Page 28 - Studio International - October 1970

before Pop painting he can only be referring to just an extra careless injustice thrown in for News and notes
the time when I last wrote with any regularity, good measure. Of course I am very intrigued to
the 1955-58 period of my contributions from see respected figures among the British critics'
London to Arts (New York). In trying to write circus taking more than a hint from my three
a striking first paragraph, neatly compressed in successive protests, but always after a lapse of
argument, Tim Hilton has compressed events months or years. A lovely example occurred only ROSC '71, the international modern art
themselves to the point of shunting them into a the other day when we were told on television, exhibition, is to be held in Dublin at the Royal
sequence which is the reverse of what happened: with all the authority the well-known speaker Dublin Society, from 24 October to 29
what happened later he thinks came earlier than commands, that (a) a high degree of chauvinism November. Examples of work created
the Pop period. The whole point, of course, of is now manifest in New York (b) American art is during the past four years by 25 international
the 1955-58 contributions to Arts (NY), so far now in the doldrums and (c) the best painting in artists have recently been selected by the jury—
as American painting was concerned, was that the world is now being done in England. Perhaps James Johnson Sweeney, Pontus Hulten and
all my references to the Americans were wildly there is somewhere just one reader of Studio Werner Schmalenbach. The artists exhibiting
complimentary. My commentary throughout International who will remember the names I include Bury, Graubner, Robert Morris, Albers,
was intensely pro-American, not anti-, as is well was called—crazily patriotic, chauvinistic, Rothko, Riley.
known to critics more scholarly and less dashing paranoid—for making precisely these points in The Museum of Modern Art, New York is
than Tim Hilton. This fact was also extremely 1966, 1968, and 1970 ? opening an exhibition of the work of Barnett
well known to all American artists and critics Finally, a prediction. In perhaps only six Newman on 21 October, which will run until
around at the time, who expressed their gratitude months time from now Tim Hilton will at last io January 1972. Plans for this major
in one way or another—since they had not at that have mustered the courage to de-hypnotise retrospective began several years before the
time established themselves even in New York, himself and face reality. In the second part of death of the artist in 1970. Thomas Hess has
let alone Europe. The Americans to whom I was that deplorable first paragraph of Beached selected some 75 paintings.
rendering this rather valuable service were Promise there is evidence of the slackening of that Northern Arts is holding an exhibition of the
indeed the Abstract Expressionists, so called: it octopus-grip which New York has exerted on work of Paul Nash, which runs until 16 October.
was probably the first consistent and effective his generation: he dares to say 'the mood now is This is the first Paul Nash exhibition in a
support they received from abroad—this at any of an appalled interest in an America whose art public gallery since the Memorial Show at the
rate was what they told me at the time: 'crucial seems so less relevant than its politics ... ' This Tate in 1948 two years after his death.
to the first success abroad of American painting' is fascinating. When his allegiance to America is The Polish Ministry of Culture and Art is
as the head of a department in a New York a little further dissolved he will not be 'appalled' organising a competition for the best print
museum told me in 1965. at the vacuity of American art: and maybe he will entitled 'Nicholas Copernicus and his thought'.
And all this Tim Hilton now has the slovenly gain the candour with himself to recognize that The competition is organized as a part of the
effrontery to totally misinterpret with the if he finds a country's politics actually more International Print Biennale in Cracow. For
clumsy phrase 'the cold-war-period anti- interesting than its art, then that art can't be up further information apply to the
Americanism current when Patrick Heron was to much! It certainly can't justify that sort of Competition Secretary, Biuro
writing' ! I am also not so keen on that word sleepwalker's allegiance which everything in Miedzynarodowego Biennale Graffiti w
`current'. It actually suggests I was Tim Hilton's present stance towards America Krakowie, Krakow, pl. Szczepanski 3a. The
bandwaggoning; whereas the climate in London still betrays. He will suddenly find himself free closing date is 3o October.
was such that I was ridiculed for my pro- to acknowledge supreme quality in British art Eduardo Paolozzi plans to donate his Krazy
Americanism ! Almost everyone in London at the without feeling guilty or frightened: he will have Kat Archives to a Scottish University; a
time was either ignorant of, indifferent to, or caught up with an acknowledgement of the true research fellow is to be appointed to catalogue
hostile to American painting: my writing was situation, which is — it is in British painting of it. It is a very large collection of source material,
the exception, preceding even the enthusiasm the last fifteen years that the most important including all sorts of mass-produced objects
of Lawrence Alloway. historical problems in painting have been faced from all over the world, which are usually
What Tim Hilton is thinking of, of course, and resolved, not in American as he asserts. He considered unworthy of serious academic
are the three articles I've contributed to Studio will come to find it merely natural, and not consideration but which Paolozzi thinks are
International, in criticism of things American. unbelievably audacious and impertinent, to highly revealing of contemporary attitudes.
These are the only three articles I've published acknowledge that British painters took over the The Marlborough Galleries, who have
since resigning from Arts in 1958 and they development of certain major themes which the premises in London, New York and Rome, have
appeared in December 1966, February 1968 and Americans, after 1952, proved incapable of just opened a new gallery in Zurich. The
December 1970. I repeat, they are my sole expanding significantly. That year the Abstract opening exhibition is of works by Matisse.
contribution anywhere to published criticism in Expressionists went 'into production'— and so The Angela Flowers Gallery has moved
thirteen years, and are the sum total of my anti- vacated the centre of the stage. The British premises to 3 & 4 Portland Mews, D'Arblay
Americanism—if that's what Hilton calls my `Middle Generation', so called, took over at this Street, WI, telephone 01-734 0240. One new
specific criticisms of specific features of point. Only ruthless American promotion work by each of the gallery artists made up the
American painting and American promotional prevented this fact becoming apparent at the opening show. The present show is of new work
techniques. time. Its 'discovery', during the next year or so, by Tom Phillips, including the first showing of
Absolutely the only reason why I ever felt is likely to feature large in programmes both Benches I, II, III, recently purchased by the
compelled to take time off from my own work to here and abroad. q Tate.
stick my neck out to put the record straight, in PATRICK HERON Llewellyn Xavier is holding a one man show
the first place, in connection with those first Zennor at the DM Gallery, from 12 October to 2
contacts in the fifties between the Americans November. The subject of the exhibition is
and ourselves, and secondly, by pointing to the [Tim Hilton writes : I was not thinking of George Jackson, and it is being arranged by
crazy underrating of our own painting by the Patrick Heron's recent articles. My point, of Jonathan Cape and Penguin who published the
British critical Establishment, was because no course, was to commend Patrick Heron for prison letters of Jackson in Soledad Brother.
one else was saying any of this. Nor will I admit writing about American art at a time when anti- Art Spectrum London, held at Alexandra
for one second to indulging in British chauvinism Americanism was an English characteristic. He Palace 11-3o August, was attended by 12,836
—a charge implied in the Hilton quotation: that's seems not to have noticed this.] people.