Page 58 - Studio International - April 1971

come about less on the basis of our suggestion by Universal for their own purposes. Andy
than through the process of exposing artists to Warhol finally opted to reveal an integrally
various companies. Many of the observations imperfect mechanical system, rather than make
made in regard to these few artists apply as a virtuoso display by any conventional definition.
well to other collaborations; I cite them as key Oldenburg was exclusively concerned with
examples of the kinds of issues and problems making mechanized versions of monumental
confronted throughout the programme. sculptures : 'make mechanics obviously stated',
Each of these artist's work suggested to us a he wrote to himself at one point. Such a frank,
process which was then available in a contracted or even ironical, attitude toward the machine
company. For several years Dubuffet had been has long been characteristic of many American
working with cement, making sculptures and artists (Sheeler, Schamberg, Rube Goldberg),
bas-reliefs on a limited scale. Vasarely's plotted albeit with a certain romantic or comic nuance.
paintings called to mind a computer company Aside from these artist-company
like IBM. Oldenburg's proposals for monuments connections, which got the programme
and his anthropomorphising of objects and underway, we generally went to artists with less
animals made the facilities at Disney seem specific notions than these in mind. Few artists
almost necessary. Roy Lichtenstein had started we approached (Donald Judd may be the sole
making his first sculptures, and Universal's exception) expressed interest in reducing
exceptional capacities for non-load-bearing possible action with a company to in absentia
construction (with staff, a material made of fabrication. An artist might indicate to us his
plaster and fibre) seemed of likely interest. (In interest in a specific process, as, for example,
fact, the artist ignored this possibility and went Robert Morris who referred to heating and
directly to work with film.) Warhol's work cooling devices, leading us to research our
suggested to me a latent relationship in companies for this capacity. More often an
holograms. artist would have no notion at all about what a
We approached each of these artists primarily corporation might have to offer, but almost all
with the companies noted in mind, and each wanted to have a look at them. After touring
was responsive. Most of these artists became several companies most artists formulated a
deeply involved with Art and Technology and more or less specific plan of attack, either a
eventually made unusual works of art as a proposal for an art work or a request to explore
consequence of their connections to companies, a particular facility in depth. There were
although not always with the particular company actually only four exceptions to this, that is,
with which they were first associated. artists who toured companies but saw nothing
Lichtenstein stayed with Universal, but to inspire an idea or a desire to work within
Oldenburg and Warhol were to work with them. These four artists were Phillip King,
different companies and techniques than those who flew from London to visit Kaiser Steel,
visualized originally. The other two artists also Wyle Laboratories and American Cement;
became involved in the programme but did not James Rosenquist, who toured Container
develop work to a point of resolution. The Corporation of America, Ampex and RCA;
experiences of both Dubuffet and Vasarely were Peter Voulkos, who went to Norris Industries;
similar. Each is European and over sixty. and John McCracken who visited Norris
They responded to my presentation of Art and Industries, Litton Industries and Philco-Ford
Technology with a carefully planned proposal Corporation.
for a monumental work. Their plans called for Most of those artists who became acquainted
fabulous expenditures, straining even the with corporation facilities wanted to take up
grandiloquent capacity of American industry; residence at a particular firm. Over fifty artists
but there was a distinct reluctance on these wished to collaborate; twenty-three of those
3 Tony Smith artists' part to engage with engineers and actually did, spending varying periods of time
Installation Expo 70 administrators in a true give-and-take manner. at a company or companies. (This was roughly
Corrugated cardboard The concept of personal dialogue-critical to the the percentage of successful matches we had
Executed in collaboration with the
Container Corporation of America nature of Art and Technology-was not at all anticipated achieving when we drew up the
Courtesy: Los Angeles County Museum of Art intriguing to these artists. budget a year earlier.) We can now conclude
Photo: Tami Komai
In contrast to the Europeans, most American that two factors largely determined whether or
4 Richard Serra artists chose-often from a bewildering array of not a collaboration would result from our
Skullcracker Series 1969
Steel plate and scrap possible techniques -a relatively simple preliminary efforts. The first consideration had
18 x 18 x 50 ft process, approaching the problems implicit in to do simply with the artist's personality, most
Executed in collaboration with Kaiser Steel particularly his ability to communicate with
Corporation, Fontana, California it with single-minded tenacity. This was clearly
Photo: Malcolm Lubliner observable early in Art and Technology in the diverse kinds of people. This was of course a
5 Claes Oldenburg experiences of Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, and subtle factor, not quantitatively definable, but
Giant Icebag 197o Warhol. American artists tended to focus on a observable nevertheless. Les Levine's somewhat
Vinyl, wood, electrical mechanism single technical principle or device. To do this casual, free-wheeling manner, for example, did
15 ft 6 in. x 18 ft
Produced by Gemini GEL properly, it was found, was no easy matter. not ingratiate him to the people at Ampex;
Photo: Tami Komai Lichtenstein's project at Universal seemed Iain Baxter's seeming frivolity was worrisome
`primitive' to their sophisticated technicians, to Garrett; Len Lye's definiteness about his
at least until the real nature of his desire became demands and impatience with apparent
apparent, for Lichtenstein wanted a pictorial technical limitations did not inspire the-Kaiser -
quality many more times precise than is needed personnel. But of course each company