, Lichtenstein, Martin, New-
and art history courses at his disposal. Even more
man, Nicholson, Noland, Shinoda, Soto, Tapies,
important, he is able to become acquainted with the Uecker and Vasarely. The exhibition is being held at
more serious art students and will have an opportunity
the Royal Dublin Society.
to be artistically stimulated by those of his contempo-
It is proposed to hold a similar international exhibi-
raries who are involved in art as their major field.
tion in Dublin every fourth year.
Communication between students involved in art and
those in science becomes less difficult and more
Mr Sickert proves that he understands how to give natural and the cleavage between the two becomes Editions Multi-Swiss
historical quality to a modern subject. His portrait of less clearly defined. By the time the science student
Mr Bradlaugh at the bar of the House of Commons- begins to specialize (this is usually done on the Prototypes for the first Edition Multi-Swiss are being
No. 8-though painted from a photograph (as the graduate level) he has had sufficient chance to inte- exhibited at the Kunsthaus, Zürich, this October. The
catalogue pardonably boasts), and though all of a grate art subjects into his curriculum. This situation Editions, a series of fifteen serial pieces, were con-
dirty, waxy, messy, blacky, browny-green, is a digni- produces a well-balanced individual who can con- ceived as a 'ready-made' exhibition by Christian
fied and even a pathetic picture, and ought to belong verse intelligently not only about subjects directly Megert, the Bernese constructivist—the different
to the nation. related to his major field but also about those new- works will fit into one huge box for despatch to a
From a review of the New English Art Club found various interests that are assimilated into his museum or gallery. At present one prototype by each
exhibition at the Dudley Gallery total being. The students coming out of this 'liberal of thirty artists is on view.
132