Page 39 - Studio International - May 1969

Liliane Lijn LINDSAY: Do you think that your kind of art,
which is certainly now a solid section of the
art world, comes as a direct descendant of
in discussion with abstract art or pop art? Historically it prob-
ably happened more or less at the same time.
Vera Lindsay LIJN: Not from pop art, definitely not. For me
this movement comes directly from the Bau-
haus and not at all from pop art nor from
abstract expressionism which was interme-
diary. Pop art is a magnification of the human
Liliane Lijn was born in 1939. She lived
ego and I feel that my direct master is pure
and worked in Paris from 1958. Then in
abstraction. Pop art, in fact, is the antithesis,
1964 she spent two years in Athens and in
the other end of what I am doing. I'm in-
1966 she made London her home. Her first
terested in an ego-less world—interpreted in
kinetic light works were made in New York
understanding life phenomena.
during a visit in 1962 and they were shown
LINDSAY: But is it really as selfless as you make
first in Paris in 1963: these were Echo Lights
out?
and Poem Machine.
LIJN: It's hard to say whether it's selfless or
To Vera Lindsay, who interviews her, she
not, but it's selfless in the sense that it is not a
represents in concrete terms the poetry that
projection of one's self as a human being. It's
is fundamental to the Dunne theory of past,
not a projection at all—it's an effort to under-
present and future. Her first exhibition in
stand the things that are around one and
London was at the Indica Gallery in 1967
which are inter-related with oneself.
and her next is with the Hanover Gallery later
LINDSAY: And where is the link with your
this year.
public ?
LIJN: What I hope is that the work itself may
be able to give these people a certain energy,
a certain happiness.
LINDSAY: Yes, but the pop artist would answer
you that he gives it in a much more direct
and ironic fashion.
LIJN: I think he gives them false images and
he makes them feel how marvellous we are
and what a fantastic world we live in; or, on
the contrary, how awful is the world we live
in, and he is making fun of it. But even if he
makes fun of the world he lives in, he's still
thinking that he's very great to be able to
make fun of it.
LINDSAY: Quite a lot of artists who work in
your medium are pop artists, and the dividing
line is much finer than most people accept.
LIJN: Very possible. I agree, yes. In the sense
that they are concerned with superficial
aspects of movement or optical phenomena.
Human signs, neon signs, glittering images of
the world we live in. But personally I'm in-
terested in invisible forces that are hard to see
and that you have to sort of get into and bring
out.
LINDSAY : That is walking a tremendous tight-
rope. Do you realize the risk you are taking
in doing that? It will take much longer than
you imagine to achieve what you want.
LIJN : Yes, it is somehow an unknown field.
But I think that people, whether they are
educated or not, feel things. I have great
confidence in people's emotional response,
especially towards the kind of energy I try to
generate.
LINDSAY: Yes, but that's been the attitude of
artists over the ages. That's not just indi-
genous to your kind of art. My theory is that
there is a very fine dividing line between
people like you, who take a very serious atti-
tude to your work, and whose results are very
serious, and the others who are pushing it to