Page 22 - Studio International - September 1968

A dramatic moment during the Venice Biennale: police form a square in readiness for an attack on demonstrators it the Piazza San Marco. (Photo : Mulas.)

whose affinities with Fascism are becoming present conditions: 'Don't manipulate any of the art schools. The nonsensical idea that
more and more obvious'. The radical groups longer, start agitating.' No one will admit the they are built on the model of a German
of students, on the other hand, make use of bitter experience of the Dix, Grosz, Kirchner university just shows how little the arts,
the common Marxist thesis, that the cultural generation—that art does not operate on com-pared with the sciences, are able to establish
superstructure is only a reflection of socialist criticism but on aesthetic standards. themselves as an autonomous area. The dis-
foundations, in order to attack modern art as The extravagance of the student's argument satisfaction of the art students can in many
a whole. They say that abstract art demon- becomes clear when one examines the attack respects be justified ; but the method by
strates the moral indifference of the capitalist of the moderate majority on the commercial which it is voiced fails completely. Instead of
society; it is the 'masking or even downright establishment. The students should perhaps anal /sing the actual situation, they rush to a
endorsement of firmly accepted standards'. be forgiven their lack of appreciation of the Marxist interpretation, which may well have
'What else remains for the artists of a nation commercial aspect of art, in view of their age. been suited to the class society of the nine-
which wages such a criminal war as that in The question of the establishment is a dif- teenth century, but hardly fits the consumer
Vietnam but to produce Minimal Art?' ferent matter: where in Germany is there an society of today. The emptiness of the
The absurdity of the assumption that art official establishment in the field of art? high-flown jargon must be made up for by intense
always represents the conditions of society German art would be very flattered if the emotions. Radicality on the Left in Germany,
seems obvious. Is the work of a Tapies or a ruling classes were in fact to regard it as a however, strengthens the latent Right; they
Chillida in any way fascist because it does 'democratic alibi' ! Unlike France and Eng- find themselves supported even by their
not conflict with the regime of General land, there is in Germany no central art policy. enemies in their dislike of 'degenerate art.' In
Franco? For the students the validity of this The regional governments, which administer this way the argument of the art students
thesis is obviously less important than the cultural affairs individually, have for many becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: while
conclusions which they draw from it: 'We years been so busy with clearing up matters they maintain that established art serves a
demand that the production of art should in the education field that scarcely a penny fasc st society, they themselves are serving
temporarily be stopped. Aesthetics must be- remains for the arts. Baden-Württemberg, for the growth of Fascism in this society. Sup-
come information-aesthetics, which serve example, recently decided to close up Ulm port for their rebellion comes, not from the
only to make facts and arguments as clear as College of Design unless it would immolate ranks of the artists, but solely from the
possible.' In the guise of Marxist terminology, itself within the framework of a technical militant Right against whom it is directed :
a complex from which German art has never college. the spectres which they have conjured up
recovered since Expressionism becomes once The protest against the establishment is, at are :suddenly becoming a reality.
more acute : Kierkegaard's alternative 'ethic- least in Germany, hitting at the air; what they Robert Kudielka
aesthetic' and the problem of involved art. should be doing is demonstrating for an
The left-wing students plead for art which, adequate establishment for the arts. This [All quotations are taken from leaflets dis-
through criticism, calls for discussion on would also include, for example, the reform tributed at Documenta IV in Kassel.]
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