Page 50 - Studio International - July August 1971

The limits of 1912. This is of particular concern to artists, Artists from Camille Pissarro onwards have
most of whom work against a background of the declared their antipathy to the idea of a museum
collecting whole of existing art, not only of the art of their of art in any form : Robert Morris when quizzed
own time, and make choices in relation to it. The about showing his sculpture in the Tate
Sir Norman Reid main function of a great national collection such answered that he had a continuing love/hate
as the Tate aspires to be, is to collect and relationship with museums; William Tucker has
conserve the works of the past so that anyone referred to museums as a 'non-world'. But the
who wants to can see how the art of a country or term was not especially pejorative; it envisaged a
period develops and can experience it in terms of gallery conceived simply as a neutral envelope
real works of art. which can contain a wide variety of messages.
But no museum of modern art can perform The programme of special exhibitions of
its full function through its permanent collection contemporary art at the Tate is, like all such
alone; however rich the collection, the programmes, partly planned, partly
temporary exhibitions which are shown beside it opportunistic. Planning must contend with the
add an entirely new dimension. By borrowing chancy flow of information which may deprive
we can, for example, extend the collection by one of a much desired exhibition which may
showing the whole range of work of one man, or nonetheless be shown elsewhere in London. It
This statement by Sir Norman Reid, director of of a group of artists, in greater variety than any depends on the availability of exhibitions on the
the Tate Gallery, is in response to the following one gallery can hope, or would wish, to possess. world circuit; on questions of cost and our own,
five questions: The division between permanent collection and prior commitments. In any case the
1. How do you see your responsibilities as a public temporary exhibition is in fact partly one of considerations are the same: the judgement of
museum in relation both to exhibiting a permanent ownership. We purchase a painting by Warhol quality, and of particular significance at a
historical collection and presenting contemporary from the recent exhibition— does it thereby particular time.
art ? become more part of history than it was before ? The working relationship between the
2. What factors do you take into account in Perhaps it does : although conceived in isolation, Government (and departments of the Civil
deciding what contemporary art should be paintings and sculptures, when presented in the Service) and the Tate Gallery is that money, staff
presented ? context of other works, reveal new meanings and and services are provided by the former on the
3. What is/are the general working relationship(s) qualities. There is also a simple practical basis of a specific case presented to them
between government, trustees, directors, keepers, advantage in this relationship of old and new, or annually by the Trustees or Director. Trustees
exhibition organizers, and is this affected by the rather of new and newer : the public who are themselves are appointed by the Prime Minister,
exhibition of work by living artists ? already accustomed to visiting a known collection who consults, among others, the existing
4. What was most to be gained and lost in the have the opportunity of introduction to many Trustees.
manner of handling the Robert Morris exhibition new things which they would be unlikely to The ownership of the collections is vested in
and its partial withdrawal ? make a special journey to see had they been the Trustees, who are an independent body and
5. Do you see any effect on the character of your exhibited in isolation—a difficulty which the decide all matters of policy, purchases of works
future dealing with living artists arising from Hayward Gallery has had some trouble in of art, acceptance of gifts, loans, restoration of
your experience with the Morris exhibition ? And overcoming in spite of the quality of the works of art, exhibitions etc. On all these
if so, what ? exhibitions and the other activities on the South matters they take the advice of the Director, and
Bank which bring large numbers of people through him the rest of the staff. Other
The two National collections which are housed there. members of staff—the heads of departments—are
in the Tate Gallery find themselves in the same A more extreme view is to regard the modern usually present at Board meetings to provide
building by the merest chance. The Tate was museum as a sort of stadium of contemporary expert guidance in the field of their own
founded in 1897 as a centre for modern British art where the permanent collection takes second particular responsibility. Decisions of any
painting, and the commencing date of the place to exhibitions, events and manifestations importance are fully discussed by the Trustees
collection at that time was 1790. It was not until of a transitory kind. It could be argued that there in the presence of at least the Director. Broadly,
1917 that the Lane Bequest was deposited at the is a boundary between 'museum' art and the therefore, the staff gathers and presents
Tate, which was then given the responsibility of `raw' art of the immediate present; that there is information and the Board makes decisions
making a collection of the work of modern a difference between what is being created here which are carried out by the staff. Certain
foreign artists, including living artists, who were and now, and what has already shown itself to matters are absolutely in the control of the
excluded from the National Gallery. Since that have some vitality beyond the excitement of the Director and many other decisions and activities
time, of course, the British collection has been circumstances within which it was made. The are devolved by the Trustees on the Director,
considerably extended backwards in time and problem is complicated by the fact that an and by the Director on the staff. Nevertheless,
now begins in the mid-sixteenth century; while increasing amount of art is being made outside the Trustees and Director take responsibility
twentieth-century British painting and sculpture the familiar format of easel painting and studio for all. The effective working of the system is
now forms part of the collection of modern sculpture and we have to ask ourselves whether dependent on a reciprocal trust (as in any
work of all countries. the idea of a museum in a traditional sense is organization). The Trustees (and beyond them,
The advantages and disadvantages of having compatible with the new activities, spectacles, the Government) trust the staff to present them
these two collections in the same building in happenings, earth sculpture and the like which with sufficient and relevant information and to
some ways parallel the question of whether a leave no record other than on tape or film. Many carry out decisions in an efficient and reasonable
permanent collection of modern art should also artists have declared that they are not interested way. The staff relies on the Trustees to support
show temporary exhibitions of work being in the survival of their work and almost with them in all external relationships and to give full
produced now. It turns on whether one believes, deliberation choose materials which are weight to the information and proposals they
as I do, that the making of art is a continuous impermanent. (Incidentally, it may well be put forward. All this works on a fairly informal
process; that the art of the past includes regarded as a duty of the permanent collection basis but there is a clear understanding of what
everything up to the present moment of time to acquire such works if only because the works are the duties and rights of the Trustees and
and that the art of today is, indeed must be, as so protected and cared for may be the only what of the Director and staff. For example it
firmly linked to the past as work of, say, 1911 to examples of their kind which survive.) can be said, at least during the present
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