Page 16 - Studio International - September 1972

Correspondence (elements which may arguably be seen as being connected with pluralism, but when these come
laudable in themselves). One is motivated, up one acknowledges the situation as extreme.)
however, to engage in some stricturing of the And concerning this mystical Jacob's Ladder
rather suspect notions he apparently holds as of 'the gamut of personal artistic experience'
axiomatic praxis; (some may see this as a that one is apparently obliged to climb if 'the
direct subsequential of an allegiance to the artist is to start from the bottom', what and
material-character/physical-object paradigm of where is it ? And when does one reach, or know
art); presumably in order to attain the equally that one has reached, the top ? One suspects
dubious telos of 'master artist' ... (qua that Piri sees that beast of burden, the art
Picasso ?). school, as providing the magic stairway to
A basic point of locution in that letter was success—which is certainly compatible with
housed somewhere in ideology ... which Piri bourgeois ethics, but reduces the artist to
sees as being commensurate with questions of performing flea.
the nature of the artist in relation to society etc. PETER WHITEBROOK
etc. (Co-existent with this is the idea that there Hull
is available some all-embracing metaphysic of Yorkshire
the art area.) And a note that can be made here
is that Piri also evidently holds some parley Modern farming
Francois Mathey with genius notions et al. Presumably in the David Dickson in his article 'Art and Industry'
Your attack on the Pompidou Exhibition may art world (and probably in Piri's terms the in your June number is mistaken in assuming
well be justified but your correspondent is same would apply to physics), 'intelligence' that the ideas of the Council for the Protection
ill-mannered as well as ill-informed. It cannot (or what you will), is not one-to-one with of Rural England relate to artistically perceived
be maintained that 'it scarcely needs saying, of opportunity. Romantic ramifications of this environment rather than to the real thing.
course, that the selection committee was made up of artist/society business are mythological. Many of us are practical farmers. We know,
people who had proved their mastery of the Nobody starves in garrets anymore. Any perhaps better than most people, that the
mediocre . . theoria based on this sort of thinking, whilst countryside is man-made and that the
Francois Mathey, whose name must be being fairly sure on a superficial ontological countryside not farmed is a wilderness. We
singled out, is a man of true courage and true domain, that is to say, one is pretty certain in believe therefore that good farming is never
vision; he has done more than any other single this sort of situation what it is that one has to ugly.
`salaried official' (to quote your invective) to do, the thing is to go ahead and act it out; However, the current agricultural revolution
keep the Parisian art scene before our eyes—nor, answer the call as it were; (and [for Piri] the differs from those in the past in two important
indeed, is it his fault that only salaried officials determination of aesthetics would come in aspects; first of all new farm buildings no
are in a position to devote their working lives here); is in correspondence with an ideology longer spring from local materials and design-
to organizing exhibitions. Those who condemn that is essentially vacuous. Ontology is a pretty 8o% of them are expected to be prefabricated
him for one mistake, should, perhaps, remember flimsy notion anyway. If the ontologist is by the early 8os —and for the first time many
also the triumphs of this supremely innocent only some kind of world taxonomist (re. Quine), farming activities are no longer related to the
man. there is the inference that over-consideration land around them.
R. C. KENEDY (to the point of a-priori fastidiousness) of the The prefabricated farm building calls for
Advisory Editor ontological domain is a very poor sort of some control on colour and design at the
Art International ideological responsiveness. As Atkinson and drawing board stage and control of siting by the
London W4 Baldwin have pointed out, COn the Material- local authority. There is no reason why with
Character/Physical-Object Paradigm of these safeguards farm buildings of the future, if
Idle incoherence Art' I Art-Language vol 2, no. I, p. 52): `If the not contributing to the landscape as well as
Studio International was irresponsible in inferred proposition turns out to be false, the their predecessors, should not at least merge
conjoining 'Educating Artists' with the responsible offender will be suspected among into it.
maunderings of those in need of education. the premises.' Ideology and ontology are in Factory farming presents a very serious
The most obvious deficiencies exist in Miss this sort of relation here. Deontics enter here. threat to the landscape—being unrelated to it,
Juris's and Mr Marioni's conversation and in One would suspect that Piri's association its effect is nearly always disastrous. There is a
Mr Stezaker's pastiche. with his work would be bourgeois/quasi- world of difference between enlarging fields
Miss Juris and her respondent have the sort sociological ... (a sort of romantic/life-style from 4 to 20 or even 40 acres to accommodate
of talk that Art-School reflexive celebrities interpretation), rather than anything else. modern farm machinery and abolishing fields
typically get away with. No one is helped. Anyhow, it certainly seems well-bitten by a altogether with the attendant loss of top soil.
Mr Stezaker's article seems to have a Wittgensteinian solipsism, and one would not There is a world of difference between modern
careerist overload. A more serious criticism is be at all surprised if Piri asserted a sympathy prefabricated farm buildings related to the land
attached to the absence of an index of fruitful with some of the observations of (particularly) around them and food factories. This is
antecedent theory. It is the case that everyone Notes 14-16 inclusive of 'Art Teaching' agribusiness as opposed to agriculture.
struggles a bit. The situation is at best tentative; (Atkinson and Baldwin/Art-Language vol r, Bad husbandry and greedy farming do spoil
we don't see why Mr Stezaker's deterministic no. 4, pp 25-5o). Whatever Piri's association it the landscape. That is why serious thought
declarative posture should mess us about. certainly seems to be pace life-style, and a needs to be given to expanding planning control
TERRY ATKINSON, DAVID BAINBRIDGE, MICHAEL rather bourgeois one at that. to farming. Why a factory producing eggs
BALDWIN, IAN BURN, CHARLES HARRISON, HAROLD And pluralism—(presumably that is to what should not be subject to the same controls as
HURRELL, JOSEPH KOSUTH, MEL RAMSDEN Piri is referring when he contends that one producing peas or beet sugar defies all
contemporary art is in 'a mess')—is not, and has logic.
Praxiomatic axis never been, a danger signal per se. In our case JOHN R. H. YEOMAN
Some of the sentiments expressed in J. Piri's what may appear to be a chaotic babble is more Assistant Secretary
letter, (`Correspondence' pp 236-7, June), healthy than the dogma of the few, or a mere Council for the Protection of Rural England
display obvious vitality, or enthusiasm silence. (Admittedly, there are problems London SW1

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