Page 24 - Studio International - July August 1970

Correspondence
beyond the pale. In any case all of them were The emphasis of this collection should be historical
blatant hypocrites since they passed them- and biographical with the important qualification
that the best time to record or document ideas and
selves off as revolutionaries, whereas only the
activities is at, or close to, the time when they are
avant garde could be considered true revolu- conceived or happen rather than when they have
tionaries. faded from memory. It will also relate primarily to
Finally he questions her about herself and her artists who have already established a reputation
own role in the avant garde. What do her although not necessarily to those already repre-
sented in the Gallery's collections. It will, therefore,
friends think of her and how do they react to
be complementary to--the information being
her performances? collected by A.I.R. as well as to that collected by
`Mostly with amusement. They don't take conventional libraries of art history.
me seriously. Some of them envy me though. New Archives of Art This project seems to us to be one of the greatest
She's found her own road, they say, she's urgency, interest and usefulness and we shall be
I The Tate Archive extremely grateful for anyone's help. Please write
world famous." to the Archive Department, Tate Gallery, Mill-
`Not wanting to offend her I asked her gently: There is a clear need for an archive of twentieth- bank, SW1.
century British art and of artists working in Britain
"Are you sure you've found it ?" ' Norman Reid
which has been recognised by the Trustees of the
But to this she does not answer, showing him Director
Tate for several years. Such an archive would
instead a sheaf of photographs of her per- bring together and preserve all kinds of records Tate Gallery
London
formances around the world. which may otherwise be dispersed, lost or destroyed
"But have you completely abandoned tradi- and so help to make information about art and
artists more complete and much more accessible to
tional music ?" he asks. II Art Information Registry
students, visitors and researchers as well as to all
' "What? Of course not! I practice at home
interested people. Awareness of this need has been Art Information Registry (A.I.R.) is concerned
every day." growing stronger and stronger with the rising with the promotion of the work of living artists. It is
"What for?" interest in contemporary art and with the increas- at present located at St Katharine Dock, and is
"What do you mean, what for? How will I ing need that some artists feel to make works for setting up apparatus for processing information
particular places or events which may then change exclusively on the living arts. Any artist who wishes
earn a living when I get older? I listened to
or disappear entirely, surviving only in the form of to participate in the scheme should supply A.I.R.
Rostropovich when he was here. I even went
a written or photographic record. with transparencies and photographs of current
back-stage to shake his hand. I was afraid he It seems to us that there can be no better place for work (35 mm. preferred), curriculum vitae, indi-
wouldn't let me when they explained who such an archive than the Tate Gallery which is cations as to fields of particular interest, and copies
I was. But he didn't mind and we shook. pre-eminently a permanent and cumulative of press cuttings or other written material. (All
Museum of British art, where reference back and material can be copied by A.I.R. and the originals
He's a genius too, your Rostropovich." '
forth between document and object would be most returned to the sender, with the exception of
The article ends with Borovik's 'conclusions'.
possible. Indeed the Tate, in the process of acquir- transparencies.)
Having devoted over 5000 words to a not ing and studying works of art, already possesses A.I.R. acts as an agent between the artist and his
unsympathetic description of Charlotte Moor- many documents of the greatest interest and a vast public, rather as a P.R.O. acts as a link between an
man, her work and her views, he draws a collection of exhibition catalogues which is not, industry and its consumers. As a service, it operates
however, by any means complete especially for the impartial criteria, and is non-commercial, non-
twenty-line moral for his readers. She re-
years up to 1945. profitmaking. Full documentation, with emphasis
minds him, he says, of the Hans Christian
The plans which are in hand for extending the on the visual, is collected and processed in order to
Andersen tale of the king who had no clothes. Gallery's building include both an air-conditioned give exhibition organizers and private and public
She and her friends feed rich and stupid storage room for archive material and a study purchasers easy access to it. Because it makes no
American businessmen with a non-existent room where that material as well as the smaller use of aesthetic criteria in assembling material, and
works in the reserve collection will be able to be represents as accurately as possible the material
art, and the latter swallow it whole for fear of
studied conveniently. At the same time the works submitted to it, the artists participating are them-
being called backward or reactionary. No- in the rest of the reserve collections will be made selves responsible for keeping their documentation
body dares say that it isn't art, just as they go available on demand to any visitor who wishes to up to date and presenting it as they wish it to be
to performances of 'Oh, Calcutta' and come see them. presented.
away talking about 'verbal inventiveness' The purpose of this note is to announce that the A.I.R. was initiated in 1967 by a number of artists
Tate has begun actively to seek for and to collect who realized the difficulties encountered by artists
and the like. And his sympathies would
archive material relating to art and artists in in securing outlets and exposure. The Arts Council
appear to be all on the side of Charlotte Britain in the twentieth century and to invite any- of Great Britain has now contributed to and
Moorman, were it not for one circumstance: one who has such material and who might be supported the scheme and its activities.
`The point is that today's commercial willing to give or bequeath it to the Tate or to In the process of setting up survey and documenta-
monarchs are far cleverer and more experi- allow it to be copied or microfilmed, to get in tion, the Registry has already been instrumental in
touch with us. helping to effect sales of works by participating
enced than that straightforward medieval
This has been made possible, at last, by the Friends artists. It has also provided information on the
sovereign of Andersen's. Today's monarchs
of the Tate Gallery who have allocated money mounting of exhibitions, in whole or part, to
have accepted the rules of the game and have from a special fund to cover the cost of administra- gallery, festival and event organizers both in the
themselves introduced the fashion of invisible tion and collection. UK and abroad, and has answered many en-
clothes. As for the crafty tailors, they are The kinds of material that we have in mind include quiries on techniques and other questions. It has
lists, slides and photographs of works of art, further served as an information service for and
having a rough time. The bourgeois philistines
accounts of projects or events, notes and sketches, between artists, and its publication Catalyst
have put them to work permanently for collections of source material where relevant and includes information of lectures, performances
them: go on, friends, protest against bour- possibly, diaries, correspondence, manuscripts or events, etc.
geois conformism in art and even against the offprints of writings, tapes, transcripts and films, The information service intends to assist artists by
war in Vietnam. And the cruel mockers of scrap-books and catalogues. We should also be making available to them information on (a)
extremely interested in records of dealers, collectors materials and techniques, (b) welfare and finance
stupidity have been fairly rapidly trans-
and writers on art and in relevant material from (e.g. available scholarships, awards, grants).
formed, unbeknown to themselves, into friends of artists or from people who have arranged When funds allow, an information services news-
faithful servants and professional beggars. exhibitions or collaborated with artists on work in sheet will be published to disseminate this material
What is worse, some of them, hearing these associated media: prints, theatre, film, television, and provide much-needed communication within
words of encouragement, have actually come etc. the arts. This aspect will naturally depend on the
We have already a considerable nucleus of such willingness of artists to place at the disposal of
to believe that they are weaving a new
records and have promises of material from the Registry information they have themselves ac-
"revolutionary" cloth for society.' q Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo, quired and which can be made available to other
MIKE SCAMMELL Barbara Hepworth among others. artists, thus enabling the Registry to direct