Page 26 - Studio International - February 1969

One serious difficulty faced since the war by Cultural and Educational) Ltd., its directors account in considering applications: a.
artists working in all media—with the possible are Bridget Riley the artist, Professor West of whether an artist has lost work space through
exception of those painting small easel the University of Reading's Faculty of Urban post-graduate deployment; b. an applicant's
pictures—is that of finding adequate working and Regional Studies, the actress Irene inability to complete, through lack of space,
space at a reasonable rental. Not to have Worth, Maurice de Suasmarez, principal of work already begun; c. a need for additional
adequate space can be near-crippling, because the Byam Shaw School of Art, and Peter space arising out of the development of an
capacity and performance alike may be Townsend, editor of Studio International. The artist's activities or style of work.
diminished when the available space is too present list of sponsors includes Henry Moore It is also proposed that the groups working on
small for work or for showing off work to O.M., David Benson, of the banking house, any such projects be constituted round a core
good advantage, and the resultant tensions Desmond Plummer, leader of the Greater of established artists who themselves need
in domestic or professional life can retard an London Council, and Norman Reid, director working space, and include a number of
artist's development. Perhaps the most of The Tate Gallery. young artists; that provision be made for
critically affected are students recently out The aim is to provide adequate workspace to workspace for artists visiting the U.K.; and
of college; first they must make do with the artists desperately short of their requirements that consideration be given to inviting art
limited space available in colleges, and then at a low rental, and insofar as possible to colleges to subsidize workspace for selected
they must resign themselves to the virtual supplement workspace with facilities for postgraduate students.
impossibility of matching even this. wood- and metal-working. Rentals will be Studio units will be arranged to provide
The problem has been compounded by kept at the minimum consistent with the pro- maximum flexibility while allowing a reason-
several factors: the rise in land values and vision of proper services, heating, supervision, element of privacy within the framework
rentals in every urban centre; the develop- etc. The project or projects undertaken by dictated by any building's layout, and artists
ment for high-rental residential purposes of the company will be run on a non-profit will be granted licences to occupy space to
those districts traditionally provided with making basis, and dues payable by artists meet their particular requirements insofar as
facilities for artists (one thinks, for example, taking space will be assessed on the total is practicable.
of Chelsea, Hampstead, Kensington, where running and maintenance costs and the costs Two projects are already under way under the
studios are converted into 'desirable' flats and of adequately promoting the scheme's activi- scheme; a third, started independently, has
there is no replacement of working studios) ; ties to the public. joined the scheme for administrative con-
the greater scale on which painters and It is proposed that work space in any build- venience; and other projects are now being
sculptors are working. These factors are not ings taken over by Space Ltd, be allocated to assessed. Space Ltd has also received in-
limited to Britain; they could be paralleled in artists in consultation with a co-opted valuable support from the Greater London
most European, and some American, cities. advisory panel, and that the following con- Council and a grant from the Arts Council to
Hitherto this problem has been considered in siderations be among those taken into help towards the rehabilitation and equipping
the most limited way. A few enlightened local
councils have built or replaced studios (in
London, Camden Council is an example; out-
side London, one could instance the Arts
Council supported studios at St Ives). In
general, however, finding a solution has been
left entirely to the individual, and often it is
only the most fortunate artists who have been
able to find a satisfactory one. How can this
be remedied—and remedied in such a way
that no vast financial outlay is involved?
There are many buildings in London and the
Regions left vacant and awaiting demolition,
or due to be vacated for eventual demolition.
Among them are old factory buildings and
warehouses, containing large uninterupted
working areas. Some remain empty for years,
because they cannot be re-let pending
development. Left untended, they can become
squalid and a waste to the community in
terms of lost rates, services and suchlike.
Selected buildings of this type would offer
valuable space for artists to work in, either as
`in transit' situations or as space supple-
mentary to existing accommodation. They
could also present opportunities as exhibition
areas and as workspace for artists visiting the
U.K. and supported by foundations, or for
young artists subsidized for a period by their
art colleges. They could also be administered
on a non-profit self-supporting basis, with the
cost of rentals and services kept to a minimum.
A non-profit-making company, incorporated
as a company limited by guarantee, has now
been set up to take advantage of these very
possibilities. Called 'Space Provision (Artistic,