Page 66 - Studio International - June 1968

Modern The Friends of the Tate festivities organized gasped at this demonstration of chemical magic.
recently in honour of the French sculptor Cesar
It was the most moving moment of the night, the
Magic at probably opened a new chapter in the history of setting up of a kind of fetishistic communication
this venerable institution. That, anyhow, is what
between the artist and the public. Soon after­
one might have thought looking at the reactions of
wards Cesar invited the public Lo a collective orgy
the Tate the audience at the official evening on March 5. of foam-scratching and -cutting.
'Expansion' has become a classical dimension of
The supporters of modern art in the Tate were
taking part in an action-happening of a new sort. Cesar's present work. These instant sculptures
They were invited to cut into pieces three giant­ must be considered his personal statements on the
size foam drops of plastic resin, in bright yellow, effective power of contemporary technology. They
P Restany blue and red. The spectacle started with a very are also a part of a broader vision of the world, an
impressive chemical process. Three times in act of faith in the new function of the artist in our
succession 60 lb of polyurethane liquid were changing society. The creative artist of today feels
poured on the floor of the Main Gallery and more and more involved in the process of building
crystallized within a short space of time-approxi­ metamorphic situations in close relationship with
mately two minutes. The formally-dressed audience our mass-producing civilization and mass media
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