Page 47 - Studio International - September 1972

famous and therefore expensive artists, in very
limited editions at high prices. There is no
denying the superior quality of their exhibits
by Arman, Rauschenberg, the banners of
Lindner and Rosenquist, objects by Larry Bell
and Oldenburg, but always, as I have said,
strictly limited editions with prices ranging
from 230 to 4500 dollars. The other American
participant was John Gibson, patron of
conceptualism, with Steve Reich's Drumming,
a two-record concert, complete with score, in
an edition of 500, which at £13 seemed a little
high for gramophone discs.
Despite rumours of financial difficulties I
found the Swiss Xartcollection's display both
attractive and highly professional. Its director
Sandro Bocola, himself an artist contributing
to the collection, maintains large editions, some
2000, moderately priced. His latest venture is
Xart-walls, literally wallpapers by contemporary
artists—including Tinguely, Niki de Saint
Phalle, Peter Phillips, Allen Jones, Otmar Alt,
Alviani, unsigned and, I am assured, to be sold
at ordinary wallpaper prices. I was equally
impressed by Del Deposito in which, perhaps
significantly, another artist, Eugenio Carmi, `Manufactured Art', blunt and unashamed,
plays a leading executive role. Other Italian more clearly indicates my own somewhat
participants included Sperone of Turin with puritanical preferences.
elegant works by Pistoletto and Salvo, and CHARLES SPENCER
Toninelli of Milan, largely with graphics but
also an unexpected handpainted metal
construction from Guttuso.
Ba-ma, the well-known multiple gallery in
Paris, has now begun independent publishing
—the artists include Takis, Caniaris, Carmel; The significance
the over-all conception and policy seem to me
absolutely within the progressive multiple of multiples
tradition although editions are again
unnecessarily limited. Denise René showed her Everything important I have done can be packed
publications with Hans Mayer of Düsseldorf. into a small suitcase
They were the usual kinetic or op objects, and Marcel Duchamp
except for Klingboel's unlimited Cube, again in In recent years the production and sale of
the realm of limitation and high prices. multiples and graphics has come to acquire an
To return to my earlier quotation from Sir unexpected significance on the art scene. As a
Arthur Elton—the Berlin Art Fair of Multiplied result of the almost unlimited production
Art provided no reassurance that the artists of possibilities brought about by industrial
our time have 'come to terms with manifestations development, the dialogue with industrial (Opposite page top)
Wallpapers by (left to right) Alt,
of our technology' ; but Berlin did not provide manufacture has become for many artists an Phillips, Jones, Berges
the complete picture. If there are to be important part of their output. Everywhere Xart-walls
Multiple Art Fairs in the future a clearer and dealers have supported their artists' desire for (Opposite page centre)
more positive definition must be arrived at. the democratization and socialization of the art James Rosenquist
Whilst 'Multiplied Art' as a term has a rough market by arranging editions. Banner
logicality, its untidy inclusiveness, as manifested Space at art fairs is generally too valuable to Silkscreen on cloth and vinyl, 94 X 54 in.
at Berlin, undermines its ultimate value. I'd be devoted to the showing of multiples, and at Edition 3o, Multiples Inc.
certainly like to find an alternative to 'Multiple' book fairs the space condescendingly granted is (Opposite page bottom)
—it might be a good idea to give the word back usually too much on the periphery to allow them Caniaris
to Denise Rene! What we need is the generic to make the necessary impact. It has therefore Mains sur Ciel 1970
Plaster, wood, barbed wire, edition 3o
equivalent of 'book', conditioned by the become imperative for multiple art to have a Gallery Ba-Ma
equivalents of 'beau livre', 'de luxe', 'limited show tailored to its own specific qualities : in
edition', 'signed by the author', in addition to other words, a special fair to serve as a (Top)
Steve Reich
the re-publication of ordinary editions on meeting-point for the producers (artists and Drumming December 16 1971
demand. In my first attempt to survey the publishers) and the consumers (collectors and A two-record album and score, edition 500
multiple scene in June 1969 I listed some dealers), and to provide an annual review of Multiples Inc. and John Gibson
alternatives —Unlimiteds, Reproducibles, innovations in this still relatively new area. The (Above)
Repetitions, Serials, Replications, first such show has just been held in Berlin. Man Ray
Manikins which accompany the book
Duplications, Copies, Editions—all either ugly Before the start of the fourth International Mr and Mrs Woodman, edition 9
or useless. Now I find that the term New Year Fair, there was a lively controversy Edition Unida
97