Page 57 - Studio International - September 1970

MCEWEN: Well the Museum of Modern Art making a movie which can be owned in in America. A lot of people talk about
in New York had to set up a shop to cope another sense. And I also like the idea of multiples as a way of getting out of the
with the demand, and the quality of what making a huge piece which could be owned `gallery situation' and so on. If multiples were
they now sell is not startlingly high but never- in the sense of public knowledge through a on sale at Habitat or Heals or Harrods would
theless it provides a stimulating atmosphere museum or something. I think they're it really be any better than their being on
for the people going there. They can go and different feelings, and there seems to me to be sale in a Bond Street gallery?
buy a thing which could be a really beautiful a gap in that area of being able to buy, being STUDHOLME : I don't think it's any better or
piece, designed by someone using their able to own pieces produced by artists. any worse. The thing is that so many galleries
capacity to the full, for a few shillings. You OVERY: But isn't the kind of thing that are such frightening places to go into. People
go into the Tate and you're confronted with Editions Alecto is doing partly a response to who should buy cheap multiples, on the
tens of hundreds of books. a particular market—in your case people who whole, are pretty frightened about going into
LEVERETT: McEwen do you think there can't afford a very high price or may not have galleries and being upstaged by some blasé
should be a price ceiling in multiples ? room for a large painting, but can afford a young man who knows, obviously, a lot more
MCEWEN: I just think that art, generally small portable edition. about it than they do and usually doesn't
speaking, is not available in concrete form STUDHOLME : Yes, to make good art attain- hesitate to make it pretty clear that he does.
except to a favoured few on account of the able to as many people as possible at as OVERY: Does the idea of conceptual artists,
price. And I can't believe that there are many reasonable a price as possible. that the object is unimportant, present a
artists who would really feel strongly that this OVERY : You are working for a very definite challenge to the multiple ? The idea that the
is a good thing. market ? work can be a set of instructions, or just be a
ovERY : Does art have to be something that STUDHOLME : Not a definite market, but the description, something just written down...
people have to own? Do you have to buy market should be and could be unlimited. I LEVERETT: Sure. I can accept that could be
something in order to appreciate it? think it's a slow process getting to them all, and obviously is some artists' concern. I
LEVERETT: No, of course you don't. But it's but it's the intent rather than the market . personally am very materially-minded in
nice to have around. OVERY: It's relatively easy to sell in the fairly that materials fascinate me. And I'm con-
OVERY: Do you, as artists, prefer that some- limited way that you are doing it. The cerned with making things, and to make
body should actually have it in their home difficulty comes in trying to sell something things I need materials, so to deal with an
rather than somebody see it in a museum or in really large quantities. It means one has to abstract thought somehow, is obviously not
in somebody else's home or in a gallery? produce it in large quantities and sell through my area at all. I'm much happier where. I
MCEWEN : I certainly do like the idea of mak- outlets like stores and furniture shops, or can get hold of something.
ing something which is a physical thing by direct mail order, and no-one's really STUDHOLME : I think they can be combined
which can then be owned physically by some- solved this problem of the outlet. It hasn't actually. But from a publisher's or a dealer's
one else. I also like the idea of, for instance, been established as a market, either here or point of view obviously you wouldn't be in