Page 63 - Studio International - October 1970

3 Dale Hickey
Black painting 1969
Acrylic on canvas, 7 x 7 ft
Collection: the artist
Photo: Brian Savron
4 Margaret Dodd
Ceramic car —PI 197o
Ceramic, 7 x 7 x 16 in.
Collection: Jim Sharman, Sydney
Photo: Douglas Thompson

4

Australian art. Kaldor's motive in inviting INTERVIEWER : Is it true to say that on your arrival what he meant by autonomy. Instead we've
Szeemann here was to acquaint him with the here, you knew nothing about Australian art ? been left with his fairly insipid selections on
local product in the hope that he would SZEEMANN : No. I knew of course the older which to meditate uneasily, unsure of whether
reciprocate the invitation— that is, would generation, some of them living in England, like Szeemann really thought this was great stuff
arrange some Australian representation at next Sidney Nolan, and I knew about one or two or whether he had defective taste or whether
year's Documenta. (We shall see.) painters here, presented in Art International it was all a colossal if terribly circuitous
Meanwhile, we've had Szeemann's curious and an article which came out in February about send-up of our provincial pretensions. As if to
conspectus of some current Australian art. He the younger generation.2 That was all I knew confirm these unpleasant suspicions, the greater
said that he wanted 'to leave a nice well-done about the local art scene. part of the exhibition catalogue consists of the
child here'. Frankly it must have been still-born. The counter-argument is that there isn't multitudinous details of Szeemann's 'Daily
Szeemann spent precisely thirteen days here, much new Australian art of international Programme' whilst in Australia, right down to
travelling several thousands of miles around the consequence anyway; that what there is is, like `Steak without wine', plus a plethora of
country, seeing approximately seventy artists' the country itself, a makeshift affair, a nation of personal snap shots. Doubtless an art-work in
work, not to mention visiting most galleries bricoleurs, to use Lévi-Strauss's term; that it's itself. Nowhere are there actual reasons given
and museums public and private, plus all the basically a pastiche or bastardization of for his 'happy few' exhibitors' inclusion out of
attendant wining and dining. Under these metropolitan modes, particularly American, the seventy-odd doubtless eager aspirants.
circumstances, what could one expect ? Not with not particularly significant, much less What implicit condescension, it could be said.
much; in evidence the following faux-naif striking, provincial variations thereon; apart, For my part, though, I perhaps naively suspect
Sydney television exchange that is actually that is, from quaint vignettes of the great that out of over-haste and ignorance Szeemann
quoted in the exhibition catalogue as if to outback. This may well be the case, though in chose ineptly, just as have other outsiders such
instantly disarm any criticism of shortcomings : fact the metropolitan-provincial relationship is as Anthony Caro, André Emmerich, James
INTERVIEWER : You arrive in Australia knowing not quite so simple and clear-cut as that and Fitzsimmons, Clement Greenberg and Sir
virtually nothing about the local art scene and not just one-way traffic as English artists, as Roland Penrose, amongst recent tourists, whose
you hope to arrange a representative exhibition well as Australian ones, would appreciate various choices strike insiders as somehow
in something like a week. Will this be a record ? vis-a-vis American ones. In the end, though, wrong-headed and mutually contradictory.
SZEEMANN : It will be one for me anyway. such geographic categorizing seems subsidiary But still, let's see what Szeemann chose and
INTERVIEWER: Have you attempted such speed to Walter De Maria's 'matter of life and death'. vaguely why. His basis was simply this : 'Their
before ? In fairness, though perhaps it's a works were chosen because of their pictorial
SZEEMANN : For a large exhibition I am used to carry-over from the diplomacy displayed in and plastic qualities or their intensity of
working very fast because when I was director that television interview quoted above method, concept, intention, obsession'. Nothing
of two museums, I had to make an exhibition — Szeemann thought that 'this show proves the more enlightening than just that. Almost
every three weeks, but of course it then contains autonomous art character of the local scene'. invariably the artists selected were under 35.
much more, this one will be made in one week. Unfortunately, he explains no further this There was also a very strong emphasis away
I have to see the studios of about seventy artists. important, and probably crucial, point, of from the traditional fine arts genres of painting

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