Page 29 - Studio International - June 1970

constituents. The single-mindedness that can There is a paradox here : specialization for a way. They range so wide and sound so com-
cut through all local, present and peripheral species may be the way to extinction, but it is plex that they conceal the fact that the mes-
issues also welcomes what inexorably follows: absurd to suggest that the human species is sage is essentially a very simple one : Malthus
world-industrialization, world-race, world- becoming specialized. The very acceleration has taught us that there is not enough to go
culture, world-language—world-man. If you of industrial potential that is the corner-stone round, Darwin has taught us that only the
ask him where he lives, he replies disarmingly of Fuller's forward-view is inconceivable with- fittest survive. They are both wrong. There is
`on earth'. out specialization. His own dome at Expo '67 enough to go round and everybody can sur-
The unanswerable question is whether global in Montreal would have been impossible with- vive :
`trends' should be welcomed, questioned, or out the specialist skills of metallurgists who `All we have to do is get an overall 12% efficiency in
even opposed. The human species cannot developed its alloys, plastics chemists who per- the economy instead of an overall 4% and you're
abrogate its responsibility to make value judge- fected its acrylic skin, and electronic engineers taking care of 100% of humanity'.
ments about the long-term consequences. In who developed automatic shuttering systems The way to do it is to do more with less. One
this decade of Jeremiahs, Bucky's confidence to follow the path of the sun across the sky. In quarter-ton communications satellite is out-
is infectious, but it simply cannot be accepted this respect, Fuller often quotes Whitehead's performing 175,000 tons of transoceanic
without question. dilemma—that society by devoting its highest copper cable. This is achieved by the design
Many might doubt the ecological validity of intelligence to specialized activities leaves revolution. Comprehensive anticipatory design
the notion of a single world culture, seeing those responsible for putting things together has nothing whatever to do with politics. The
that diversity and variety are essential pre- further and further behind, until the exquisite notion that the design revolution is transcen-
requisites of ecological systems—it is the profu- moment of stalemate where man becomes dental to political ideologies is one of Bucky's
sion of the hedgerow that maintains that incapable of integrating his specialized know- most attractive propositions. The standard of
elusive thing we call the balance of nature— ledge. Specialization without coordination is living East and West is not achieved by
could not the profusion of cultures, languages, certainly dangerous, and may well be the path political ideologies but simply by virtue of
races and societies that is threatened by world to extinction, but who is to coordinate? industrialization—real wealth that cannot
mobility be fundamental to a balanced human Tor years I have had the intuition that in the world decrease: take away the ideologies and no one
ecology? Could their loss not be an extreme of architecture there lies the possibility of the develop- would notice it for some time; take away
impoverishment of human experience ? ment of brilliantly educated men capable of a industrialization and people would be starv-
`I am firmly convinced that I can see clearly regarding generalised comprehensive anticipatory science of ing very rapidly.
a number of coming events and am therefore vitally design, which both can and may be as effective in `Socialism was one of yesterday's ways of dealing
eager that people should not be hurt by the coming of bringing about man's general well-being as specia- with inadequate wealth. Socialism is now as
these events, particularly when I see ways in which it lised education has been in bringing about only obsolete as the stone hammer. So also is undeveloped
would be possible not only for them to avoid hurt isolated successes within an otherwise general environ- state property, or gold capitalism. Gold coins wear
but even to prosper by and enjoy what now seems to ment of chaotic dismay, frustration and high- out. Land erodes. That is why capitalism is
me to be inevitable. Much that I see to be inevitable is frequency failures.' obsolete. Industry and biology are metabolic: they
unthinkingly opposed by various factions of society. If all this smacks of elitism and the old grow.'
Reflex-conditioned society, facing exclusively towards Gropius notion of the architect as 'leader of the Even with his universal comprehensive apoli-
its past, backs up into its future, often bumping its team', Fuller is insistent that it is nothing of tical view, Bucky is something of a one-eyed
rump painfully but uncomprehendingly against the the sort. The results of comprehensive design fish himself—putting all his eggs into a basket
wealth coffers of its future years' vastly multiplying will be 'intuitively acceptable' to society. I labelled 'environment'. He believes man's
capability to favorably control its own ecological remember a vehement outburst during a conditioning to be 5 per cent heredity, 95 per
evolution and the latter's freedom multiplying lecture to students at the Bartlett: cent environment. The central aim of the
devices.' You are all slaves. Emulate the doctors. Don't let design revolution is to reform the environment
Specialization is one of Bucky's most frequent the patient tell you what to do.' and not the man. This involves by far the most
targets for attack : Gratifying as this is to the megalomania of difficult to accept of all Fuller's ideas : what
`All biological species that have become extinct have many architects, a lot of patients might have he calls 'leaving out the human equation'. To
done so as a consequence of over-specialisation. Every- misgivings. him psychology is a guessing game, the
body is born to be a comprehensivist. When nature The marathon lectures go on for three or four psychological environment and the social
wants to develop a specialist, she does—and if she hours, expressed in torrents of unique lan- environment just not worth attending to. But
wanted you to be a specialist she would very easily guage, and covering subject matter from race much to an architect's chagrin, an education-
have designed you with one eye and a microscope to space taking in geometry, ecology and how alist comparing two schools is unlikely to
fastened on to it.' to describe the working of a gyroscope on the mention the buildings. Architecture permits or

YOSHIAKI TONO studied in the Faculty of Aesthetics at temporary Art, the Lisson Gallery, London, and at the Iolas Gallery in Paris and at Heine Friedrich in Munich.
Tokyo University and is now Associate Professor at Brighton Festival.
Tama University of Art, Tokyo. He contributes to IVOR ABRAHAMS was born in Lancashire in 1938. His
Asahi Shimbun, Bijutsu-Techo and other journals and is MICHAEL COMPTON is assistant curator at the Tate work has been shown in various London galleries,
the author of several books on modern art. Gallery. He was responsible for organizing the exhibi- including Camden, Grabowski and Gallery One. His
tion of work by three Los Angeles artists at the Tate `Garden' suite of prints was published a few weeks ago
EDWARD FRY is Associate Curator at the Guggenheim which opened on May 6, 1970. by Bernard Jacobson.
Museum in New York. He is known for his studies of
Cubism and most recently of the work of David Smith, JOHN ELDERFIELD read fine art at Leeds University and JOHN BOULTON SMITH is Staff Tutor of the University of
as well as for his interest in the problems of the future of is a painter, art historian, and lecturer at Winchester London Extra Mural Department.
art. School of Art. He is researching abstract art between
the wars, and preparing a monograph on Schwitters. PETER SCHMIDT teaches at Watford School of Art. He
JEAN CLAY is a French art critic and editor of Robho. exhibited his monoprints at Lisson Gallery, London.
DORE ASHTON, the American art critic, is a regular con-
NORBERT LYNTON is Head of the Art History department tributor to Studio International. JASIA REICHARDT is assistant director of the ICA.
at the Chelsea School of Art.
ED RUSCHA, the Los Angeles artist, has been making Acknowledgements We wish to thank Chelsea House
JOHN FURNIVAL teaches at Bath Academy of Art, books since 1962. He is also a pop painter and graphic Publishers and Mr Riklis, Paul Bianchini, New York, for
Corsham. He has exhibited at the Institute of Con- artist and has done design work for the magazine Art the loan of separations to illustrate the article by Claes
Forum. His work has recently been shown at Alexandre Oldenburg.