Page 51 - Studio International - September 1971

1969); or Lilian Lijn's commentary on her proclaims Karl Gerstner, Spoerri's collaborator in America Irvil Sloan founded Multiples
work for Unlimited: 'Parallel the artist with the (in a lecture, 1965). 'Multiples have not Inc. in 1965; Holland, Germany, Ja pan,
research worker ... (the artist) will then assume contributed to the diffusion of art, but have fed South America -all have flourishing movements.
his true role of pure research and leave the an obsession with objects,' commented Guy Yet only now is there any discernible
task of production to the specialists'. Brett in The Times ( 16. 12. 70 ). Confusion and advance towards a definition of what a multiple
I'm tempted to describe multiples in turf failure relate to definition and marketing. In is, and how it should be made available
language-out of Bauhaus by Dadaism; and 1956 when Spoerri suggested collaboration to the public.
I'm not sure that in this case the sire isn't the with Denise Rene she replied that the market 'With one or two exceptions', Guy Brett
most important. Marcel Duchamp is was not ready-presumably the art market! wrote in The Times, 'multiples have remained
undoubtedly the most important influence on Three years later Spoerri went ahead with in galleries and perpetuated the object
modern art. His debunking of the pretentious­ 2 obsession in modern art, a profusion of
ness and high-seriousness of art led to a diverting objects rather than something that
series of statements and actions of vital penetrates into daily life and behaviour in a
importance to the development of the multiple new way.' On the other hand Joe Tilson
idea. In an interview with Otto Hahn in 1966 worries that 'as multiples are becoming just
he said he always wanted 'to wipe out the idea another commodity, is there any difference
of the original which exists neither in music nor between selling them in a Bond Street gallery
poetry'. Earlier, to Calvin Tomkins, he and an Oxford Street supermarket'. How, in
explained that 'the readymades were a way of fact, do you satisfy what David Prentice
getting out of the exchangeability, the described as 'a substantial and growing minority
monetarization of the work of art ... In art, and of people with a real and knowledgeable
only in art, the original work is sold, and it interest in contemporary art who cannot give
acquires a sort of aura that way. But with priority to owning the works they enjoy'
my readymades a replica will do just as well.' let alone the millions who never go to
The first replica was made in 1916, of the art galleries or exhibitions. 'That multiples
Bicycle Wheel; then in 1917 Duchamp published would make it possible for thousands of people
his first Box in a photographic edition. Man to live with art who could not otherwise, is the
Ray joined Duchamp in his attack on uniqueness. single strongest argument in their favour,'
In Self Portrait (1963), he tells the famous wrote Janet Daley. Yet most publishers still
story of the lamp shade exhibited at the insist on limited editions. 'True multiples'
Societe Anonyme in 1920. It was a readymade wrote Ralph Pomeroy (Art and Artists June
from which he had removed the wire, but before 1969), 'should be reproduced in amounts of
the exhibition it was destroyed by a cleaner who never less than 10,000-better in the 100,ooos­
thought it was waste paper. Man Ray quickly and should sell for ten dollars or less across
had another made in metal, painted white. It the counters of drug and ten-cent stores.'
was duly bought by a collector; but, he writes, 3 Denise Rene agrees that infinite editions are
'I have duplicated it a dozen times for other ideal but believes the public, at least in France,
exhibitions. I have no compunction about this­ is not ready for it. I agree with Ralph Pomeroy,
an important book or musical score is not and John Tannock who wrote in his catalogue
destroyed by burning it. Only a collector who -'Multiples should be sold in department
was acquiring objects for speculative reasons stores and even in supermarkets, like paper­
would hesitate to add it to his collection.' backs or records. The work of art should
There I suggest are the antecedents of the be a commodity like any other, sold so cheaply
multiple movement-modern technology and that it can be disposable.' Therefore I
productive means, plus the sense of guilt felt welcome a multiple shop like Seriaal in
by artists over the commercial gallery system, Amsterdam, which has nothing to do with art
the limitations of uniqueness, the lack of a galleries, the effort of the Swiss Xart to
social role. distribute through furnishing stores, the
'What is certain is that in our European percipience of the Scottish Arts Council whose
societies as they are now,' wrote John Berger in 1970 multiple exhibition was arranged like a
New Society in 1967, 'the unique work of art is MAT Editions, with an excellent team supermarket, where you could collect your
doomed; it cannot escape being a ritual object including Duchamp, Man Ray, Vasarely, work and pay at a cash desk, and the new
of property and its content, if not entirely Albers and a group of brilliant younger artists plans of Editions Alecto for their own multiple
.complacent, cannot help but be an oppressive, -Agam, Soto, Diter Rot, Tinguely, among shops in international stores.
because hopeless, attempt to deny this role.' others. He limited editions to 100 and attempted Two final quotes-Jay Jacobs, writing in Art
'To comprehend why mass production of art to sell them all at 200 francs each. Hardly Gall ery , New York, April 1970: 'In sum the
objects ... appeals ... ' s uggested Janet Daley in anything sold and in 1964 publication was multiples movement looks as though it's going
her introduction to the 1970 Arts Council taken over by Galerie der Spiegel in Cologne. to be around for a while, at least. Whether
multiple exhibition at Whitechapel Art The following year Denise Rene opened her Ernest Trova's Falling Man Kaleidoscope
Gallery,' . . . one must appreciate the multiple gallery on the Rive Gauche. In the (Museum of Modern Art $3.95) eventually will
atmosphere of decadence which many artists intervening years there had been important command prices comparable with
and critics rightly feel to dominate the whole manifestations in Italy, Piero Manzoni's Rembrandt's "Hundred Guilder Print" remains
business of art transactions ... ' dadaistic and conceptual notions, Olivetti's to be seen . . . ' Lastly, John L. Tannock:
But given this revulsion against the system Arte Programmata in 1962; and of course the 'The critic who refuses to consider multiples
and the unique object, what has the multiple ideas ofVasarely. Since then multiples have seriously on their own merits is surely
movement achieved? 'No one should be proliferated throughout the world. The throwing out the baby with the bath water.' D
prevented from being able to buy art,' English pioneer was Jeremy Fry's Unlimited; CHARLES SPENCER

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