Page 61 - Studio Internationa - March 1971

the evolving styles of the painters concerned. His time in the late 194os when Pollock, Newman, within a 20-year historical perspective. I think
serious intent to respect and directly confront De Kooning, Still, and Rothko generated that Sandler is heroic in having done it.
the art and artists without filtering intermediaries creative breakthrough into the pictorial style I wish I could say the same for Maurice
is testified by his introduction, extensive known as 'Abstract Expressionism'. From then Tuchman, who is listed as 'editor' of The New
bibliography emphasizing artists' statements, on the artists seem less flesh and blood than York School; Abstract Expressionism in the 4os
and thankful acknowledgements to no less than entities in Olympian subcultures : 'The Myth and 5os. The book is virtually a re-edition of the
75 artists for their informative conversation. Makers', 'The Gesture Painters', 'The Color- catalogue for the 1965 exhibition of the same
Obviously his research was an enormous task. Field Painters', and 'The Later Gesture Painters' title which he directed for the Los Angeles
And skimming through the book one blesses (all further Sandler chapter titles). County Museum. It is just smaller in format,
Sandler for incorporating so much of his first- This seems partly because Sandler is also with slightly more garish colour in the
hand material in great raw chunks, duly concerned with describing the evolving reproductions, and some sparse bibliographic
footnoted. Here, one feels, is the nitty-gritty : the pictorial style of the 'major figures' of Abstract additions appended as 'Recent Writings,
artists' voices heard, significant critics' Expressionism. The painters he discusses are 1965-69'. Not that it is a stupid book at all;
primary reactions exposed, and the meat of not surprisingly similar to those included in with profuse extracts from writings by the
history presented au point. Tuchman's version of 'The New York School' : artists (in group and individual statements)
Nothing marred my pleasure reading Baziotes, De Kooning, Gorky, Gottlieb, Guston, and significant contemporary criticism, and the
Sandler's first two chapters on the social, Hofmann, Kline, Motherwell, Newman, Pollock, most exhaustive bibliography on every aspect of
political, economic, intellectual, professional, Reinhardt, Rothko, Still, and Tomlin. Sandler the movement up to 1965, the exhibition
and aesthetic situation of American and gives eleven of these individual chapters of a catalogue has been the most important scholarly
European artists in New York during the bird's-eye-view mini-monograph type. And document on 'Abstract Expressionism' since it
Depression of the thirties and the outset of although I welcome his attempts to describe the first came out—and it is nice that this information
World War II. It's the most vitally written, paintings' content as well as plastic form, these is now accessible on a wider range at a cheaper
beautifully balanced and clearly detailed account stylistic analyses seem the weakest part of the price. But the embarrassing thing is that
of that complex situation I've come across book. For the most part they are dependent on although the exhibition and intentional format
anywhere. Later in the book are chapters of a more cogent previous literature, although there for the catalogue was Tuchman's brainchild, the
similar sociological/art-historical type on: 'A is a nice freshness in the way he pulls things scholarly work (including the selection of
New Vanguard Emerges' (the shift of the 'avant together for Baziotes, De Kooning, Gorky, excerpts, research and organization of the
garde' from European to younger American Reinhardt, Guston, and James Brooks. And his bibliography) was done by Lucy Lippard. When
artists through the words of contemporary very refreshing inclusion of the artists' own the catalogue was published by the museum, it
critics and in the gallery of Peggy Guggenheim); words about their present concerns and feelings was surprising that she did not receive title-page
`The Abstract Expressionist Underground towards art of the past is often awkwardly at credit for this; but then Tuchman began his
Surfaces' (the galleries, little magazines, and odds with some of Sandler's personal acknowledgements with profuse thanks to Lucy
legendary Friday evenings at the Subject of the pronouncements on their thoughts and Lippard for her 'extraordinary contribution to
Artist school, Studio 35, and The Club of that connections with the past. For instance he the documentation in this catalogue'. Those
artistic vanguard between 1946-51); and 'The discusses De Kooning in relation to Picasso, acknowledgements do not appear in the 1971
Abstract Expressionist Scene, 1950-52: Soutine, Lcger, and above all 'Cubism', commercial publication, and Tuchman's new
Success and Dissolution' (the collapse of The reproducing a 1912 Duchamp for comparison `Foreword' does not even mention Lucy
Club through size and internal dissolution, but (pp 129, 133, 1 37), while later recounting De Lippard at all. This suppression of proper
mostly the different critical championing of the Kooning's discussion at The Club focusing on credit for the core of the book is not just non-
movement by Thomas Hess, Harold Rosenberg, Van Gogh (p. 220). In his chapter on 'The heroic or discourteous. It is professionally
and Clement Greenberg). These chapters on the Color-Field Painters' (Newman, Rothko, Still), outrageous —and ought to be professionally
art-world context for the paintings are the most he mentions and reproduces work by Matisse, inadmissible. q
interesting and reliable in the book; but the Miró, and Milton Avery as being among the BARBARA REISE
later ones are more uneven, for Sandler has a `forerunners who gave them permission to reach
tendency to sidetrack into discussions of critics' adventurously beyond figuration into
aesthetics (mostly Greenberg's) while skimming abstraction' (p 151); but his extensive
over artists' gallery exhibitions, varieties of quotations from Newman, Rothko and Still do
early financial success and institutional not mention any of these artists, or even colour. Contributors
acceptance, complexities of collaborations and And Newman (who Sandler says 'carried the Jonathan Benthall is lecture programmes
aesthetics competitions —where more specific color-field idea to greater extremes than either organizer for the ICA... Bernard Denvir
information (however controversial) would be Still or Rothko' on p 185) is quoted as saying lectures in art history at Ravensbourne College
extremely interesting. And after 1945, Sandler's. `... I am always referred to in relation to my of Art and Design ... Andrew Forge is a
wider perspective seems gone. Nowhere does he color. Yet I know that if I have made a painter, writer and broadcaster ... Peter Gidal
mention: the derisive and negative criticism of contribution, it is primarily in my drawing' is an American film-maker living in London
artists work in the popular press and the U.S. (p 190). and has recently completed a book on Warhol
Congress (Pollock was called 'Jack the Dripper' This type of disparity lessens the credibility ...Andrew Higgens teaches at St Martin's
and De Kooning 'Willem the Walloper'); or the for Sandler's own historical interpretations. and Maidstone Colleges of Art... Timothy
interesting fact that none of the artists he There are some factual errors (like the statement Hilton's 'anti-history of English culture' will
discusses except James Brooks was in active that Newman was actually assistant editor of be published next year... Colin Moorcraft
service during the war—or the implications of Tiger's Eye) which also could have been is a correspondent for the New Scientist and
this for their lives and work; and after discussing corrected by consultations with artists is researching at the Architectural Association...
the economic support of the 1930's WPA, no acknowledged by Sandler. One wonders just John Picton is an assistant keeper in the
mention is made of how such passionate anti- how relevantly informative were all those Department of Ethnography at the British
establishmentarians filled their bellies, let alone conversations with artists ? But some credibility Museum... Barbara Reise is a contributing
bought materials and rented studio space. gaps are bound to be created by any book which editor of Studio International . . . Frank
Somehow Sandler seems to become vague as a brings together so much material, opens so many Whitford is the author of a recently published
student of the-artist-as-human-being just at that questions, and attempts to interpret it all from book on Expressionism.
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