Page 16 - Studio International - July August 1971
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was for group art, but the organizers had to   Correspondence                       offer a statement taken from a conversation I
     resign themselves to the fact that they had called                                  had with Warhol recently that at, least clarifies
     into existence only ad hoc conglomerates which                                      how he feels about Reinhardt's paintings.
     satisfied no one, least of all the artists themselves.
     Obviously there is no simple recipe in the                                          Siegel : How do you feel about Ad Reinhardt's
     present crisis. The exhibition Aktiva 71' at the                                    paintings ?
     Kunsthaus in Munich, open to artists under 35,                                      Warhol: I went to Reinhardt's studio and I
     showed that even those incorrigibles who still                                      think Reinhardt was there and I think he
     believe in individual achievement are still                                         showed us all this work and it was so great. I
     groping around in a pretty disorientated manner.                                    only liked when he began painting the same
     The photographic realism that has been raising   `Andy Warhol and Ad Reinhardt'     painting over and over— these were my
     its head lately is an evasion of the real problem.   Although Max Kozloff's article, 'Andy Warhol   favourites — you know, the black paintings. But
       The manifestations of the younger generation   and Ad Reinhardt' (March issue), contained   then I was so suprised when he took out all
     were pushed into the background by two other   some brilliant comments about the '6os,   those things—red things and different shapes
     events in the south: the large Dali exhibition in   Warhol, and Reinhardt, it left me reeling from   that he had around the studio—it was strange
     Baden-Baden and the second Nuremberg      the involved network of similarities and   because I always thought he did just the one
     Biennale. Even if the artistic value of Dale's   differences between the protagonists that he   thing....
     supershow was disputable, it was worth    established. Like a Stella interlace leaves me
     considering as a sociological phenomenon: it   wondering what band is in front and what is   See what I mean ? It's all pretty simple. Warhol
     broke all German gallery records with x5o,000   behind, the article had me totally befuddled as   sees Reinhardt's paintings just the way, at some
     visitors in two months. Above all, young   to whether they were finally together or far   point, Kozloff described Warhol's.
     people —a suspect group to the public, who call   apart or did everything cancel out everything ?   JEANNE SIEGEL
     them the hash generation—streamed in masses to   In case anybody else had the same reaction, I   New York
     savour Dali's mirror-smooth dream world. The
     museum as a place of pure visual gratification, as
     an oasis for voyeurs and aesthetes ? This is   Science in art                       environmental or otherwise...
     rankest heresy to those responsible for the                                            All the activities related to art and
     Nuremberg Biennale. They set out to submit                                          technology, and art and science, undertaken by
     the spectator to a strenuous educational   Marcello Salvadori, director of the Centre for   individuals or groups must be fully supported as
     experience, as thorough, comprehensive and   the Studies of Science in Art, writes : The revival   they provide a fresh attempt from which new
     involuted as has always been the custom in   of interest in science in art emphasizes the very   movements can spread out. But I think that
     Germany. The overall theme was 'Artist —   significant problems that now confront the   periodical adjustments are essential to under-
     Theory — Work' and the motto, Dürer's remark   artist. These problems are many. The most   stand the areas in which science and art can
     `What beauty is I do not know'. The concurrent   serious is long-term planning: firstly for an   collaborate today.
     celebrations of the sooth anniversary of Diirers   understanding of the bulk of technological and   Lately a variety of people from different
     birth are best passed over in discreet silence;   scientific complexities; secondly for the   walks of life and disciplines have been joining
     they are not primarily a matter of art criticism   diversion of the acquired knowledge towards   the art world on the administrative side. The
     but a tedious chunk of German ideology. Over   different emphases and uses.         dangers for them are in not taking their
     400 exhibits, from Dürer and Leonardo to    The first reaction seems to me to be a turning   homework seriously (or in not doing it at all), or
     LeWitt and Darboven, illustrated the Biennale   towards technology and technological   in thinking of art as an amateurish exercise; or
     theme, which was classified into eleven different   application which satisfy both traditional   in not seeing the needs and problems of the
     aspects; additionally the spectator was hectored   object-making and traditional aesthetics. This   artist and the extreme seriousness with which
     on all sides by signboards setting out the artists'   causes fundamental confusion between science   the arts must be treated.
     theories. By the third section, at the latest, the   and technology. The confusion is worse   Perhaps it is right to say that the arts
     visitor had forgotten that he had actually come   confounded by interaction and fragmentation of   today, find themselves in the position of
     to see paintings.                         science and technology, creating an illusion   `commenting' only on the political, sociological
       The trend towards didacticism in German   where marginal activities take place in a some-  and technological-scientific scenes, but we do
     exhibitions might be dismissed as a tiresome   times heroic effort to divert the monolothic   not actively shape and influence our environment
     whim of the museum people, were it not for the   activity and attitude of technology.   any more. I don't think this a cause for regret—
     very real fear that next year's `Documenta 5'   In scanning the latest advents one can say   because we have yet to understand fully not only
     will become a hybrid outgrowth of just such   with certainty that the overriding struggle is   the interaction of science and art, but also
     didactic ambitions. At the last press conference   still with technology: a classical example is the   human evolution and its possibility of creating
     in March this year, it became only too spookily   computer art event. As soon as we enter the   artificial byospheric changes—and perhaps a
     clear which way the triumvirate of Harald   world of computer graphics or computer design,   complete superimposition of man-made
     Szeemann, J. C. Amann and Bazon Brock was   the uncomfortable feeling arises that the problem   nature on Nature. This dilemma is an essential
     heading. Until a short time ago it looked as if this   `design' has been left untouched. I do not think   part of global knowledge which the artist needs
     was to be a Documenta for conceptual artists; it   that the acceptance of the tool (the computer),   in his training.
     has now become apparent that we are going to be   its devices, and the adding of technique   I have been watching closely the latest
     treated to an exhibition of three particular   variations, in order to achieve a pattern   activity of the ICA, and although their scientific
     conceptual artists. The new theme is as follows :   (whatever that is, a portrait or a geometrical   lectures are admirably organized, the dangers in
     (x) Reality of Representation; (2) Reality of the   exercise), is an answer to the sociological artistic   introducing the sciences to the arts can in time
     Thing Represented; (3) Identity or Non-   implications that the computer poses.     be self-destroying, as from the very first lecture
     Identity of Representation and Thing      Generally speaking (except in a few research   no attempt to inter-relate them has been
     Represented. This is to be expounded through   instances) the design handled by a computer   seriously made (towards the arts) and of course
     socialist realism, advertising, kitsch, design,   under the headings 'Computer Art' or   in the West science and technology are much
     traffic signs, caricature, action, sport and play;   `Computer Design' does nothing to create order   more vulnerable to economic and political
     oh, and art objects. 111                  or anything different from the existing chaos,    pressures than are the arts. D

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