Page 20 - Studio International - March 1968

The National sentations have been sent to all international by the National Art Collections Fund, and
exhibitions of note, and an impressive list eleven were Chantrey Purchases. This
Collections of prizes won abroad by living British artists latter group, of which a certain proportion
testifies to the strength of British art in the have to be chosen from the Royal Academy,
international field and to the wisdom of the must be proving as much an embarassment
Council's selections. Prizewinners included as a benefit to the Tate. The painters whose
Alan Davie, Nicholas Gray, David Hackney works the gallery really needs never show
and Henry Moore (Cracow; prints), William at the Academy. At a time when the cellars
Scott (Tokyo; prints and drawings), Anthony of the Tate perforce contain many fine
Caro and Richard Smith (Venice Biennale), paintings, to be obliged to exhibit, for how­
and Francis Bacon (City of Siegen; Rubens ever short a period, paintings of often very
Prize). With Richard Smith's major prize at doubtful merit, must add considerably to
Sao Paolo and a strong selection, in Bridget the very serious problem of overcrowding.
Riley and Phillip King, for the 1968 Venice But presumably, faced witn an annual
Biennale, next year's report should make budget which is ridiculously out of propor­
encouraging reading. tion to the rapid and inexorable rise in the
The Tate Gallery Report for 1966/7 draws pricesofthose paintings-particularly Ameri­
attention to many important points. The can works-which are needed to fill gaps in
The British Council Report for 1966/7 has trustees are rightly proud of the consider­ the Modern Collection, the Tate must feel
been published recently. In the fine arts, able improvement in the holdings of the obliged to welcome whatever comes its
the main event of the year in• question was British Collection and of the rearrangement way, through private, corporate or public
the exhibition of British painting from and redecoration of several of the galleries. generosity, in order not to discourage dona­
Hogarth to Turner which was shown to The Turners have, of course, benefited tions of real value. And the report stresses
enthusiastic receptions in Cologne, Rome, most. The following sentence from the how greatly the gallery depends upon its
Zurich and Warsaw. As the report ·makes Director's report typifies the enlightened private patrons to fill the gaps, at best
clear, 'exhibitions of this scale and quality motives behind these improvements: 'We permanently but more often through loans.
... can only be rare events, for owners are have to seek what is universal in ·a great Among artists of note completely unrepre­
understandably reluctant to lend very often'. artist without losing the meaning that arises sented in the permanent holdings are Male­
The last time the Council was able to organ­ from a specific artistic juncture and a certain vich, Lissitsky, Duchamp, Boccioni, Kirch­
ize such an exhibition was six years ago. A point in time'. In all, eighty-five works were ner, Dali and Gonzalez. □
list of touring exhibitions of modern art acquired during the period under review.
from this country bears witness to the Of these thirty-two were purchased by the
importance of the part played by the Council gallery, thirty-five were gifts from various
in promoting contemporary British art. sources, five were donated by or through
Under the Council's auspices strong repre- the Friends of the Tate, two were donated

Garden Party for Queen Elizabeth, Accra, 1961, one
of the works by Feliks Topolski in an exhibition,
mainly of drawings, at the Grosvenor Gallery, London
�to March 23rd. Topolski, born in Poland just over
sixty years ago, has been an indefatigable recorder.
His Chronicle, first published in 1953, and serialized
in a number of publications abroad, has captured
many of the notable events and people of the suc­
ceeding years.

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