Page 23 - Studio International - June 1972

(quite normally) with the old masters and gone corners of Britain, some more of these poor all the messages sent out so far concerning the
on alone; then why are we still a nation of nude- wretches who would like a pitch from someone world in danger and plight of the U.D.C. have
study men tucked away in art colleges ? who has the knack of finding them and leading not registered with any permanence or depth,
I've witnessed (with a certain sadistic them; we must have some of the best unknown in all but 2% of our society. If 'art' has a voice
delight) the gradual pneumonic discharge from artists in the world. I salute you, brothers ! that can be heard it should be used in unison
month to month. J. PIRI with all those artists whose work and expression
Take this month's magazine, for example; South Shields border upon concepts of ecological values.
the design on the front cover is okay. Does the Co. Durham A contribution (on a large scale) from both
artist know what it means ? Probably he does, reputable and also unknown artists would be
but is he qualified to make such concrete and David Milne rewarding to everyone involved, and the
therefore difficult-to-communicate assertions I am preparing a complete catalogue raisonée rewards, not material ones, should overcome
on the face of the paper when he hasn't in all of the work of David Milne (I882 -I953) and any ill feeling that is now threatening the
probability run the gamut of his personal artistic since a number of paintings were obtained by success of this important event.
experience ? If he is going to make such jumps collectors in England through the offices of Am I being unsophisticated in proposing this
as these, how can he expect the public to follow Vincent Massey when he was High I wonder ? If the idea is naive then the psuedos
him within that framework which is patchy by Commissioner and through Fortnum and who masquerade with exhibitions of boring art
necessity ? Just as the Nirvana seeker must Mason's, I am anxious to trace these works. and tedious ideas, and gallery dealers who accept
start at the level of meditation and not DAVID P. SILCoX these forms and inflict them upon us, ought to
contemplation, THE ARTIST MUST P.O. Box 275 Station Q, join some social organization such as Shelter,
START AT THE BOTTOM; there are no Toronto 7 or Oxfam, and spend some time living with
short cuts. realities that only the naive and unsophisticated
Did Malevich know what he was doing when The peril of eutrophication can face and survive. This isn't the time and
he painted a white quadrilateral on a darker The contribution of Studio International's place to knock down art work, and institutions
background ? Or was he simply seeking a plum-rich tones run the most juicy and I believe are the barricades of the enemy today,
novelty called Suprematism ? It goes beyond professional throughout the U.K. art empire. and a boring exhibition speaks loudly enough
theories of space and the relationship between Your creative opinions fertilize a growth of for itself. There are enough of these about to
definable shapes. Matisse was almost qualified expression reaching our most closeted cultural make even the most interested gallery-trotter
to do this, so probably was Picasso; the issues corners. But have you noticed the dangers ? give up and switch on to T.V. soccer as a much
are very deep. Fed by this green voiced encouragement the more exciting alternative form of expression.
Really, the point that I'm making is that hot-house forms are in peril of eutrophication; Yet this kind of 'Western' escapism has the
there are so many artists doing something one a process enriching art with words and ideas reality and importance that makes entertainment
day and (to quote Monty Python) something from artificial applications that overload the as formidable an enemy as intellectualization of
completely different the next that we don't scene. (Scene: is place of actual or fictitious minimal resources of expression.
know where we are. So we have bits and pieces occurence, etc.) For the next ten years the voice of art is
coming from anywhere; this is not art, this is a What is the 'scene' ? To answer this your required in the cause of rejuvenation and action
façade; what we have in effect (to draw a conscience must focus itself. Stand outside and to save our divided world from slow, but total
musical example) is a piecemeal representation watch the people walking past, all of them, disintegration. What value does the Titian
of Beethoven's 5th, no cohesion. Artists who young and old, men, women, and children— painting have weighed in the scales with the
know where they're at should be prepared to particularly the children. sufferings of Bangladesh ? How important will
permutate all the realities within a reality to Spaghetti arguments, to establish working the Biennale seem when compared with the
squelch out every piece of truth, and not let groups like the A.P.G., or give perspective to UNCTAD III conference now being fought in
anything escape them; these are the real artists; open exhibitions and opportunities, such as the Santiago. What more valid or expressive
this is what Picasso has done with Cubism, it's Hayward Biennale, are particularly painting could happen than the daubs inflicted
one hell of a task, but if he goes on long enough discouraging to persevering yet unknown artists in Belfast this year ? I know, we all know, about
he should meet Malevich's white-on-white (like myself, and there must be many, many ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS and similar
somewhere along the way. Remember, Picasso others) who still hope to communicate. It is the slogans for placards and banners and marches
isn't finished yet. Picasso's art falls into periods, real scene, (outside the safe and comfortable and salutes and causes—but this tolling of the
so does Klee's, so does every other great world of art) that is screaming now for knell — 'THE END IS NIGH' is not just an echo
modern's; before we see the whole we have to attention. The perspective pierces the picture from the billboards of a High Street Jeremiah.
consider the parts, and there are no short cuts. plane into the U.D.C., and the arguments that Unless you believe with the 'other'
For myself, I'm only 19 but I guarantee that matter are about ecological issues, about scientists and specialists, who say the hysterical
I could beat any of the young moderns in starvation and conservation, about social assaults by the environmentalists are dirges
London into fits, especially if the level is disintegration and the future of our habitable without real foundation or purpose. In which
represented by what I've seen over the last world. case 1 hope you are right and you can carry on
couple of years. I'm not bragging, somebody's Propaganda it may be, but the time requires permanently with your other like illusions and
got to speak out, there surely must be others in priorities for those artists whose ideas and scenes.
the country like me. I've never had an exhibition, expression is focused upon the realities of these GORDoN YATES
nor am I likely to have one; it's the Rembrandt planetary problems and consequences. If the West Drayton,
story all over again, tons of ideas—no bread. Hayward Biennale needs justification it can be Middlesex
Not even a workshop; unfortunately I'm made by giving itself a theme related specifically
saddled with an Arts Council that decides to to ecology and all that this implies. The The Artists' Union
capitalize on drama and spare nothing for the selection of work and artists representation In publishing that unsigned 'article' titled 'The
others, so I find I can't prove my point. Instead within an ecological exhibition would be Artists' Union' — Interim Report in your May
I've got a bag-full of ideas sitting in the corner relative then to the communication and spread issue, you publicly printed an essentially
with a spider on top waiting for some eccentric of a valid information to a material society, still private statement without permission from any
millionaire to come along and liberate them. not aware of the imminent and catastrophic of its joint authors. As a breach of general
I bet also that there are, tucked away in rupture our world is facing. Make no mistake, copyright laws, we feel that this is particularly
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