Page 60 - Studio International - October1968

Paule Vezelay Sophie Taueber, became close friends of Madame This fact became even more apparent to Madame
at Grosvenor Gallery Vezelay. Michel Seuphor noted, regarding Paule Vezelay when she became a member of the
22 October-29 October Vézelay's sculpture of this period, that it was Abstraction-Creation-Group in Paris during the mid-
`abstract sculpture that did, to be sure, owe an 'thirties.
The sustained interest in British art of the avowed debt to the spirit of Arp's work, but by a Madame Vézelay's non-figurative work was first
'thirties has brought to light the work of lesser neat reversal, influenced the latter in turn.' Her exhibited in London in 1936. Paul Nash, writing
known artists whose innovations were as startling association with Arp was perhaps one of the most the Preface to that show, noted that the artist had
as those of Moore and Nicholson, but who, since important friendships that she made in Paris. `contributed fairly steadily to the modern move-
the 'thirties, have failed to achieve the international While the paintings and plaster sculpture of the ment in this country since the end of the war.' Yet,
or even national acclaim they deserve. The work early 'thirties represent a considerable body of when she returned to England in 1939—and in the
of Madame Paule Vezelay is exemplative of this achievement, the most innovative and startling years that have passed since that time—her
dilemma. Her reputation as an innovator of non- work of Madame Vezelay is to be found in the contributions to the development of non-figurative
figurative art in Great Britain has rarely been three-dimensional experiments in line and space. art were not fully recognized. Madame Vezelay,
mentioned, as she worked in Paris between 1924 By 1935, Madame Vezelay was creating her box however, has continued to experiment and to
and 1939; accordingly, it has been the French constructions, line sculptures which freed the extend her ideas first initiated in the 'thirties. Since
critics Marcel Brion and Michel Seuphor who depicted line found in a two dimensional medium the mid-'fifties, she has been principally interested
have acclaimed her achievements as part of the from its conventional relation to the ground. Like in the relation of lines to relieved coloured forms
development of the School of Paris rather than Calder, Vezelay was constructing 'real'—as opposed with a space frame, as well as line independent of
being claimed and acknowledged by her fellow to apparent or depicted—lines within a spacial any space frame, maintaining, all the while, her
countrymen. The current GROSVENOR GALLERY frame out of string, metal and plastic. The 'lines' interest in the media of pastels and collages. Now,
Retrospective will hopefully rectify this situation. of Vezelay, however, were stretched taut into a with the first opportunity to view her efforts over
Born in the south of England, Paule Vezelay shallow box, covered with glass, thus heightening the past forty years, one is able to agree with
studied with the Royal Academician, George the effect of tension and relief, casting their Humphrey Jennings when he wrote of Paule
Belcher between 1912 and 1914. By 1921 she had shadows on the back part of the box. (In her recent Vezelay, that she is a musicienne du silence.
been accorded her first one-man exhibition and constructions, the artist has freed the lines even William Lipke
was admitted to the London Group the following further, by removing the box and letting the lines
year. Sensing that the London Group had lost stand on their own). Although it can be pointed
some of its initial interest in experimental art, out that Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth
Madame Vezelay was attracted to the School of were concerned with problems of line in their
Paris and worked in Paris for the next sixteen stringed sculpture of about the same time, they
years. Within six years, she was experimenting in a seemingly used line to complete formal ideas. below left Paule Vezelay Lines in space 1953
non-figurative style. Her first tentative works were While imaginatively constructed, the stringed construction with cotton threads
tachiste calligraphy that were to appear some sculpture of Moore and Hepworth denoted the
twenty years later in the écriture of Mathieu and context of line subservient to form. Common to the below Paule Vezelay Evening in a cemetery1931
Wols. Although the brush strokes were tied to a work of Calder, Vezelay, Moore and Hepworth is oil 31+ x 25+ in.
representational form, the interest in line as an the more 'playful' element of line as opposed to a
expressive medium in itself is clearly evident. By more cerebral use of line in the work of Mondrian, facing page, above Terry Setch S.G.B. Wallscape
the early 'thirties, Madame Vezelay began to Nicholson, or Gabo. Yet, there is an aesthetic 1968
experiment with sculpture, working chiefly in the shared by these two groups of non-figurative acrylic on canvas with plastic units 60 x 84 in.
medium of plaster, but helping to create the three constructivists. As Paule Vezelay has stated, 'the
dimensional vocabulary of surrealist sculpture that laws of balance and harmony never alter' ; although facing page, below Alan Wood Islands and
was simultaneously being constructed by Gia- the application of these laws has varied consider- zephyrs I 1968
cometti, Picasso, and Arp. Arp and his wife, ably within the spectrum of non-figurative art. PVA and cellulose on plywood 48 x 96 in.