Page 35 - Studio International - September 1969

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tentative ruling on the Biederman case. avant garde. It could as well be argued that Structurism (the 'structural process level'
`His work is probably of the calibre of that of recent developments have resulted in a fur- concept was just one of the notions for which
Diller and Glarner or a little less—ten works thering of the irrational tendencies (following Biederman is indebted to Korzybski). How-
are hard to judge by. He is a capable artist Pop Art, Earthworks, etc,) and that the ethos ever, the strongest reaction was, not unnatur-
and not a revolutionary one or simply an of Dada and Surrealism are in full evidence ally, provoked by Biederman's unprecedented
unusual one.' again. Furthermore Biederman's antipathy to attack on the prevailing ethos of modern art.
Judd found the structure of the works 'highly the irrational is likely to be no less than For an artist, and an abstract artist, to be argu-
rationalistic' but 'right out of Poussin'. In the towards what he would see as only mindless ing for the continuation of a tradition thought
closing paragraph, sentence is passed: formalism. His chances of a sympathetic res- to be dead, and to attack the status quo—this
`The main invisible difficulty is that the pure ponse may have to come from elsewhere. was unthinkable. It could only be explained
and simple philosophy of Neo-Plasticism died But the real question—passed over by van der as some form of elaborate revenge strategy !
with Mondrian, that this work is not greatly Marck—is this: has the pendulum of polemics, When Mathieu wrote (loc. cit.) 'The true
removed from it and that, despite all of his so long stationary, been put in motion again? vanguard merely carries on, in the most logical
thought, much of which is sensible, Bieder- Is the moment propitious for an assessment of and unbroken manner, the true tradition', it
man has never sufficiently considered what Biederman's dialectic? Is the suggested revival was not that clear what he had in mind, seen
has happened in contemporary art, has in- of 'didactic' artE a sign that artist-theoreticians in the context of 1960. But today the state-
stead pared history (and himself) to fit a will once again be countenanced? ment strikes a purely rhetorical note. By con-
prepared position.' When one looks for examples of abstract
Does this seem like an artist who fits the artists (of the post-war period) who at some Sydney Tillim: 'Voyages in Reality', Arts Magazine
for May/June 1964. TIME magazine reviewing the
description given? Is Biederman no more time have committed themselves to a pole-
same exhibition, 'Mondrian, De Stijl and their Impact'
than a capable artist of the standing of mical standpoint, not too many come to mind. (Marlborough-Gerson, April 1964), reproduced a
Diller or Glarner? Is it usual for an artist Amongst the best known, one thinks of Mathieu Biederman in colour but did not pick up the trail. He
working since 1934 on uncompromisingly (for the Informalists et al) and Vasarely (for the was mentioned in a few lines which can be traced to the
abstract works, to be so unknown to art Formalists et al). How have they fared? Such catalogue introduction by Hammacher, those in italics
below.
authorities that his 'cranky obscurity' be- theoretical writings as Vasarely has published
From Hammacher's catalogue introduction the follow-
comes the best known fact about him? (and they include polemics against Tachisme) ing information on Biederman is to be found: concern-
But beyond all this is the clearly 'celebrated' have in no way hindered his steady pro- ing 'the solitary figure' of Gorin (the only French artist
book; if Judd has looked into this I wonder gress to becoming a household name in art. included) his work was `... well appreciated by the
writings of the American Biederman, an appreciation
just which of Biederman's thoughts he finds With regard to Mathieu, the situation seems
which in France—apart from Seuphor's admiration—
`sensible' and if they are those which are quite the opposite since Tachisme has
had too weak a voice'. Next Biederman on Mondrian:
supposed to have influenced constructivist died a natural death. However, at its zenith `... the difference between the "inner and emotional
artists outside of America. Presumably the Mathieu was unquestionably the sole dialect- image" and the theoretical vision manifested itself. This
thoughts that Judd can accept are clearly ian/theorist of Informalism. He was the chief was clearly demonstrated by Charles Biederman in his
penetrating analysis published in his remarkable book.
different from those that have led Biederman who gave cabalistic and scientistic credence to Art as the evolution of visual knowledge. It was Biederman
to an erroneous view of art history, in which the great international dervish dance, elabor-
who saw in Mondrian's work "the very limit permitted by the
he posits himself, and in particular to the ating a credo which so stunned his audience old hand medium of paint" and who in word and deed advo-
erroneous view of modern art. that it virtually went unchallenged. It was an cates the propagation of the use of machines, "the new art tools
From the quotations I have drawn on, Tillim, ironic coincidence that Mathieu was at of man", thereby extending the researches of the old
Judd, Rickey (all of them artists incidently) pains to invoke the 'non-Aristotelian revo- innovators. For this reason he left De Stijl to become an
American [sic] structurist. Structurism has from time
and curator Arnason, inadequate disclosure lution' (pace Korzybski), along with every
to time acted as a link between the older generation
of the facts is a recurrent feature. However, `novelty' of modern scientific thought, in his and younger artists like Joost Baljeu.'
this situation, with regard to the availability apologia for the new art. But the arguments were 2 Donald Judd: reviewing the Columbia showing, in
of information, changed when the Walker so elaborate as seldom to be consistent. Arts Magazine, March 1963.
Art Center mounted a comprehensive exhibi- Speaking of the triumph of Informalism 3 George Rickey: Constructivism-Origins and Evolution,
Studio Vista 1968.
tion in 1965 and produced for the occasion an Mathieu wrote:
4 H. H. Arnason: A History of Modern Art—Painting,
equally comprehensive catalogue. `... nowadays found everywhere and which Sculpture and Architecture, Thames & Hudson 1969.
If the event of the Walker Art showing one attempts to justify through 13th century 5 Jan van der Marck: introduction to the catalogue of
achieved little, the Arts Councils' exhibition Scholasticism, Kantian predicaments, Zen the exhibition 'Charles Biederman: The Structurist
and catalogue will surely do much to sink the Buddism or the Topology of sets, is of interest Relief 1935-1964,' Walker Art Center, 1965.
6 In the blurb accompanying Malevich—Essays on Art,
ill-founded assessments which marked the only so far as it rejects classical traditions'.?
(Rapp & Whiting 1969), we are told: 'It is no accident
beginning of a new climate of reception for Biederman's approach signalled an entirely that today young people everywhere are discovering the
both Biederman's work and ideas. different attitude, and as a consequence pro- riches of Russian Futurism/Constructivism/Suprema-
In the catalogue introduction to the Walker voked a more serious response. If one can tism. An understanding of their pioneer work is an
Art showing Jan van der Mark wrote: briefly summarize the main content of Bieder- essential key to the attitudes of both American "mini-
mal" artists and of the politico-artistic groups at work
`Now the stylistic pendulum is once again man's book, it would be to say that while it
in the streets of Paris and Amsterdam'.
swinging in the direction of an art that values had a unified strata of arguments the main 7 'Towards a new convergence of art, thought and
mediation over spontaneity, makes planning tasks he attempted were: science', Art International, May 1960.
conditional to action and favours reason over (1) To re-write the history of art taking as his 8 Other American abstract artists at some time associa-
emotion. We are again interesting ourselves model a 'scientific metaphysic' — the General ted with General Semantics include Harry Holtzman
and Hilaire Hiler. Hiler who had already written Why
in art that is cool, deliberate and methodical. Semantics of Alfred Korzybski.8
Abstract in 1948 adopted the term structuralism for a
The propitiousness of this moment ... (brings) (2) To give the basis of a theory of the new art movement he developed. Structuralism also took a
Biederman's long evolving structurist art into to be elaborated and known as Structurism. stand against Informalism and the prevailing tenden-
hard focus'.5 (3) To mount a polemic against the irrational cies in modern art. He wrote of its aims that it `...
But today, as then, Hard-edge, Optical & in art. frankly seeks to use socially accepted systems in the
handling of form and colour. It is purportedly rational,
Minimal Art by no means dominate the scene The book was probably most criticized for its
techtonic, abstract and on the theorical side, tradi-
as Action Painting once did. Nor do they historical analysis; while the part payed the tional'. (See the monograph Hilaire Hiler and Structuralism,
represent the sole contenders for the role of least attention contained the ideas that led to New York and Paris 1958).