Page 52 - Studio International - September 1971
P. 52
Multiples in The Paper Bag Segal plaster and wood Girl on a Chair, and the
Gerry MacMillan
David Pelham acrylic Chess Set; but there will
Britain Bernard Jacobson also be a series of new works from the Kelso
2 William Pye
Katoubia Place workshop, including work by Roy
Aluminium 9¾ in. high Grayson, David Leverett, William Pye and Bill
Edition unlimited
Alecto International Culbert, whose Cubic Projections were originally
shown at the Lisson Gallery. Alecto will be
3 John Berry
Reflector Pawns concentrating particularly on outdoor
Enamelled aluminium, 14 x 6 x 2½ in. multiples, and special attention will be paid
Group One-Four, London
in production to the durability of the materials
The progress of 'multiples' in Britain has employed.
followed an uneven course, as both general Notwithstanding the limitations of galleries as
concept and commercial possibility have outlets for multiples, it is only through galleries
refined and defined themselves, both separately that the major part of those produced in this
and reciprocally. In neither area have country can be obtained. A lot of credit for the
conclusive positions been achieved, but early pioneering work must go to the Axiom
consolidatory landmarks have occurred in the and Lisson galleries, the former of which is no
form of the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham's more, while the orientation of the latter has
`Open Enquiry into Multiples' in 1969, and the moved away from the multiple idea. Axiom
more comprehensive Arts Council Exhibition carried multiples by Kenneth Martin, Michael
at the Whitechapel Gallery at the end of last Tyzack and Malcolm Carder among others,
year. This latter enabled one to see certain while Lisson were responsible for the
general trends merging, although there has Cosmomagnetic Panels of Li Yuan Chia—metal
been a noticeable slackening of impetus in the panels on which an assortment of magnetic
period following it and many of the objects coloured discs can be put in any arrangement
mentioned below have been in circulation for desired, the Ken Cox rotating brass Suncycle,
some time. and Bill Culbert's Cubic Projections, large
It is in this context that the emergence of fibreglass balls with an internal light source,
Alecto International, whose statement of which through small holes in the surface
intent was published in the June issue of this creates a constantly changing variety of light
magazine, assumes particular significance as a patterns when moved. Two other seminal
guideline for possible future directions. The influences have been more particularly
crucial element of their plans lies in their concerned with the production end. Jeremy Fry
recognition of the limitations of the conventional of Unlimited has put high engineering skills
gallery set-up for the distribution of multiples, at the service of artists such as Takis with his
and their subsequent decision to establish 2 Signals series, a set of moving chromium-
instead multiple 'shops', both as individual plated rods with lights, the late Mary Martin
units and as self-contained units within large with a group of polystyrene Rotations, and
stores. Although the first shops will be opened Liliane Lijn's Liquid Reflections, involving light
in the States, and initially production only will moving through oil, water and acrylic. As a
be centred in this country, it is hoped eventually member of the judges of the Ikon Exhibition,
to extend the principle over here. Some of the he also put into production the work of the
first multiples to be featured in the shops are two main prizewinners, the Tumblediscs of
already familiar as productions of Editions Michael McKinnon, and Activity Surge of
Alecto, such as the Robyn Denny acrylic Raymond Connor. Group One Four, formed
Colour Boxes, Peter Sedgeley's rotating in 1962 by Brian Yale and Mauro Kunst,
screened aluminium Video Disques, the George joined shortly afterwards by John Berry and
later by Edward Alden, have used their
3
professional background to the full, not only
in the production of their multiples, but in
their whole approach to their distribution,
including display, packaging and publicity,
which is no doubt the reason for their continued
success. They have exhibited all over the
country, and for this purpose have designed a
total exhibition, the 'Eurominiprotopack', which
contains as well as three-dimensional multiples,
unlimited edition prints, postcards and drawings.
Their multiples are unlimited and inexpensive,
and employ techniques and materials which
would be susceptible to mass-production :
Berry's Reflector Pawns, rectangular enamelled
aluminium boxes with glass reflector inset,
Kunst's MKS, a stainless steel coil mounted on
wood, and Yale's Twins, a tubular repeated
image in stove-enamelled steel.
A newer group who have also become
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