Page 17 - Studio International - February 1972

Report from the assessment criteria and the role of part-time subsidy (an unhappy echo of the Stuyvesant
Foundation's decision to withdraw from the
staff have also generated an atmosphere of
Midlands uncertainty. But in relation to their provincial Northern Young Contemporaries in
settings, the faculties constitute a kind of cultural
Manchester). However, an attempt will be made
international and their sense of solidarity with to organize some form of competitive
the metropolitan art world enables them to do alternative.
without a local constituency. The West Midlands are served by the Ikon
Art galleries are almost the only available Gallery in Birmingham. Since the Multiples
point of contact between artists and a wider exhibition of 1969, it has in some ways been less
audience. Unfortunately, in the Midlands, their enterprising than its East Midlands counterpart
number is limited. There is a scattering of small and has tended to concentrate on one- or two-
commercial galleries, but few of them have much man shows by painters. However, a new policy
time for experimental work which they cannot has been developed, the first fruits of which are a
easily market. Their offerings range from fabric series of environmental events taking place this
collage at one end of the spectrum to such February. David Medalla and John Dugger are
national worthies as John Bratby or Arthur among those taking part.
Dooley at the other. They cater for collectors Ikon intends to make 'a positive move
with conventional tastes. In an implicit comment towards the social concept of a gallery as being
on last year's 'Art Spectrum Central', the Bull's a melting pot for the communication of ideas
Eye Gallery in Lichfield is holding a Small and the encouragement of artistic awareness,
Paintings Competition in March. A statement where there will be effective dialogue through
in the entry form complains of 'open discussion, exhibition and performance.' This
exhibitions with artists painting vast, strident shift of emphasis (bringing it more closely into
pictures that clamour for attention', and its tone line with the Midland Group Gallery) is largely
is that of a slightly edgy rappel à l'ordre. the product of a crisis which threatens to close
Municipal Galleries are occasionally more the gallery for good. A small, but reliable,
adventurous. The Wolverhampton Art Gallery subvention from a private source has dried up
has staged a number of lively shows. 'The and at the same time Ikon's premises in Swallow
Wolverhampton Wanderer', last December, was Street in the city centre are due to be demolished
a display of original illustrations by Peter in June. This January, Ikon Through The Looking
Blake, David Hockney, Jeff Nuttall, Tom Glass, a retrospective exhibition of the gallery's
Phillips and many others for Michael achievements since its foundation in 1964, took
Horowitz's epic poem on football. Earlier in place. Its aim was not simply to celebrate the
the year, the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry past but also to rally support by issuing a
presented Derek Southall's large retrospective. persuasive manifesto that outlined plans for
There are only two galleries which future expansion.
consistently offer a platform for young artists Since it came into being three years ago, the
without established reputations, one in the East Birmingham Arts Laboratory has tried to be a
Midlands and the other in the West. Both of meeting place of all the arts. Following the
them rely on subsidies from the Arts Council. success of SPACE and other similar
The Midland Group Gallery in Nottingham experiments in London, it decided last autumn
sustains a programme of experimental group to let cheap studio space to artists working in
shows, interlarded with straightforward different media (painting, film, music etc.). The
painting, pottery or print exhibitions. It has venture has turned out well and is providing a
long since outgrown its original function as a useful service for those who are not in a position
showplace for a society of artists, the Midland to exploit the facilities in schools or polytechnics.
Group. Whether an over-all 'group consciousness' (one
If its recent record is anything to go by, the of the Arts Lab's motives for setting up the
Gallery's policy is to encourage multi-media project) has been, or is likely to be, achieved,
events and environments, especially those which is rather more doubtful.
show signs of social awareness and attempt to So in both Nottingham and Birmingham,
The Midlands are too vague and shapeless an make contact with a lay public. Labyrinth was efforts are being made to accommodate new
area to possess a regional identity. London lies an audio-visual maze which coincided with last developments in painting and sculpture and
temptingly near at hand and those young artists summer's Nottingham Festival. In November, to break down pre-conceived divisions between
who do not migrate to the south live in the Experiment 2 offered a season of events, different areas of artistic activity. But it would
shadow of its prestige. They certainly attract performances and film shows. Contributors be unwise to underrate the dangers which they
little attention where they are — let alone included Ian Breakwell, Alan Davis, Rose entail. Insistence on involving the local public
patronage. Something resembling a Finn Kelcey, George Hostler, Tony Ingram, could easily lead to parochialism and the
homogeneous public does exist, but it is centred Robin Klassnik and Jolyon Laycock. This banalities of engagement; also, the broadening
on the art colleges, which more than ever are January, The Cognition and Control Project of an art gallery's scope (Ikon intends to
preoccupied with their own concerns and organized by Steve Willats, was concerned with establish a regular programme of lectures,
isolated from their social contexts. communications and many of the projects and symposia, films, musical events, poetry
The leading fine art faculties in Birmingham, events took place outside the gallery in the streets readings etc.) will have to be achieved without
Coventry, Nottingham and Wolverhampton are of Nottingham. slipping into the loose-skinned blandness that
gradually learning to cope with the new The future of the John Player Biennale, due has become a depressing feature of provincial
polytechnics into which they have unwillingly in the coming autumn, has been placed in arts centres. q
been absorbed. Problems relating to curricula, jeopardy because Player's have cancelled their ANTHONY EVERITT
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