Page 24 - Studio International - February 1970

Correspondence A graphite or silverpoint line, drawn on a given Kosuth replies to Claura
surface, obviously has a three-dimensional form:
which cannot be perceived as such because of the Mr Claura's attack, Studio International ( January
inadequacies of our visual receptor organs. Depend- correspondence), is little more than a personal one,
ing on the resistance of the particular surface, the and since I've never met the gentleman I can only
line could range, to use traditional terminology, guess as to what his motives are. Is it because I dis-
from intaglio to high relief. (Or perhaps even to missed continental philosophy in Part One and
free-standing sculptural form?) didn't mention Daniel Buren—whose work I do
Mr LeWitt assumes that all that is necessary for admire—in Part Two? I didn't realize that France
the production of a 'state of absolute two- was still vain. It seems regrettable that out of some
dimensionality' is that the lines should be drawn 800 lines in Part One Mr Claura found only the
`lightly' so as to 'merge' with the surface of the first ten of consequence. Perhaps for someone only
wall! interested in a personal attack there is nothing
Like all good conceptualists LeWitt asserts that useful to be found in the rest (for which I am thank-
his drawings are: `...the manifestation of an ful), yet since Mr Claura calls himself an art critic
idea. It is an idea not an object.' I find it cowardly and despicable. It is little more
I would suggest that it is his article which is the than amusing that for his 'serious' attack on my
manifestation of the idea. His drawings are relief article Mr Claura found it necessary to dig
models of this idea. They are also true reliefs (as (outside the article) for a piece of trivia (my cute
opposed to conceptual ones), concerning the point reply to a standard biographical question) to hold
of existence/non-existence of three-dimensional up as an example of scholarship. (And it is idiotic
form. to conclude, for instance, that by quoting J.O.
The viewer is confronted with a work which is Urmson I am offering 'proof'.)
ambiguous: a relief object existing, being known What I wrote as clarification (to point out what I
to exist, yet not being seen to exist in that particular feel are basic differences between my work and my
form. The conceptual response is concerned with intentions and the work of Barry, Huebler, and
overcoming the deficiencies in information relayed Weiner) Mr Claura considered 'attacks'. Perhaps
to the brain by the eyes. because he is only interested in 'attacks'. Anyway,
Mr LeWitt cannot present us with a conceptual I find it incredible that a French critic only
work and then ask us to ignore those concepts recently familiar with any of our work, and who
which are inconsistent with his particular aims. knows next to nothing about it, would have the
Yours sincerely, audacity to attempt to defend (let alone to assume
Chris Whittaker they need defending) three men I have shown with
103 Barnsbury Road continually for the past two years. To put it simply
Newcastle on Tyne Mr Claura, I was there and you were not.
Apparently Mr Claura is such a devout believer in
the supremacy of the Ecole de New York that he
Kosuth: the facts
completely ignores Terry Atkinson and Michael
Browsing through the issue of Studio which arrived Baldwin, and dismisses On Kawara—because they
this morning I noticed in the many footnotes your are English and Japanese. First he counts them out
meticulous attitude toward current affairs. Since and then accuses me of claiming authorship of
history seems to be of particular concern to the `Conceptual Art'. At least he is consistently dis-
editors, and since history has apparently con- honest throughout the entire diatribe. For
densed itself from a distant to a quotidian dis- example—I would never credit Morris and
cipline, I felt you would appreciate an adjustment Rauschenberg 'principally' as the precursors of
to the factual aspect of Mr Kosuth's contribution. `Conceptual Art' or anything else. I was merely
In 1965, he was a student at the School of Visual listing some relevant early work. Again, Mr Claura's
Overflow Arts where he was engaged in trying to make paint- arbitrary selection of these two artists may have
VANCOUVER IS BEING FLOODED WITH A ings that were distantly related to the de Stijl suited that paragraph's personal attack, but it has
NEW GREAT ART'SO TAKE CARE philosophy (as he likes to talk philosophy). Not nothing to do with me or the article.
BRUCE MCLEAN long after, he was working on a term paper for me Mr Claura's myriad references to culture under-
Vancouver on Ad Reinhardt, whose presence in such a time is score perhaps one of his obsessions, but it certainly
British Columbia sorely missed. And very shortly after that, he en- isn't one of mine. As I was born in Ohio the son of
countered a young instructor who has since exhi- a baseball player, I suggest that if anyone has a
bited both in Switzerland and Germany, and who cultural millstone around his neck it is the gentle-
Sol LeWitt's wall drawings is also a critical intelligence of marked interest. man from Paris.
I found the attempt by Barbara Reise, in the That was Mel Bochner. Mr Claura's adolescent and hysteric conclusion is a
December issue of Studio International, to extend It happens that Bochner was engaged in a private suitable ending to the whole mess. But it's good
our understanding of Sol LeWitt's work, a great inquiry into the use of reproductive machines, that Mr Claura has told us his fears.
deal less illuminating than the artist's own state- particularly the Xerox machine, in relation to Joseph Kosuth
ment (Studio International April 1969). The clarity visual art and, yes, conceptual art. Bochner com- Grand Street
of the latter revealed inconsistencies which Miss piled a 'book' which consisted of Xeroxed contri- New York
Reise's verbosity tended to obscure. butions of works by himself and many others,
LeWitt makes definite statements which are mani- which was then exhibited. Not long after, Kosuth
festly untrue : demonstrated his readiness to entertain a new Art at risk
`The page of a book is an absolute two-dimen- `philosophy' and, seizing upon the current vogue I have just received by airmail my piece 13 sheets of
sional space.' (in 1967) for that lovely word 'conceptual', he 8½" Graph Paper from the ICA, where it was ex-
`The drawings are done on a wall directly so embarked (with not a little kind assistance from hibited as part of Attitude/Form Exhibition. Al-
that a condition of absolute two-dimensionality his teacher Mr Bochner). The Museum of Normal though casually packaged, it was insured for
is maim ained.' Art—let the others tell you about that. I am only damage in return transit. Such thoughtful pre-
Miss Reise touches on the flaw in these statements concerned with adjusting the historical lapse of cautions, however, were not taken, either by the
in the first footnote of her article: memory which seems to afflict Kosuth. ICA or Kunsthalle, Berne, for the period of exhibi-
Drawing, 'while approaching the immateriality It seems that England is more distant than the jet tion. Six sheets were defaced by some mindless
of two-dimensionality (itself a concept) is per- airlines suggest. wielders of magic markers. The piece is destroyed.
ceptually (i.e. physically) experienced and Yours sincerely When I was first informed of this damage, by some-
there.' [Italics mine] Dore Ashton one who had seen the exhibition, I wrote the ICA
She, like the artist, seems to treat the fact that Head of Department of Art and for information. I was told at that time, at least six
two-dimensions can only exist as a concept as Architecture History months after the origin of the exhibition, that no
irrelevant: whereas, in effect, it makes nonsense of The Cooper Union insurance was available for work of 'this kind'.
both articles. New York This being the case, I believe it was the museum's
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