Page 69 - Studio International - March 1968
P. 69
which shattered Europe's art life in the 1920s. Yet from the left-overs of former cultures. From this I illustrations of their work. Such categorizing of the
hardly anyone questions the legitimacy of the initial developed the Merz-malerei, a new way of working whole situation (as admitted by the author himself) is
supposition behind these quarrels about priority. with any material. I therefore lived through the most unimportant because, in spite of the fatal supposition
After all, what was Schwitters? A Dadaist? What hilarious aspect of the revolution and since then have that art is an expression of its time, Kultermann suc
authorizes us to call him a 'forerunner' of the 'Inter passed for a Dadaist without being one.' (P.99) It is ceeds in creating a clear viewpoint as very few critics
media Trend'? The answers to this are contained in the quality of Schwitters' humour that problems are have done. There is no book on the market at the
the excellent recently published monograph about not solved but postponed till the next catastrophe. moment that contains so much up-to-date information
Schwitters, which continues Dumont-Schauberg Ver The skill of Schmalenbach's book consists in the first abouttheinternational phenomenon of modern sculp
lag's series of basic modern classics. instance solely in a pointed employment of facts, ture as this new edition published by Wasmuth (even
After reading this book, I have no doubt that the without ambitious interpretations, which draw a pic Michael Sandie for example gets a mention, though
aesthetic statement of Dine, Johns, and Rauschen ture of the artist and also give an unexpected view his work has only been known in Europe since the
berg is actually anticipated in the Merz pictures of point on an important period, Kultermann's study of Paris Biennale des Jeunes of 1967).
Schwitters. Equally clear is the distance between contemporary sculpture illustrates the problems of The interpretation of art through its milieu reveals
Schwitters' artistic message, or the politicized Dada trying to understand art out of its period. Art as Itself as an arbitrary one when the critic comes to
ism of Huelsenbeck, and Rauschenberg's intention expression of its time? Kultermann believes in it: 'One condemn art works on the grounds that he attributes
to build a 'bridge between art and life'. 'The painting keeps closely to the existing concept of the modern them to the 'negative' aspect of their epoch. In this
is an art work residing in itself; it has no relevance to human being as he appears on television, In films, way, various sociologists and art experts defamed the
the external world. Never can an art work of conse magazines, on advertisements, in the big city in · American culture explosion as being governed by the
quence be relevant to the external without losing its general . . . , The less meaning you notice In the art ideology of the 'hard sell': 'Pop art', David Kahnweiler
connexion to art', writes the artist In 1923. The usage work, the better; the more you can see the real thing, says, 'is a stupid invention to make money', Is modern
of readymade materials is therefore not established the better.' art, especially American modern art, being led by the
by its semantic attraction. 'The material is as inessen By this criterion, Kultermann sees Pop sculpture nose? What connexion is there between Art and·
tial as I myself. It is the forming that is important. As above everything else. The erotic-Pop trend, as prac Trade? Dr Willi Bongard, the economic editor of the
the material is so inessential, I can use any material if tised by Robert Graham, Kusama or Frank Gallo .leading German weekly newspaper DieZeit, was given
the picture demands it.' This integrity towards the especially appears to him as 'the art of the moment': leave for two whole years to uncover on the spot (in
material explains above all Schwitters' close conne 'The new sensuality, derived from the "body-confi New York) the origin of the complaints.The surprising
xion with the constructivism of De Stijl; and from this dence" of our time, is expressed In the commercial results of his Investigations are now summarized In a
principle follows the formula that art develops through mass-media in the same way as in the philosophy of book published by Stalling: 'I can't help thinking after
the artistic devaluation of Its elements-already the a Heldegger, a Sartre or a Merleau-Ponty.' (P, 36) all my observations that it is art and the artists who
artistic attitude practised by Schopenhauer: 'Art is a This obtrusive view distorts the perspective of the force the laws of their behaviour and of their trade
mental function of the human being with the purpose book in such a way that, for Instance, Moore, Gla upon the dealers.' Bongard starts with the basic Idea
of releasing him from the chaos of life.' (P.106) Lost cometti and Richier are pushed Into a debatable that the artist has to put up with art being subject to
between two world wars, Schwitters created a style key position, while David Smith and Antony Caro the laws of supply and demand in a capitalist society:
in art which devalued its materials In the midst of a though of greater relevance for contemporary sculp 'The formula "/'art pour !'art" can logically be equated
world that only seemed bearable as a devalued one: ture and recognized here as 'forerunners' of painted with "business is business".' This would no doubt
'To begin with I tried to build up a ney,, kind of art three-dimensional sculpture-are not represented by provide excellent grounds for unscrupulous manage-
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