Page 20 - Studio International - May 1971

opposition to the prevailing European The source of this 'defensive conservatism' promotion of ideas to the contrary. No-one can
celebrations of post-war 'angst'1, with formal/ is not far to seek. It is now more apparent than it assess what was lost (in terms, for instance, of
material conglomerates. The lack of perhaps was in the early sixties that the radical what was gained in far smaller European centres
immediately apparent European art history in appearance of 'New Generation' sculpture—its like Düsseldorf), between 1965 and 1970, for
Caro's sculpture of the early sixties, and in that bright colour, flat finish, hermetic/ lack of first-hand experience of work and of
of those then closest to him, allowed one to enjoy constructive composition etc.—should direct dialogue between British and American
it—as I could enjoy little of the most probably in the majority of cases (again, I feel artists, critics, dealers and public outside the
`celebrated' contemporaneous English that King and Tucker at their best are domain of modernism (`formalism').
painting—as an antidote to the archness, exceptions) be attributed not so much to a My own 'change' of commitment has been
picturesqueness and incipient naturalism that purposeful departure from immediately in many ways the result of direct contact with
has tended to vitiate most of even the best inherited art (specifically 'sculptural') traditions, artists, American and British, who do indeed
English art in this century. There was also at as to a sense of involvement with problems of stand outside—I would say stand beyond—this
best in English sculpture at that time a sense of colour and shape which the American painters domain.
rational intelligence at work upon areas of shared had shown could be the subject of serious
concern. (See for instance the writings of concern and the source of serious art. II
William Tucker.) Kenneth Noland's work of the late fifties and I acknowledge the degree to which distance
The advanced sculpture course at St early sixties was of particular relevance; but it is lends disenchantment to my own view, and I
Martin's indeed acted during the first half of the worth noting that Pollock was not well shown in hope I have some grasp of the reasons why.
sixties as a lively and self-generating forum for England until 1958, and that not more than I have found myself at times disinclined to give
discussion, criticism and working out of new about half a dozen paintings by Barnett Newman full credit to artists of real independence whose
possibilities for sculpture.2 By about 1962 a have been seen in public in England to this day work I really do enjoy and admire—as I do the
certain definite style—with individual (i.e. there's still much American painting from best of Caro's for instance—because the climate
variants—had emerged in the work of at least the fifties which can come 'new' to the English created by the acceptance of their work has
half a dozen sculptors, all born in the mid- public—even to many English artists). seemed to militate against the best work of a
1930s. (The so-called 'New Generation'. To Apart from the evident benefits, this sense of younger generation of artists who could use
my mind Phillip King and William Tucker `affinity' with American painting suggested an some support in their own attempts to assert
were, and still are, the strongest and most `alliance' at the expense of some other interests. their independence.
independent of these.) Some grand claims The promotion of the idea of a 'special One must not, however, forget that the
were made by interested critics: relationship', between American and British circumstances of art are changed essentially by
`I think certain younger Englishmen are doing `modernists'/'formalists', in which the the making of good art. In the course of my own
the best sculpture in the world today . . . Americans were to be acknowledged to be good first attempt to assert some independence for
Given the present situation in New York, I at painting and the British to be good at myself, some difference of purpose in what I
begin to think—actually I began to think of it as sculptures, helped to suppress information and then wanted to be—an Art Critic—I wrote that,
a possibility in the Fall of 1963 —that it may be discussion about issues, outside the scope of Tor those who have been most closely
up to the milieu formed by the new English formalist criteria, about which there was far concerned with the development of British art
sculptors to save the avant garde.' (Clement more curiosity among younger artists than there since the war, it is now too late. The
Greenberg3) was information available. commitments are all to people rather than to
`It seems to me more than likely that we are That the American work shown in London paintings, to the image of an organization rather
witnessing, here and now, one of the great during the sixties was so predominantly than the force of an idea." That ambition of
epochs in the history of art.' (Alan Bowness4) `modernist' has been severely disadvantageous three years ago (of 'wanting to be' an 'art critic')
Subsequent developments have shown, in to the younger British artists. My own feeling is seems now archaic, for reasons which have
this context as in others, the rashness of that there has been little enough independent offered me, like others involved now in art's
judgements based upon 'new looks'. Caro painting of really high quality by 'modernist' second order of discourse, the same cold
himself (... 'the Moses of British sculpture'— painters in America since 1965 (if one discounts comfort as I thought then to extend to writers I
Greenberg) still seems able to draw strength Stella, as the modernists themselves now despised (they haven't got any better): `... for
from the 'moral consequences' of a change of apparently tend to do).7 And where those his judgements to have weight, the critic must be
habit made over ten years ago; but I feel that his American painters emulated in England—as as committed as the artist to the priority of art'.
works, and the criteria of formal `syntax'5 by Noland and Olitski are emulated—are In a context where a number of artists become
which their quality can be assessed, in fact represented in so rarified an atmosphere as they increasingly or more explicitly concerned with
represent the terminal (high) point of a are in London (in certain 'colonized' galleries), the function of art, or with the complexity of
particular aesthetic rather than the opening up whatever is learned or borrowed tends to be relations between functions, the critic's concern
of a new one. It is significant that although many learned or borrowed uncritically. with the function of criticism might be seen as
of the most gifted English artists now in their The English version of the 'modernist/ implying some narrow line dividing their
twenties or early thirties (including many of formalist' versus 'literalist/minimalist' debate— activities; but the 'identification' of this line is
those represented here) passed through the St if debate it is —was throughout the sixties itself convention-based. What would need
Martin's sculpture course, almost all found their characteristically a matter of uncritical loyalty attention would be some claim to be 'on the
situation there uncomfortable to a greater or versus ignorant avant-gardism. By the turn of other side'. Which is to say that one kind of
lesser degree. The criteria mentioned above the decade it seemed that London was lagging commitment—or self-exposure—is not
could not relevantly, for instance, be applied behind at a time when the works of American necessarily reconcilable (or to be reconciled)
then or now to assess the work of Richard artists newly risen to prominence during the with the other. The commitment of the artist
Long—a highly influential student among other sixties—from Morris and Judd through Andre, has, for instance, little to do with catholicism of
students at St Martin's—or, indeed, to the LeWitt, Nauman, Serra, Kosuth, Weiner etc.— taste—a 'necessary attribute' of the critic-as-
`sculpture' of Gilbert & George. Yet there have were to be seen outside America in proportion journalist. CHe has few enemies.' Fewer
been moments when it has seemed as if the to the openness of the welcome extended in friends ?)
reputation of 'New Generation' sculpture European centres both to them and to their art. But the need is still a need to be true to
depended upon the relevance of these criteria The gallery situation in London has been bad for particular endeavours rather than particular
being defended at all costs. years and is no better now—despite some institutions or even people. In any given