Page 40 - Studio International - February 1971

the Munich dealer Friedrich; since then considerations that guided you ? the galleries are basically general stores.
like-minded galleries have often shared my FISCHER: There is no gallery in Düsseldorf that Anything new is just a drop in the ocean.
expenses. is less well-known than mine. Twelve hundred Friedrich, Sperone, Ricke, Art & Project, Wide
JAPPE: When you discover completely new people get my mail shots every month, but over White Space and I are way ahead of any
people, how do you go about it ? three years there have been, at the most, a American gallery from the point of view of
FISCHER: I rely on a feeling. I have a strong thousand visitors to my gallery. I am consistent progressiveness. Just look at Dwan
conviction that I know what is good, otherwise unequivocally an 'in' gallery. And I am dead or Castelli; they have six or eight shows a year,
I couldn't work. What I do is emotional and against 'education' —that's a job for a public and the regulars just come back again and again.
personal. When I have no information of my institution. I just couldn't afford the variations in quality;
own to go on, I rely on the judgment of my JAPPE: And your job ? in Europe blunders can be overlooked, but
friends, especially the artists. For example: I FISCHER: To get artists over here, and to bring they're not forgotten. There's no doubt that
once had to put off a show with Sol LeWitt, and them into contact with those who live here. there is a lot more progressiveness in Europe,
he recommended the drawings of a German When I was an artist everything was so far and progressive art gets a response much more
girl who lived in New York, called Hanne away; Warhol, Lichtenstein and all those were readily here than in America. In New York—
Darboven. I did hastily find a replacement of unattainable great men. But when you know apart from Seth Siegelaub, who's a private
my own, but it turned out to be unnecessary. them, you can have a beer with them and get entrepreneur—there is no gallery accessible to
There is no doubt that good artists respect rid of your inferiority complex. I insist that the the public that has shown Conceptual Art. I
other good artists, and yet there are so many artist has to be there when I show his work. A don't see any point in the progressive American
utterly different personalities, in Minimal and lot has been done in the last few years. Palermo artists moving to Europe; but I do believe that
Conceptual Art, for example, that it doesn't and Richter, for example, two of the German I think this is the place where they have an
lead to the formation of a clique. I owe a lot to artists who have exhibited with me, have now interest in finding out what they can do away
these personal contacts; and chance has played been to New York, and they felt at home there from their own known context.
a big part as well. When I was still an artist I because they had already met artists like Andre JAPPE: Do you believe that progressive
shared an exhibition with Richard Long and and LeWitt over here. In the same way, the European art is growing in importance ?
Jan Dibbets at the Galerie Loehr in Frankfurt. Americans go back and tell everyone that there FISCHER: Definitely. In the last few years more
I have never felt so spontaneously enthusiastic are artists over here too. It's not the artists who and more good people from Europe have turned
about anyone as I did about Richard Long. are chauvinists, but the institutions. up and been recognized by the American
He had been at art school with George, of JAPPE: But for the 'Prospect' shows you brought artists, and that's something that didn't happen
Gilbert and George. And Gilbert came from whole galleries over as well ? before. I'd like to make it quite clear that by
South Tyrol, and an exhibition held by my FISCHER: For the first one, yes. At the second this I don't mean Beuys. He is the best-known
colleague Friedrich in Munich made him one it was mainly artists. At the Cologne European artist, but in America they think he's
decide to go to art school in London. That Kunstmarkt only German dealers were allowed a young man. He is possibly the most important
shows that dealers with their exhibitions can do to take part. It would have been really artist of the post-war period, but he isn't young;
more than just show what is new; they are part informative if they had shown what was not and over there they identify him with the rise of
of the process of producing it. On the other known in this country, instead of pandering to Process Art in 1968. If Beuys doesn't want to do
hand, when something gets recommended to chauvinism. The Kunstmarkt is a place to find an exhibition in America, Castelli would only
me, and I have the feeling that I don't out about prices, not about art. Strelow was have to put one together out of Beuys objects
understand it—as with Kosuth's texts—then I well known in Düsseldorf as a journalist, and from the Kunstmarkt; but they're too
leave it alone. And when he puffs himself up in persuaded the city that 'Prospect' was the best expensive for him. Over there people think
Studio International, that's the sort of thing I and most economical way of providing an Beuys is just some new European artist, whereas
can't take. The most important test is the informative international survey of the latest he's really a classic.
exhibition itself Of course you have a big tendencies in art. This is quite right; the JAPPE: So when you talked about young artists,
advantage over the collector or the critic, when trouble with a gallery is that the exhibitions whom did you mean ?
you stay with the stuff for a whole month. come one after the other, there are no visible FISCHER: Of the young artists from Europe who
Sometimes I come home after setting up an tie-ups, no direct juxtaposition, and yet different have gained recognition in America, the first
exhibition and say 'Great, the best I've ever tendencies do have a lot in common. I can't sell ones I think of are Richard Long, Hanne
had!' And then a month later I see there's anything I am not convinced about. A museum, Darboven, Daniel Buren, Jan Dibbets, and
nothing to it at all. It's better to move on the other hand, can provide the whole Gilbert and George. They were on show at
gradually from scepticism to enthusiasm than spectrum of information without having to major international events like the 'Attitudes'
the other way round. Of course there are some engage its own responsibility with respect to all show in Berne and the Tokyo Biennale, and
enthusiasms that last, but quite aside from the artists individually. next year they will be represented in a central
enthusiasm, the momentary spark, I have set JAPPE: Your German colleagues have criticized position in New York—but I don't want to talk
out to promote a single tendency, and not to you on the grounds that 'Prospect' lured the about that yet. Richard Long now has a contract
keep a general store. If you specialize you can collectors away from the German art market. with Dwan. He had his first one-man show at
be clearer about the way to go. FISCHER: Practically nothing was sold at my gallery in September 1968.
JAPPE: Can you outline what this single tendency `Prospect', there wasn't any poaching of clients, JAPPE: How is it possible to establish an artist,
is ? and anyway the big collectors are known and to keep him going, with limited financial
FISCHER: To start with it was a new tendency internationally. resources ?
that no one knew about in Europe, Minimal JAPPE: Yes, but in that case why did the FISCHER: The artists get their plane tickets, they
Art, and then it was the consequences that American galleries come ? They had to bear stay with me—that's why I have such a large
came from that: an abstract, reduced, serial art. nearly all the cost themselves. flat. The material costs are low. When I find an
Conceptual Art above all. FISCHER: I am absolutely certain that it's artist I can't start thinking about who is going to
JAPPE: Although you represent a kind of art important to the American galleries to have a buy. To start with I did try a few times to have a
that the public finds uncongenial, you have progressive image in Europe. In America this specific buyer in mind, as dealers usually do.
become one of the best-known dealers in image hardly exists at all; in Europe there are But I was never right. I made a fool of myself.
Germany because you have had an effect on the much better galleries, as far as courage and Really. No gift for it. I'm not going to call up
artistic climate as a whole. What were the progressiveness are concerned. In America all some collector and talk him into something.
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