Page 20 - Studio International - March 1972

is too lazy an aphorism to bear re-reading. I see evidently the basis of all other objections. It return for the 'class' we artists give you we
that Mr Elderfield is now at Yale and I hope he was a pity we weren't told what this 'new expect to be paid by you with the one thing you
is not being brainwashed by the American art vocabulary' is. Since painting (I'm pleased to have to offer—a certain amount of publicity.
mafia. hear) isn't dead it must be capable of elucidating Without documentation in your catalogue you
The view that painting is dead is surely this art in a manner superior to the vocabulary are of no use to us whatever. After all that
implausible. What is dead or dying is the descended from Roger Fry and Meier-Graefe. militant prose— 'Ceci est en quelque sorte une
critical vocabulary that descends from Clive I have yet to see it. Other approaches may mobilisation generale' —and assurances that the
Bell's 'significant form'. inform art—and very usefully—but surely exhibition would travel and find a resting place
JONATHAN BENTHALL Mr Benthall realizes that there really isn't any in some permanent archive, I didn't make the
London Wii alternative to basing judgement on the catalogue. This makes me nothing but an
presented visual facts—and that is all so-called anonymous hostage in your hustle. I demand
`formalist' criticism is about. that you immediately return the work I sent
John Elderfield writes : The general tone of Mr Benthall's letter you. I refuse to be further exploited by you and
I am glad Mr Benthall agrees with me that the raises issues I can hardly go into here. His will seek legal redress if you do not immediately
paintings I reviewed fell short in quality. If I creation of a stereotyped target to attack; the return my work. I am, of course, removing you
understand him correctly he objects to my confused idea of 'new models'; the from my mailing list, though that can hardly
stressing the importance of self-critical provincial-sounding hostility towards American matter to you, since the off-hand way in which
faculties (close looking) in the practise of art; these and other matters suggest that what you treat artists shows the contempt you really
painting, and my unwillingness to consider its I attempted to convey, that honesty to the very feel for non-object art.
ideological foundations in evaluating it. To experience of art is what counts, is very far You may be under the illusion that the artists
take his objections point by point as they appear from being what he is interested in. For an art you so treated (and as you made clear in your
in his letter : writer I find this disturbing—to say the least. essay I am not the only one) are ineffectual and
i. 'Close looking' : Mr Benthall's word-games New Haven, Conn. will accept with modesty the wrong done us.
notwithstanding, I wrote in several places what Perhaps you feel we will be sufficiently
I meant by this. To repeat : close looking, self humiliated not to wish to expose our
criticism or whatever one chooses to call it, is Paris Biennale predicament. I am sending copies of this letter
testing the ideas one brings to art while in the To Jean-Marc Poinset: to all the art magazines as well as to many
process of making it. Art has to be more than Several months ago I received from both you artists and critics. It is useful that the real art
realized concepts. Good ideas are never enough. and Georges Boudaille, Délégué General, an world remember the specific individuals and
Mr Benthall's phrase, 'finishing them off', invitation to participate in the Envoi section of institutions who are responsible for such
applied to paintings seems to imply that they the 'Septième Biennale de Paris'. I did. I just contemptible treatment of artists.
are objects being manufactured after some this afternoon received the catalogue and ELEANOR ANTIN
predetermined pattern. nowhere is my name or mention of my work to California
2. 'The club': I haven't seen Jeremy Moon's be found. Your essay mentions that the nature
article, but if he does refer to some ideal of this section of the exhibition was such that
position he is right to be shot down. I do not inclusion of all the exhibiting artists was Art Information Registry
question the seriousness of the painters I impossible. Yet the catalogue includes a list of William Tucker in his article 'Notes on
discussed simply because I have seen a lot names—an unnumbered list for a so-called sculpture, public sculpture and patronage' in the
better work by all of them. And the character historical section and a numbered listing of the January issue 1972 of Studio International asked
of my review should surely be enough to present day artists in the exhibition, numbered the question 'How can the two (i.e. sculpture and
convince anyone that I am not interested in from 27-63. As an invited exhibitor, and creator place for it) be brought together ?' His
taking positions of that kind. But this insinuation of a work which is a large and complex one and suggestion is that 'all sculptors living in this
all too common among those who do take which you are using in your exhibition in some country should send slides of available sculpture,
positions about the proper course of art or manner, I assure you that I am neither annoyed as it is completed, to a central registry,
criticism, is of course a jibe against so-called nor upset to find myself not listed, but am maintained, say, by the Arts Council, and that
`formalism', of which more in a moment. rather in an advanced state of fury. any local authority, architect, business or
3. 'Little guidance' : I wasn't actually intending I am perfectly aware of the quasi-fraudulent whatever wanting to acquire sculpture could
to tell these painters how to look at their art nature of the Paris Biennale—as a livestock consult this registry and then choose from work
more closely; merely to point out what I saw market for yearlings (translation for a in the artists' studios, or try the sculpture on
that made me feel that not enough self-criticism Frenchman—a market for peddling untried the site.'
had taken place. If I have as Mr Benthall says, flesh). I am also aware that in an effort to instil It seems a pity that Mr Tucker had not read
`described acutely' what was wrong, surely that some interest in your biannual tedium, you page 2 of his 'British Sculptors' 72' catalogue
is enough. used a large number of artists currently where he would find such a Registry has
4. 'Art and ideology': I'm sure Mr Benthall working in new methods of distribution and recently moved to the basement of the Royal
can't be serious in suggesting that there is any media. As such, myself and the others were Academy. Also on page 6 of the same issue of
other way of evaluating art other than by exploited in the typical manner of mercantile Studio International, the Art Information
basing judgements on what is seen. The critic exploitation. We make interesting noises and Registry is explained for the second time (the
as evaluator is under no obligation whatsoever bring in the crowd while the business men first being in the July 1970 edition) in further
to let ideological factors sway his judgement. thrash everything out in the back rooms. You detail.
The critic may need to know about these yourself are obviously one of the new breed of The Registry has been in existence for over
things—especially if the art puts itself to the international hustlers. You thought of an idea three years and, among the 35o artists on its
service of ideology—but we must beware of for a show costing practically nothing and got index, over one hundred are sculptors. Visitors
judging art in terms of its ideological rather it into the Paris Biennale. In your particular to the Registry have, indeed, included among
than its pictorial authenticity. It is far more case you have exploited the Envoi artists as an others local authorities and architects.
than a visual document. opportunity to exhibit your bland and obvious Perhaps Mr Tucker would like to join ?
5. 'A new critical vocabulary': I left this to last, criticism complete with Duchamp as forbear. LETTY WOODS
because my lacking such a vocabulary is (Couldn't you have done better than that ?) In Secretary to AIR
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