Page 22 - Studio International - March 1968

Palazzoli and the artists she elevates had heard of then, behind the screen of Miss Palazzoli's dense that the exhibition will betray its purpose if it omits
Pop art and certain, for obvious historical reasons, neo-avantgarde prose, lobby the power-structure of earlier work and ignores the historical sequence:
they had not heard of primary structures. Secondly, the Italian art world and, to the surprise of only the 'One does not lead the way by pointing out the way'.
history, even art history, is not made of such discrete most innocent, succeed in creating local reputations Against his attempt to measure today's work by
and brief periods, and even if this hypothetical choice and powerful protection. standards of timeless validity, Dr Bode, president of
appeared crucial to these artists, to others, including It is enough, however, to take the catalogue of the Documenta, argues that at the present time historical
some of the most interesting at present working in Los Angeles County Museum's 'American Sculpture evaluation is subjective, and objectively can be won
Italy, the problems had somewhat deeper roots and of the '60s' and to tick off the works there as the only through documentation: the exhibition should be
richer alternatives. Thirdly, the formulation of the Italian copies appear, most recently in the ex-Royal 'an experimental museum'.
choice, American-bad and European-good, with a Palace of Naples. Who really wants to know what These disagreements, based very much on personal
sense of smug leftism, in fact masks one of the most goes on, would be advised to ignore the type of opinions, would have received little publicity had they
dangerous and obscene currents among certain operation mounted under the protection of weak puns not been dramatised by two publicly-expressed
young Italian artists, a nee-fascist chauvinism. like Con temp /'azione (rendered incomprehensible in grievances. Dr Schmalenbach, for instance, pointed
A cursory glance at the illustrations reveals little the English version you published), and to visit the out the disadvantages of increasing the size of the
that has not been seen for some long time in America, international show of art since 1950 at the next Venice council from eleven to twenty-six; whereas formerly
and the works of some of the other artists cited but Biennale and to note those Italians who can stand suggestions or proposals raised at council meetings
not illustrated would do very little to change this up to foreign competition. With four Italians to only had to be justified, they are now subject to
impression. One feels, at times, that these people three foreigners on the selection committee no one majority vote. On the surface this seems democratic
take us for ignorant fools when they thumb through can say the dice are loaded against the Italians. enough, but in fact it dispenses with personal
the pages of the international art magazines to find Yours sincerely, responsibility, and judgement can hide behind com­
what euphemism would have me call inspiration, and Toni del Renzio promise and majority decision. The competence of
via Ampera the qualifications of some of the new council mem­
Milan bers has also been queried, as has what appears to
be a weighting of the scales in favour of German
Canadian sculpture representation; these criticisms, taken in conjunction
Sirs, with the readiness of some quarters to carp at the
I would like to correct two misimpressions given by Documenta's £180,000 budget, have brought the
Charles Spencer's commentary on Toronto in your disagreements out into the open.
December 1967 issue.
First: Pool Flower of coloured pvc by N. E. Thing Co. Calder in Cuba
(lain Baxter) was not created for the International
Sculpture Symposium held at Toronto this Summer, Last December the pictures from the Paris Salon de
although it is illustrated with other works which were. Mai were sent back to France from Havana where
Pool Flower was selected for the National Gallery of they had been specially assembled during the sum­
Canada's Centennial exhibition of major Canadian mer for a grande entente culture/le (El Salon de Mayo).
open-air sculpture at Toronto City Hall, of which I Everything has now been returned except for the big
was co-ordinator. Calder mobile which the artist is giving to Cuba. The
Second: I was not 'forced to close my gallery', as mobile was one of the forty works featured in full
Mr Spencer implies, because of an exhibition of colour reproduction on Cuban stamps to celebrate
drawings on the theme of love. The exhibition did the exhibition. Other stamps showed works by
lead to a court case, but that is not why I closed my Alechinsky, Veira da Silva, Alan Davie, Picasso, Mir6,
gallery, which was in no way affected by the case. Labisse and Vasarely.
In 1964 I had converted my entire operation to major
sculpture and graphics. The tremendous cost of Venice Biennale opening
shipping sculpture across the vastness of Canada
proved more than the incipient market would bear, The XXXIV Biennale opens in Venice on June 22. The
'The people ... glory in baiting the painter of genius and I closed for purely financial reasons at the end of 29th International Exhibition of Film Art will run from
and in throwing cold water on fine and well-directed 1965. It should perhaps be explained that I dealt in August 25 to September 7.
enthusiasm. Whistler was for years noticed only that he Canadian art only, hence had no international 'stars'
might be insulted; Manet's name was a b yw ord to boost sales. Today the public interest in Canadian
amongst the young geniuses who refeived instruction sculpture has so vastly increased that if I had waited In brief
at the hands of M. Bouguereau and his fellows; Degas, until now to launch a sculpture showcase I am sure A collection of thirty-three Pop prints by British and
too proud to employ methods of self-advertisement, the results would have been otherwise. American artists, commissioned by Ever-Ready
lived for years unknown; the Pre-Raphaelites passed Sincerely, Personna, has been presented to the Arts Council of
through an ordeal of fire. While all this was going on, Dorothy Cameron Great Britain. The collection, which includes work by
the Derby Day crept into the National Gallery, and Mr Art Consultant d'Arcangelo, Dine, Jones, Laing, Lichtenstein,
Armitage got himself represented there by a sublime Office 400 Phillips, Ramos, Rosenquist, Warhol, Wesley and
work depicting a scene from the Bible. And it is curious 11 Yorkville Avenue Wesselmann, has travelled extensively in the U.K.
to note that with tl1e people Mr Frith's work is the Toronto 5 and on the Continent.
most popular in the Gallery; it is never without its
little crowd of gaping spectators, for it is a common News Camden Arts Festival has organized an exhibition of
scene, commonly observed, commonly painted, and twenty-five artists who reside and work in the London
the painter who can achieve a feat of this kind need Documenta controversy borough. The show-at Central Library, Swiss Cottage,
never be without the pudding of applause.' Robert Kudielka writes; Documenta IV takes place at until March 23-includes work by Anthony Caro,
from 'Of Galleries, National and Provincial', Cassel from June 27 to October 6; the council expect David Annersley, Frank Auerbach, Bernard Meadows,
by C. T. J. Hiatt some 200 artists to take part, and 1,000 works from al I Kim Lin, and William Tucker.
areas of contemporary art will be shown. Contrary to An open air exhibition of sculpture by younger
7 5th anniversary issue the former practice of relating the exhibition's theme British sculptors is to be held in Bristol in May and
to the history of art, Documenta IV wil I show only new June. It has been arranged by the Arnolfini Gallery.
The April issue-which marks the 75th year of publica­ developments since the 1964 Documenta-and their Simultaneously there will be an exhibition of work by
tion of Studio-will include an article by Professor immediate antecedents. 'middle and older generation' sculptors at the Bristol
D. J. Gordon on the magazine's early influence, This change in policy led to strong disagreements, City Art Gallery. Other open air sculpture exhibitions
Lawrence Alloway on 'Experiments in Art and Tech­ culminating in the resignation of Dr Werner Schma­ will be held this summer in Coventry and the City of
nology' and the first Supplement on Graphic Design. lenbach from the Council. DrSchmalenbach believes London.
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