Page 31 - Studio International - January 1969

was fed in, whatever his understanding 7
Sunshine 1964 (Bennington) painted steel,
of some-body else's work—his absorption of David
624 x 57 x 1204 in. Coll. Mr H. Feiwel, New York
Smith—was only to enrich himself. One man's 8
Sculpture LXIV (Time Clock) 1968 painted steel,
vision of the world, influenced by other men's 30 x 51 x 32 in.
visions of the world, yes, but always like his
scene. That's what makes him so good. That's
why he's like one of the best artists in the world.
TUCKER : I think it's unfortunate the way he
allows himself to be projected by the Green-
berg-Fried thing, because I think he's been
much more intelligent and thoughtful and
personally original.
ANNESLEY : But he doesn't think he's articu-
late, and he thinks they are.
TUCKER : I think he's very articulate, when he
tries. And his work is articulate in itself in a far
richer way than it's usually allowed to be.
ANNESLEY : But the delusion that most sculp-
tors suffer from is that they are not articulate
with words, and that that forces them to be
articulate with stuff instead. That seems to
have been the mystique for a long time now.
TUCKER : I think he did a lot to break down
this image of a sculptor as a great thick, hairy
sort of a guy, but he still approximates to this
in many ways.
ANNESLEY : What he does is to talk about
what he considers to be important causes—the
cause of sculpture, the cause of modern art, the
way we want our sculpture seen, what the
British Council and people are up to, what's
the best art in the world. He'll talk about these
causes. He won't talk about what is essential to
him of real importance, which is how sculpture
is thought of and made, and what other sculp-
tors are up to, and what they're thinking and
what he's thinking. He doesn't talk about that.
He used to have a clear idea about what art
was about. He sure as hell doesn't any more.
He feels that leaving the tack bars on Time
Clock and making that weird-looking hanging
sort of ring, with all these little odd things on it, physical. He's expressive in this additive way. those trapezoids seems to be evoking feel-
accidents and so on that he's suddenly seen, ANNESLEY: What's he expressing? What is ing but it's almost as if the feeling takes place
now he thinks 'That's good,' but he might be the content of his sculpture? If you'd asked me only in oneself and the sculpture acts as a
hallucinating, like all of us when we feel, 'Is what the content was twenty minutes ago I switch. But with Tony's sculpture it's as if the
that good or isn't it good?' So first of all he wouldn't have been able to answer it, but I sculpture itself seems to contain the feeling
wants his friends to come round and quietly— think now we've talked about the factors he's which it is evoking. And that is a magical jump
maybe it's in the studio or something—he'll putting in, like articulating the ground, or that certain artists can do. Like Van Gogh's
say, 'Hey, have you seen this one ?' He doesn't articulating space, or the way he does things. paintings seem to me not only to evoke feeling
want to know what they say, he watches their We've talked about process. But what is the responses but to contain feeling. Is that an
enthusiasm, their feelings, their faces. If they real content? If you express weightlessness, illusion or is it real or what? It doesn't seem to
like it, then that's confirmation for him. He what is it that is being expressed ? Now I think matter, that's how I regard it. Now that to me
picks people whose judgement he likes. And weightlessness is a sensation or feeling that is is essential. If I took that away then there
that means judgement he can trust, whose being expressed, and I think that his work is would be nothing left for me of any interest in
position he understands. expressive of feelings and sensations. I mean the work. I'm thinking now not of the world
Louw : I think you've been guilty of a kind of feeling in both senses, that is literally, as some- audience, I'm thinking of the artist as audience
unconfined appraisal of his things. I think there thing felt in the body biologically, and as to his own work. It's as if Tony in front of his
is a history to his work and it is working in a something felt in the mind in terms of imagina- work seems to feel that the work very definitely
very distinct, expressive context. Why he can tion, ideas, stimulation, enthusiasm, love.... contains the feelings that he wanted it to con-
be so inventive in this way is because he That is what is fascinating, because he really tain. He's had a feeling response to it that
doesn't ever have to be expressive about any does it. It's the feeling content. We were saying satisfies him in a certain kind of way. If it
one particular aspect of the quality in sculp- it's not spare, it's rich. Rich in what? Rich in doesn't satisfy him he'll alter the work until it
ture. And I don't think you can go on like that. feeling, isn't it? It evokes feeling responses does satisfy him. Once he feels satisfied it's as
For everyone else—somehow you have to try in us, and seems to be the container of those if the work carries the feeling response in itself
to redefine the whole issue. For example, he feelings as well. Sometimes art seems to me and that other people can gain access to it by
never feels he has to be definitely visual about to be maybe something that just evokes feelings. looking at the work.
the way he puts things together, or distinctly I find that, for instance, Robert Morris in TUCKER : Well, I think Tony's sculpture is