Page 46 - Studio International - January 1972

An art activity involving people in a public place committed to evolving meaningful relationships by stuffing them full of fear and substitutes.
can be a stimulant for political action. It pro- to society through their art. The objectives This attitude which has allowed our environ-
vokes questions — 'Who owns the street ?"Who of these artists include the sparking-off of the ment to become total accident can only result
owns this park ?' imaginative potential that exists in all people. A in TOTAL INSANITY.
The political activist usually tries to arouse sane society would invest in its artists rather Individual requirements of space change —
political awareness by telling people what he than in art products. Our relationship to society architects have not considered this most basic
thinks they need — if people themselves raise the is defined by our actions — our art exposes us to need. These destroyers of space are guilty of
questions, action often follows. the needs, fears and hopes of people, we are making a static and dehumanized environment
conscious of the political implications of our by surrounding us with ugly buildings.
July 1971, Ledbury Estate, Old Kent Road. actions. Those responsible for this inhumanity are
Space Structure Workshop event at invitation puppets of the exploiters at the expense of the
of tenants association. individual and society.
G.L.C. landlord officials tell tenants to re- September 1970
move art structures, artists and three hundred As the form of society changes — the new art Museum of Modern Art Oxford, 28 November-
participants from 'special' grass area. But, every- expresses that change with a vision always 24 December 1966
one is having a good time. Aware of this the towards the future. This art is concerned with This constructed space is our attempt to
organizer tells officials 'Piss off, this is our estate change itself. New technology could use new demonstrate an idea — the idea is a place for
and the grass that grows with it !' The tenants of art to demonstrate the visionary use of new people — a place where you can meet — to look —
Ledbury Estate established a right — to use the materials. If industry is interested in the creative to feel — to listen — to laugh — to cry — to love —
grass for their own whatever. use of technology in art, and how this relates to to protest — a place for people.
the needs of society, it must look to new art The development of this idea is to construct
forms. places outside the imposed limits of art galleries
Art structures related to human size and It is not of advantage to industry to invest in and existing buildings. These places would
movement, involving people in a public place, that art intended for a minority audience which allow full physical use of the structure which
can be a demonstration of an 'alternative' in does not offer the possibility of extending the unfortunately the mechanics of this structure
urban environment. The structure provokes potential of technology to everyone's experience. will not allow. We are developing a spatial
questions 'How is architecture ?"How is our To be effective the new art aims at the majority. language based on human proportion and size,
city ?' The planners tell about change — 'Change which when used to construct active space
what for what ?' — art structures can provide an relates a person to that space by extending from
experience demonstrating the process of change. November 1965 the smallest detail to the over-all concept. This
Our attempt in defining space by asymmetrical spatial language is a living language which
September 1971, Spaceplace No 5, the Doelen order has been the construction of a human develops through use. Space is made active by
Square, Rotterdam. scale place where a person's senses can be the tensioned relationships of the forms that
No 5 was made for no special place, we made it liberated — allowing his basic nature to function. articulate it asymmetrically, creating a sense of
for allplace. But, in Rotterdam, the juxtaposition Asymmetrical order is not an externally movement. By moving you effect the space and it
of this structure to the particular place of city imposed thing it is recognition of life as a pro- effects you, developing your understanding of
square prompted questions from the public. cess of growth / change/ relatedness — not static — the nature of real space. An active space demands
This Spaceplace confronted the 'modern' not finalized — not perfectable. participation, it directs us to complete the
architecture by having a presence, in size, equal This language develops through use — incomplete by providing us with continuous
to the surroundings. People were amazed to see developing language is living language. changing spatial relationships. The
the. Spaceplace dismantled (by four people), Our language is not on the fringe of either asymmetrical order also implies relationships
packed and on its way in one hour. 'Why can't painting or sculpture. It is a rethinking of basics. beyond those physically stated, suggesting the
our buildings do that ?"Does the city need a We reject the localized function of painting and infinite extension of space. Asymmetrical order
bomb to move it ?' sculpture within an environment. is a recognition of life as a process of growth,
This language permits art to become the change, relatedness, not static, not finalized, not
environment or the environment to become art. perfectable. An active spatial area can liberate
In our structures the concern is a development In this colour constructed area a person does our senses.
of colour / space /sound to human scale/ not need preconceived ideas to enjoy and
movement. Our language — most of what we experience it completely, its purpose is to liberate When showing work in galleries and museums
have written in the past holds true today. the senses — opposed to the existing visual and the attendant problems are internal, concerning
physical arts, which constrict by relying on that place alone. Going public is exposure on all
In retrospect: personal images unintelligible to the majority. levels — political, social, economic, cultural,
1961 — 3 : marriage of physical and visual A colour constructed area is a place for people aesthetic. We enter into the world that is the
elements through colour. to be participant — spectator and performer at concern of everyone. When organizing an art
1964: colour and structure used to define space. the same time. structure for a public site we are faced with: the
Sound added to effect movement. Places for people — where they can meet — to look rules and regs of local authority, law and order,
1967: colourstructure defines space to give to feel — to listen — to laugh — to cry borough surveyor, fire officer, safety
`freedom' of movement emphasized with sound. to dance — to love — to protest — to sing requirements, engineers department, town hall
1971: colour space with sound. to be stimulated into action. bureaucrat etc.
197?: colourspacesound = space. The existing urban environment is TOTAL In confronting these problems, which apply
ACCIDENT — the result of complete in- to the particular site we wish to use, we have
competence by irresponsible idiots guilty of not been made aware of how the system operates in
Existing art patronage is concerned with the considering the basic needs of the individual by general. This has sharpened our political
work of an artist — if his work is a saleable defending attitudes destructive to man. These consciousness. It is through mg actions, the use
commodity. Artists involved in developing forms vanity befuddled officials oppose change — taking of our art in a public context that we have become
which cannot be seen as products miss out on the away from people the chance to construct more politically aware. Political consciousness
present patronage system. Often these artists are facilities capable of extending their potential — is a vital aspect in our artistic evolution.