Page 48 - Studio International - March 1968

LONDON or a well designed book of poems. And in the area art schools are channelling-off not only those who
between the two there are some beautifully are destined to be artists or designers but also those
commentary by printed poster-poems, many of them produced on who wish to write poetry or play music or are
Charles Harrison the Fulham Gallery's own press. Inevitably much otherwise unsuited to a slot in the usual English
of what is on view is chichi, modish or just plain educational structure? Certainly the foundation
bad, but where so many tastes are catered for there courses labour under a high proportion of students
is a greater pleasure and profit in exercising one's who come as drop-outs from this structure. In the
own. I'm predisposed towards Adrian Henri for Young Contemporaries exhibition, this year at the
the delight I take in his poems—affectionate, ROYAL INSTITUTE GALLERIES, one of the most
kaleidoscopic and smart as iodine—so the two remarkable features of the exhibition and the per-
Mixed shows at the Lisson and Fulham paintings of his at the Fulham Gallery, an iced formances associated with it was the excellence of
Galleries; the Young Contemporaries at bun and a pineapple slice each floating on a white the music. In a programme of films which varied
the Royal Institute Galleries; Four Young canvas, I viewed with wholehearted enjoyment. from the banal to the brilliant the most consistently
Painters at the South London Art Gallery. And I suspect that was the spirit in which they satisfactory element was the background music.
were painted; a pleasure recaptured; an updating Jacob's Ladder, a group from Ravensbourne
of sensibilities: 'And Marcel Proust in the Kar- College of Art, produced a music/dance/projection
domah eating Madeleine butties dipped in tea'. act on the opening night which was exciting to
Several centrally-placed galleries in London have Henri and his fellow Liverpudlians are the ones every sense in every sense. There was something
recently been, or are, in considerable difficulties. who got the ginger beer back into Pop. At a modest very other-worldly and sad about the spectacle of
It is therefore a real pleasure to be able to record two-figure price the iced bun looks a bargain. some two to three hundred vacant and unshaven
that outside the West End several small galleries are A poster-poem by Adrian Henri is among the faces watching motionless, impassive and isolated
flourishing, and that their number appears to be Fulham Gallery's projects for the near future, and as three barely clad dancers writhed and gyrated
increasing. The LISSON GALLERY, opened last collaborators on other broadsides will include against a wall of noise. If there was any painting or
autumn near Marylebone station, has been the Mark Boyle and Edward Lucie-Smith, Sandra sculpture from Ravensbourne that was half as
scene of some interesting and ambitious exhibi- Blow and Lucie-Smith, and Peter Blake and John exciting, I certainly didn't see it. Jacob's Ladder
tions and provides a good jumping-off point both Betjeman (a marriage surely made in some stained- was listed in the catalogue as item No. 4 under the
for young artists and for modestly endowed col- glass heaven). If Alan Ginsberg could pack the heading 'Darkened Room'—which is fair enough.
lectors. The gallery is splendidly cosmopolitan in roundhouse with young devotees (and much of The Young Contemporaries last year at the Tate
outlook. A mixed exhibition in February contained Chalk Farm Road with latecomers), the poets
paintings by Michael Ginsborg, also then exhibit- should be able to sell some art, even with a low per-
ing with the Young Contemporaries, drawings of centage of converts from one medium to the other.
great sensitivity by the Brazilian artist Mira
Schendel, some 'programmed pictures' by Peter It has, in fact, been my own experience of art Facing page
Right
Schmidt, and the first showing of a new series of schools that some students will read poems and buy
Atomic Adam
multiples by Li Yuan-Chia. These latter, at L9 books of new poetry when they will rarely visit a
each, are excellent value for anyone not be- gallery or buy an art book. Is it possible that the Poster poem 26 x 19 in.
text by Brian Patten, design by
devilled by what the auctioneers call 'stamp-
Fulham Gallery, edition of 150
collecting', the urge to own something rare (as distributed by Turret Books
opposed to something of merit). The Li Yuan-Chia Li-Yuan Chia
multiples, which will be more comprehensively Cosmagnetic multiple; white on white 1968 Far right
displayed in March together with works by magnetized 'points' on magnetic panels Adrian Henri Cake painting
Timothy Dreyer, are only the first in what the 24 x 36 in., sold with two more points oil on canvas, 24 x 18 in.
Lisson Gallery intend should be a series involving Lisson Gallery Fulham Gallery
various artists. It's good to see the smaller galleries
developing as the West End begins to creak.
Inevitably these smaller, outlying galleries have
to diversify their activities and to offer art com-
modities at a strictly over-the-counter price. While
wealthier buyers will not be tempted away from
Bond Street, art shops like the recently opened
FULHAM GALLERY, miles away down the New
Kings Road, thrive on sales from prints, posters
and poster-poems, while very reasonably priced
paintings, hung several deep on the same walls,
offer the opportunity for a gradual escalation.
Those dealers who complain that no new genera-
tion of collectors is emerging to replace their
ageing regulars would surely do well to make
similar attempts at schooling the student, the
trainee or the young wife for the day when they
have more money to spend on their collections.
And I don't mean by keeping a tatty pile in a
dark corner where old prints, bad drawings and
posters sent free from European museums are
condescendingly offered at 'a price the student can
afford'.
At the Fulham Gallery you can buy a very good
small painting, an oil by Sandra Blow for instance,
140