Page 58 - Studio International - September 1970

business unless you had something to sell. industries that I've come across where the in your box marked artist.
OVERY: Certain designed objects are really people that one has had to deal with have LEVERETT: ...no. The initial demarcation
multiples. Or have become so in this century— very little idea what the artist is about. They line for the artist is that he is interested in
the chair for instance. just cannot see that the idea can eventually making something, whatever that may be.
STUDEHOLME: Well I think that just brings it be sold. They just don't somehow imagine Now if it so happens to turn out to have a
back to what we were discussing before, that that block of foam, or whatever it may be, function all well and good, but I'm worried if
multiples are not new. actually can sell. And there's a lot of sceptic- it gets to something which is clinical, which
LEVERETT: The word 'multiple' creates so ism. If one was taking a set of flying ducks or looks like a piece of packaging or something.
many red herrings and so many blind allies something like this they could probably I don't think it's an artist's job just to design
in terms of defining the word, when the relate its market factor, but something which something. That's a designer's job. An artist's
important thing is the object or the article is entirely new, something that they haven't job is much more self-indulgent than sitting
that's being produced by any particular experienced before, they begin to question down and redesigning a knife and fork.
method. whether in fact it's a viable article for them to MCEWEN I would like to feel that my com-
STUDHOLME : Do you think it actually comes get involved with in terms of disturbing their pany could get involved in a collaboration
back to who sells it rather than produces it? routine. They say, 'Right, well if he wants it between an artist and certain processes, which
That if it's sold through an arty organisation, done he's going to pay for it because we don't we've been talking about, which would
it becomes a multiple, and that this possibly believe in what he's doing'. produce something in terms of his work
frightens the department stores, and if it was OVERY: So in a sense they'd be more prepared which would be absolutely new and fulfil all
just called an object, it would be easier for to accept the artist who was just making a the functions that he could possibly want it to
them to sell. They wouldn't have to think, kind of one-off job which involved some kind fulfil. As an artist. And it would also be
`My God, we're suddenly involved in art, all of technological assistance. cheap. And available. On an unlimited
those long-haired people and they won't know LEVERETT: For advice, they're terrific. Most scale. That's what I think could happen. I
anything about business'. It scares them off people I've come across can't help enough. mean I can't think of any reason really, why
so that they really begin to look even harder But when it comes down to actually partici- that shouldn't happen, but I think that at the
at the cost per square foot they get and they pating with the artist it's another thing present moment we're in the absolutely
very quickly discover you make more money entirely. initial stages. I mean the piece that I made is
selling brass or something than you do selling STUDHOLME: I think it's a very good thing we neanderthal in terms of plastics technology,
objects, however beautiful. got back to the ducks as the prototype but it does at least get in on the first stage—
LEVERETT: Obviously the word came up multiple. Flying ducks. In five years' time using injection moulding and those sort of
through art. It's one of art's technical phrases people will have got used to the funny things, methods. And it was designed and thought of
as it were; it is in art, so obvibusly one auto- the Rory McEwen things now, and will be in terms of that. But if. I didn't think that
matically associates it with things that are to buying them by the thousands. It's the same something could be produced which wasn't
do with art rather than furniture. problem as in the two-dimensional print field, just an extension of a design area, or an up-
STUDHOLME: Well I think it was invented at that it is a question of people getting used to grading of seaside gimmicks, then I really
Alecto as a matter of fact [laughter] when the idea that it is alright to buy something. wouldn't be that interested in it.
Dick Smith made his Sphinx series. And they Because it's been around. STUDHOLME : Wouldn't the parallel be for an
were called multiples. OVERY: One of the few examples of multiples artist working in an area of design and making
LEvERETT: I think he should be hung, drawn which really have sold, without actually call- a design object like a chair or a bit of cutlery.
and quartered then. Banished forever. ing themselves multiples, is posters isn't it? People wouldn't regard this as a work of art
MCEWEN: I think there are certain processes Some of them of quite high quality, like the but they could be getting the kind of quality
around which offer new possibilities to us. I Mike English ones a few years ago. They sold that an artist wants to convey, as it were,
mean they're not quite the same as making the presumably because of their associations with without knowing it. And they wouldn't think
thing by hand or even making it by hand- pop music and the so-called 'underground', this is a work of art, and put up barriers.
operated tools. There are a lot of highly they didn't sell as 'art'. MCEWEN: I feel that the gradualism you're
sophisticated processes, which no-one knows MCEWEN: Well I think they were very much talking about is done by any good artist.
about because they're so specialist. And the an ancillary thing to pop music. ovERY: Do you think that there are some
only way, at the present moment, that you OVERY: I think they were yes. They got in hard core multiple artists who will emerge?
can involve yourself in them, is to make an under the door that way. LEVERETT, MCEWEN : Oh, unquestionably.
article which is to be produced in large MCEWEN : I think a lot of things can get in LEVERETT: I was always under the impression
quantities. under the door. After all the Beatles have had that in England it had a very cool reception,
STUDHOLME: I do think we are still sitting in two albums, one designed by Peter Blake and the multiple, in comparison with Europe or
our little boxes, sitting in our corner of the one by Richard Hamilton. America. Most galleries are very cautious
ring sort of fighting the rest of the world and ovERY: Yes records. In a sense perhaps one about them—as to whether they are in fact
there is still an obvious lack of contact be- should be thinking in terms of improving art.
tween industry and art. And anything that things which are already multiples, working MCEWEN: Well, everyone's cautious about it
can be done to get them nearer together must in fields .of multiples like record covers, book but the artist is cautious because he can't get
be a good thing. jackets and things like that. anyone to do it for him, which is why I
MCEWEN: I can never find this relationship so LEvERETT: I think there's a luxury aspect to started my own company. The business man
rewarding myself. With someone like Chris art and that's the luxury business of the is cautious because there's no visible market,
Prater, it's absolutely marvellous, but to artist totally involving himself in what he's there's no set up that you can move into,
communicate with a plastics consultant to a doing regardless of expense. One of the you have to spend a whole lot of money just
large company is exceedingly difficult and things that worries me about multiples that establishing whether the thing is going to
really requires training on the part of the are designed for the multiple market is that work or not. The galleries are naturally
artist to make any kind of progress at all. in a lot of instances the actual personality of cautious because they see it as a threat, and
LEVERETT: I think one of the difficulties is the artist gets lost. the art public are cautious because there's
this particular point that, especially if the STUDHOLME : I think that goes against most of nothing to be seen. In fact it really hasn't
idea is in any way modern, there's a lot of what we've been saying. It's putting you back been given a chance to happen yet. q