Page 22 - Studio International - February 1969

of its existence. Two characteristics then, the sort of social existence which it might specific physical activity. In so far as there is
which sculpture is increasingly coming to successfully have. any attempt to justify this sort of concern
share, are that change is valued and seen as a It is an extraordinary and comparatively through reference to the 'social' role of art, it
good thing in itself, and that newness of form recent development that has enabled our can only be thought of as extraordinarily
is valued above originality of content—or is present culture to distinguish itself in this way. crude, if, not also totally ineffective.
not distinguished from it. A sculptor now may have absolute jurisdiction There is virtually no possibility of the content
Objects are characterized by ownership. They over the form of his work. He may choose to of sculptures directly having significant social
could not continue to flourish as they do at make whatever kind of thing he pleases, since consequences. It is this fact, amongst others,
present if this form of characterization were in whatever it actually is, it is unlikely that it can consciously grasped and welcomed, that has
decline. Consequent upon this is the fact that of itself (so long as it is categorized as sculp- enabled sculptors to enjoy their present free-
most objects have some function as indicators ture) much influence or affect anything out- dom. The nature of this freedom must be given
of social role, status or life style. They are seen side the world of sculpture. The kind of constant attention if it is to be used more
as extensions of the person, as a means of self attention given to sculpture is not primarily effectively or even to continue to be enjoyed.
or group identification. Contemporary ver- motivated by a need to make distinctions of It must not be assumed that sculptures have
balization about sculpture is increasingly in content and meaning between one work and no social reality of any kind, that they do not
similar terms. The character of the sculptor another. It rarely recognizes an intention on exist as facts in a social context, or that they
looms larger than his work; his work is seen the part of-the sculptor and credits him with are not attended to in any kind of way at all,
as information about his identity. no choice of intention. by people other than the sculptor.
While all objects have some potential for It may be thought that I am speaking of an Unless sculptors are concerned to see that it
this 'social use', some are used blatantly as uninterested, uninformed and generalized will not, it is probable that the nature of the
prestige weapons. There is an equation be- mass of persons who are of little importance attention given to their work will be effective
tween the extent to which an object can confer to the 'professional' sculptor. I am not. On in determining what they do. That is to say,
prestige (excluding precious materials and the other hand, it should not be assumed that they are more likely either to make things to
fashion), and the extent to which it is identi- the existence of a large number of uninterested which such attention as is given is appropriate,
fiable in terms of who designed or made it. It and uninformed persons is wholly irrelevant or to make things which are primarily in-
is not irrelevant to their existence that sculp- to the development of sculpture. I said earlier tended to provoke some other kind of atten-
tures are always identified in these terms. that it is a characteristic of contemporary art tion. It is my contention that, to a far greater
There is also an equation between the poten- forms that they are of little immediate social degree than is acknowledged, the develop-
tial commercial success of an artist and the relevance. An art form tends to some extent ments taking place in sculpture are being
ease with which his work can be recognized. today to be defined in terms of the absence of determined in this way. I am not speaking of
I do not intend to imply that the use of the specific social consequences resulting from the necessary give-and-take of ideas, or of the
artists' names is not a useful way of classifying what happens within it. That this is not al- high regard or disregard as between one
sculptures, only that, in so far as they are ways absolutely true, or that it has not been sculptor and another. I am speaking of the
seen as a category of object, sculptures are the case in other cultural situations, is beside attention given by those in areas of society in
likely to be highly prestigious; that they are the point. which sculptors profess to have no interest.
so, regardless of their content, is critical. If, say, sculpture were to become of greater The absence of any apparent immediate social
Whatever the category of an object, what it immediate social relevance—meaning that the justification of one's work is an uncomfortable
actually is physically, how it is designed, how content of sculptures was more influential in position, one which many talents find in-
it is made and the materials used, is relevant determining the conduct of a large number of tolerable. The modification of one's creative
to how it is thought about and how it is used. persons—sculptors would have more power to endeavour to comply with or specifically re-
What happens to an object, its life in the world, determine the kind of social change which ject the current romantic myths is ultimately
is primarily determined by what, in a total was currently taking place. The ultimate con- the death of that endeavour. This is by no
sense, it is. Sculptures are different in this sequence of such a development would be to means something which I suspect contempo-
respect. An object classified as a sculpture produce sculptors and sculpture of a more rary sculptors (or painters) are ignorant of.
thereby relinquishes much of its objecthood conservative nature. The more -immediate Some may, however, be more ignorant of
in terms of self-determination. power any organ of a society has, the more their own needs in respect of these myths than
What happens to a sculpture is determined concerned it is with the stability of that society. they suspect. It is certain that, on the whole,
largely by factors outside of itself. The fact of I do not, of course, mean that all today's they tend to believe they will avoid being
its being thought of as sculpture is more criti- sculptors would necessarily suddenly become influenced by external pressures of any kind
cal to its existence, its life, than any other more conservative. I mean that, in such a insofar as they manage to be inattentive
facts about it. This is a fundamental distinc- situation, the people to whom the life of a towards them.
tion between objects and sculpture. It has sculptor appealed would be of a different Sculptors are by no means, even in an ideal
nothing to do with the physical nature of temperament. It would be a different life. situation, the sole arbiters of the content of
either. One further consequence of such a situation their work. Any work of art is defined through
Sculpture has been made to fill a great variety may be relevant: that in it the life of a sculp- the cultural situation in which it exists. In a
of roles. It has been made in response to a ture, what happened to it, would be deter- sense, the meaning which it has is literally
greatly varied range of personal and social mined more by its content, by the potential given to it or acquired by it through an
motivation. It has, after all, played some experiences it embodied, than by any other existence in people's minds. By virtue of its
part in the development of most of the world's factor. I need not pursue the further implica- objective physical existence in the world,
cultures. It has been closely associated with tions of this hypothetical state of affairs, sculpture is more susceptible to certain types
the declaration and the reinforcement of except to note that there is a growing anxiety of misuse than other art forms. The sculptor's
beliefs, not always excluding beliefs in per- amongst an increasing number of artists that present great freedom is to make his work in
sonal or group superiority. It has been used their work have some direct and observable whatever form he pleases. He has not, as yet,
to frighten and intimidate as well as to en- effect on other people's behaviour. There is except privately for himself, gained any new
lighten and delight. Never before, however, an increasing interest and involvement, for comparable freedom to participate in the
has the specific nature and form of a sculpture example, in that kind of phenomenon which creation of new concepts of reality.
been of so little consequence in determining asks from its 'audience' a response in terms of GARTH EVANS