Page 41 - Studio International - April 1969

Several more from a letter of November 15, 1968 in reply to like girls swarmed about a super-abundance of
Phil Leider in New York :
long steel rods with welding gear that might
... When I can engender a sense of cause in impress a David Smith. But was there an artist
remarks . . . fun, I am free to write ... behind even one of the girlishly wafted torches ?
Well, that appears to have become culturally
from a letter of December 16-17, 1968 in reply irrelevant as welding may have to supplant
Dan Flavin to Carol Bobb in Willowdale, Ontario: embroidery before accomplished marriage.
Besides so much international 'show biz', I (What do I know about art education.)
have stopped writing for Artforum to conduct a ...Best regards and best wishes for pleasant
personal campaign of vilification against those holidays,
who wish to persist in the formal indoctrination Dan F.
of young American students (not artists) in art P.S. A Max Rafferty moral (as told to me in
historical media toward degree certification. Santa Cruz) : Most of the California university
I began with verbal attack at an art education presidents have emerged from locker rooms as
conference at Penn State on August 4, 1967 has Max. When addressing Art Ed. colleagues
and have spoken out again and again from uni- as a Phys. Ed. Co. Man, Max advised that
versity to professional school to pester and to within his area, athletes are avoided as em-
persuade. But from the outset, I have found ployee prospects because they won't 'stay with
that the most significant official response is the job' into tenure, won't become engrossed
usually one of curious accommodation and with salary planning and work conditions,
concomitant dismissal. I have become their etc. ; therefore, crafty Rafferty deduced that
professional 'bad mouth' to be invited but not artists should not be hired either.
to be believed. My pragmatics are often said
to be Utopian ...
Most American artists whom I somewhat
Now, I can conclude that occasionally I am
understand and respect seem to reserve a sim-
able to confer with some of the youngsters but
ilar casual caustic scorn for almost all who ply
for better or worse or whatever most of the in-
art critical commerce. Literally, it is as though
telligent, contemporary, well-incomed stu-
that, from bothersome time to time, they, at
dents are more interested in their communal
the mention of critics' names and/or another
cliques for eating, for sexual exchange or
of their apparent poor corrective opinionative
`tripping' by drugs (often a substitute for in-
ploys, etc., are grudgingly compelled to ack-
trusive intercourse), or whatever mutual needs
nowledge the existence of some perpetual pre-
—seeming ways of living ease rather than com-
judicial nuisance for whom a relieving (perhaps
pulsive ways of art (which, however, are some-
informative) 'pesticide' ought to have been con-
times incorporated into the conglomerate
cocted by now. For myself, I would commend
rituals of protective living in often through
`disadvantaged' critics to self-validating re-
`dropping out' into them conspicuously or in-
training within the Federal Government's Job
conspicuously within the university hideout).
Corps or perhaps, when required, referral to
(Art forms of personal identification and dis-
Project Head Start to initiate some sort of
play such as filming and theatrical perfor-
viable personal education along with other
mance seem to be the most desirable means.)
immature beginners, for even critics should not
(With so-called liberal arts degree require-
be discriminated against becoming useful once
ments as manipulatable and unspecific as they
more.
are, avoiding Vietnamese military service has
apparently become a convenient goal of so-
called art students still seemingly in continuous from the would-be voluminous could-be en-
pursuit of the teaching permit by degree or cyclopedia, 'Foibles of American Art Critics' :
degrees.) As you may have realized, I am There is a seemingly scrupulously observed
writing almost exclusively about Californians, practice among most self-identified culturally
so many of whom are definitely not hot after custodial critics that, no matter how formal
Hayakawa's tam-o'-shanter... and presumably ambitious the surveying con-
... Despite fetishistic communication taboos temporary art article (or even book) proposed
against so-called literate 'linear logic', so much to be perpetrated, one ought not contact the
related verbalization still compounds on cam- artist or artists whose efforts are about to be
pus. Frankly, I don't object to being vocal discussed for possibly pertinent information.
rhythmically, expressively around associated I know from personal experience that this
ideas, McLuhanantics unabused. I will 'Irish ridiculous reserve is frequently maintained for
on' in a Gregorian chant-like manner person- so-called monographs, too. So often, these
ally proposed past being dry in the mouth until critics disregard much of their former scholarly
I know that I must shut up ... training and later reportorial obligations to
Last week, I witnessed the relatively new slick abide so ignorantly insistently consistent. It is
art department complex of Nazareth College, almost as though they wish to have the man in
a Catholic girls' school. The entire procedure question a premature corpse in order not to
appeared to be little more than another col- have their idiosyncratic opinionizing disturbed
legiate child care center but ever so abundantly and prejudiced by his residual self-determined
equipped in the customary formal art histor- knowledge which may be but a telephone call
ical student indoctrinational style. The elfin- away from potential revelation.