Page 16 - Studio International - May 1971

sculpture by her was dependent upon a suitable per cent in the price which anyone else would Art in recession
site being found. With this in mind Dame have had to pay at the Gallery, and this offer was
Barbara, who lives in Cornwall, came to London accepted. Technology and art 25
in the Spring of 1970 to look at certain of our
parks. Following her visit she wrote to me of A group of a hundred artists and others met
Dulwich Park: 'Everything was looking so on the lawns of Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi on
beautiful; but we seemed to fly straight to the December 20, 1970 to organize an all-India
chosen spot and I have never seen a more lovely move of protest against the Triennale and the
site for an eight- to nine-feet sculpture in my Lalit Kala Akademi. Artists from Ahmedabad,
life. From every point of view there was a most Baroda, Madras and Srinagar had specially
glorious background of trees and varied bushes, come to attend this meeting. Artists from
all of extreme grace, and a slight rise in the different regions submitted the final list of artists
ground from one point of view which would who have decided to boycott the Triennale and
particularly suit the sculpture I have in mind'. the Lalit Kala Akademi until it is
This was reported to the Arts Sub- fundamentally re-constituted. Vrishchik has
Committee, who at their meeting in June 1970 submitted the list of signatories. The total
decided to purchase Divided Circle and place it number of artists in dissent has reached 150.
in Dulwich Park. The Sub-Committee were An ad-hoc committee of protest was made by
aware that they were purchasing one of an the artists present with names of artists suggested
`edition of six' and that this is a perfectly from different cities. The meeting resolved to
normal transaction where bronze casts of form an Arts Council of India to look after the
sculpture are concerned. Nevertheless I asked interests of working artists.
for, and received, an assurance from Dame
Barbara Hepworth that no other cast of Divided We are in an economic recession, in case you
Arguments that there are 'far too many art
Circle would be placed on permanent display in students' were refuted by Lord Eccles, Minister hadn't noticed. All round, people working in the
Greater London. with responsibility for the Arts, at a recent prize arts, whether dependent on official grants or
Dame Barbara informs me that she has presentation in London. He was constantly being British Steel's advertising budget, are
recently lent another cast of Divided Circle to told this, he said, and it was true that there were tightening their belts for a lean year of so, like
Coventry Cathedral for display within their not enough jobs for the students and they could others who depend on a high level of consumer
not all make their livelihood in the arts.
precincts for a limited period, but I feel that it `But people studying social sciences don't all spending and economic confidence .The
would be a pity if Londoners had to make a make their livelihoods in the social sciences, I can situation is not much better in the USA. A good
special journey of nearly 100 miles to enjoy this tell you, let alone the people learning ancient time for thinking.
Greek. In my opinion, it would be a terrible
great work of art. It is no good complaining that art has fallen
The honourable gentleman, who is a mistake to restrict the number of places at art into the category of a marginal or leisure
colleges just because it is certain that not always a
member of my Committee, should be aware that fraction of the students are going to get their activity. If this is so, it is the fault not of the
it is an accepted practice to make a specified Sunday joints for the rest of their lives by public, or the art-dealers or the Conservatives,
number of casts of a work of sculpture in practising art. Art is an awfully good kind of but for the most part of artists themselves. Some
bronze. Perhaps he does not know that education in its own right. Whether you are going artists think the world owes them a living, and
to be window-cleaners, or housewives, I think art
foundries often make a charge to the sculptor of grumble when the world defaults. Others seem
is a good way of preparing yourself for the world.'
several thousands pounds for each bronze cast. Lord Eccles, speaking at the Federation of to accept that they are luxuries or novelties,
Question by Mr Tremlett: Does the Chairman British Artists' former galleries in Suffolk Street, over-priced when times are easy and useless
recall the Arts Committee was led to believe that SWI, was presenting the prizes for this year's when times are hard. Others are successful
the other five copies would probably be on Stowells Trophy, the open painting competition enough in their careers to ride through a bad
for students at the main art colleges.
display abroad ? year, or hope that the German art market will
Reply : No. The Arts Sub-Committee did stay firm.
take the view that if any other generous person Editions Alecto opened a new gallery and No doubt the economic cycle in Britain will
workshop at their premises at 27 Kelso Place,
or body was minded to commission a piece of London W8, in mid-April. Alecto International, turn upwards in a year or two; it may be doing
Dame Barbara's for the enjoyment of Greater a newly-formed company, is to provide complete so already. But these are short-term local
London they would prefer Londoners should `galleries' (conceived as multiples) which will be fluctuations, depend on some very specific
have the benefit of seeing a different piece of her shown at leading museums and department stores factors (labour relations, exchange rates, credit
work in addition to the one we were going to round the world. These 'galleries' will contain a restrictions etc.). If we look at the longer-term
complete collection of Alecto's graphics and
purchase. There was certainly no suggestion she multiples, which range in price from £1 to £1000. world situation, it is clear that there is a crisis of
should not be free to make her work available to larger dimensions. One of its symptoms is the
Bolton or Coventry and we didn't consider Kumi Sugai's first London one-man show, loss of faith by the industrialized nations in the
whether New York or Chicago should have an at the Circle Gallery, 9/13 Grosvenor Street, imperative of economic growth. In the USA
embargo placed upon them. They have both London WI, (until May 15) includes a group of groups of citizens in every walk of life are
sought pieces of this great work. major new paintings. campaigning for 'environmental quality'.
Question by Mr Illtyd Harrington: Will he `Ecotips' are published for housewives,
convey to Dame Barbara that some of us in this Twenty-four British sculptors are to be instructing them to recycle cans, wash their
Council have aesthetic inclinations and we are commissioned by Peter Stuyvesant Foundation linen in biodegradable detergents, and refuse to
to produce proposals for works to be erected on
not all Philistines ? public sites in eight British cities. Project co- buy expensively packaged goods. Healthy as this
Reply: I think Dame Barbara is very happy ordinator is Jeremy Rees, director of the public concern is, the more perceptive social
for her work to be seen anywhere and it was as a Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol; Phillip King, the critics are realizing that the economic, military
gesture of generosity on her part that when the sculptor, and Stewart Mason, director of and political power of the USA affects the
education for Leicestershire, will nominate
Council was minded to make this purchase she sculptors and select proposals; and the Arts `environmental quality' of many foreign nations
suggested to me that for the benefit of Greater Council will support the project with a series of as well—most damagingly, South-East Asia—
Londoners she would make a reduction of 25 related documentary exhibitions. and that what is needed is a radical reassessment

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