Page 14 - Studio International - December 1971

to the Royal Academy in 1970 that by accepting Enemies disenchantment with the latest manifestations
I could perhaps do something to improve the of the art, is an old refrain. Painting is always
exhibiting situation for at any rate some British of painting finished, of course. This refrain reflects and
sculptors. gives expression to that sense of the extreme
We have many good artists and it is essential nature of art. It is almost axiomatic that at any
for their proper development that their work given moment from almost any viewpoint it
should not be inhibited merely by lack of seems impossible that it should go on. But that
gallery space. Factually the exhibition began it invariably does, seems to render art itself to
when, prompted by this thinking, I wrote to the those who long to be creative but find that they
Council of the Royal Academy in 1970. I cannot be, almost an affront to their own
proposed that the Royal Academy should hold unfulfilled creative yearnings. Artists have
triannually a major exhibition of contemporary noticed the phenomenon that critics and others
sculpture in the main galleries. The Council close to art who seemingly care deeply about art
agreed to hold a single trial exhibition provided often seem at the same time almost to hate it. It
that I could show there was sufficient support may not be too far-fetched to say that one of the
forthcoming from the sculptors. prime roles allotted to contemporary so-called
The concept was that the exhibition should experimental or avant-garde art is that of being
be organized by the artists themselves, as much a stick with which to beat conventional art and
as possible, and should not attempt to be a thus assuage the sense of guilt such a love/hate
summary of the whole of British sculpture, or relationship towards conventional art produces.
be built round some particular group. On the If it were, however, the case that painting
contrary, it would consist of a number of was finished, why is it that anyone at all, let
individuals who, while physically separated by An attempt is currently being made, partly alone wave after wave of new young painters,
the room structure, were nevertheless having to conscious and partly by default, to undermine accepts and struggles with an artistic convention
construct work which would function within the belief in the continuing viability of the art of which non-painters can, with a few words,
type of space available at the Academy. In painting. Although this is not confined to one prove so patently exhausted and worn out ? This
other words differing responses to a similar place, at a time when the achievement of is the reason. For a certain kind of creative
problem. painting in this country is far greater than at any imagination—namely the visual one—the
I contacted Philip king, William Tucker, time this century, painting is being subjected not experience of confronting and aspiring to give
Garth Evans, Hubert Dalwood. All these just to indifference and the damning of faint artistic life to a plane produces a physical,
artists agreed that the idea offered sufficient praise but increasingly to a campaign of emotional and intellectual response so deep,
possibilities and agreed to take part. Robert denigration and an attempt to destroy by powerful and unarguably demanding of
Clatworthy, a member of the Academy Council, indiscriminate blanket condemnation a major acceptance that it reinforces beyond all
and I then made a provisional list of twenty-four area of artistic endeavour. intellectual doubt the absolute conviction that
sculptors whom we contacted. It soon became It is hard to believe that relations between this small arena, far from being a limited or
obvious that the idea had the support we had painters and critics and art writers have ever outworn convention, remains the high central
anticipated and the R.A. Council agreed to been so bad or that the level of so much writing plateau of the territory of a visual art. This is the
sponsor the show. A committee of artists was about painting has ever before in this country arena for that synthesis of pictorial space, light
formed and with the help of Philip James, CBE, been so gratuitously dismissive or more and form on a plane of given dimensions which
Exhibitions Secretary of the R.A., a definitive unashamedly lacking in a basic understanding we recognize as capable of carrying special
list of the twenty-four sculptors was agreed. and love for the language of painting, let alone expressive potential and call the art of painting.
In addition to those above, there were Brian showing the deeper commitment which might That this convention is constantly fundamentally
Wall, Kenneth Draper, Bernard Meadows, justify such a destructive critical posture. questioned, tested and literally physically
Kenneth Armitage, George Fullard, Robert In a less literary culture than ours, articulate attacked by painters themselves in no way blurs
Adams, Eduardo Paolozzi, Roland Piché, and passionate support would have been the clarity of its basic definition or diminishes the
Christopher Sanderson, John Panting, Carl forthcoming against charges which where authority of its laws and limits, or undermines
Plackman, Ralph Brown, Martin Naylor, sincere are based often on quite false aesthetic the viability of its language. It is as viable now
Michael Sandle, Antanas Brazdys, Geoffrey assumptions and, where insincere, are examples as it ever was. It provides as difficult a ground
Clark, William Pye, Nigel Hall, Robert of scandalous superficiality and opportunism. for creativity as it ever did. Its potential is as
Clatworthy and myself. Bryan Robertson was But painters, who by definition have not the infinite and its variety as unmeasurable as it
invited to write the introduction to the equipment to oppose this outrage of critical always was. Such is art and such is life and each
catalogue. The Arts Council agreed to some irresponsibility in the medium by which it is requires its conventions. Those who reject the
financial help. At present the artists are perpetrated, cannot expect such support here. convention from within must be sure that they
preparing their work. They have known for a An art loving intelligentsia, at home amidst have earned the right to do so out of unavoidable
year what rooms they will show in and the works books and plays and films and Sunday papers — conviction and inner necessity. Those who reject
are being made specifically for these spaces. that well balanced diet of literature, politics, the convention from outside must avoid
Many of the artists included in the R.A. theatre and fashion—cannot really bear, literally substituting for a deep and open-minded
Exhibition are internationally recognized yet cannot bear, a purely visual artistic reality and personal confrontation, a casual unconsidered
have not been seen on any scale in London. no room has been made available in our cultural and arbitrary judgment based on ignorance,
Others are very young and would in the normal scheme of things for such an art. But such an art visual unresponsiveness or a passing dialectical
state of events show their work in lofts or is going on in England and sooner or later whim.
studios. But in this case the space is assured. It attention must be paid to it. Finally, of course, those who accept it must
is the artist's own decision how he will use that The charge that painting is finished, whether justify their acceptance every creative moment
space and I can only hope that this will not be made defensively to justify a lack of feeling for of their lives and the configurations and images
just an important exhibition but the precursor the medium itself, or from the Utopian of painting are in a large part the record of the
to a wider scene. q viewpoint that traditional artistic conventions attempt to be true to that moral imperative. q
BRYAN KNEALE have become outmoded, or simply from JEREMY MOON
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