Page 48 - Studio International - September 1972

in the Berlin press over the necessity for a the existence of any particular copy, gives the
special fair for multiple art instead of a normal work a quality of indestructibility, since
art fair. The views of two leading art critics, directions can be given at any time for it to be
Heinz Ohff and Werner Rhode, were published made again (as opposed to remade). The
in the Tagesspiel. Under the headline 'No originality of the Idea remains untouched by the
Philosopher's Stone' Ohff concludes : devaluation of the "original" after differences in
dealers and artists having plumed themselves manual skill—which can counterfeit artistic
so vociferously on being the guardians of art quality—have been rendered non-existent by
and democracy, one must in fact ask who has the exactly equal technical perfection of each
consulted the man for whom the whole show is copy.'
being put on ? ... Not that I have anything
against graphics and multiples, but they were The history of the multiple
already represented before. The exclusion of The history of the multiple is so closely bound
original work, however, constitutes an up with the history of the object that the
impoverishment... justice through discovery of the object leads directly to the
impoverishment, in fact.' discovery of the multiple as well. The first
Werner Rhode replied: 'One-off works of `ready-made' was created in 1914—Marcel
"aura" art range from expensive to prohibitive, Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel. This was not only
as we know from experience. They are pricey the first 'art object' but also the first
ornaments, status symbols, investments that multipliable and multiplied 'object' in art
hang on the wall, fetishes of that "authenticity" history. Moreover it may seem paradoxical
which (in the words of a footnote by Benjamin) today, in the light of the demands for the
"in the secularization of art replace cult-values". destruction of the 'aura', but it is precisely this
By the rules of capitalism these exclusive `aura' that is a necessary precondition of the art
originals remain the property of the well-off, of object. No longer is it the individual's mastery
the well-upholstered collectors and the of tools and materials that determines the
state-subsidized museums. assessment of a work of art, but the 'aura' of its
`In view of this the strict exclusion of "aura" discoverer.
art from an International Gallery-owners' Fair In the art (or anti-art) of Piero Manzoni the
may indeed constitute an impoverishment—for exploitation of the 'aura' reached its apogee
the spiritually and materially privileged, for when he filled a hundred tins with his own
art-fetishists, speculators, commercial voyeurs, faeces, sealed, signed and numbered them, and
rarity-hunters and all those who in any way sold them as works of art under the title
cling to the sacred trinity of art, commerce and Artist's Shit—a fantastic consequence of the
irrationalism. bourgeoisie's mania to possess something of an
multiple art, art in large, theoretically artist. But did Manzoni not destroy his own
unlimited editions has at least two highly demonstration by multiplying it ? Might not
important advantages. On the one hand it one big tin, labelled Shit and preserved in some
demolishes the "aura", demythologizes art, important museum, have fulfilled a more
and hence questions the traditional concept of pungent function ? Was not the 'commanding
art. On the other hand it opens the way to the character of the work of art' (K. Jurgen Fischer)
democratization of art for the consumer : its weakened by multiplication ? (A thought for the
social "plus" is "low prices by means of large opponent of multiplied art to ponder !)
production runs".'
Now, as one of those directly involved, I The museum and the multiple
should like to enter a caveat here against the Let us take the art of the last twenty years as
comparison of originals and multiples (which is an example. It took the forms of, inter alia, new
a fundamental misconception) and against realism, kinetic, pop, minimal and conceptual
wanting unconditionally to destroy the 'aura' art, and flux or happening. In all these areas
(the quality by virtue of which a work of art is important ideas of artists were realized in the
art). There is no 'exclusion of original work', as form of multiples. But the museum director—
Ohff maintains—for a multiple is also an original ! instead of trying to document this artistic
Nor is there any 'exclusion of "aura" art', as evolution by means of (praiseworthy) multiples,
Rhode claims. A multiple, too, has an 'aura' ! and showing it to his public, has chased highly
The precondition for the genesis and separate priced one-off works. Imagine the director of a
(Top) development of the multiple was not simply the public library whose 1972 accessions consisted
Mark di Suvero
Untitled technical and industrial developments of the of manuscripts by Schiller, Heine and Benn,
Torch-cut 2 in. steel plate, edition 25o twentieth century—as is generally assumed—but but completely overlooked the literature of the
Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles also a completely new conception of the work of preceding year; that gentleman would not even
art itself. Behind the execution stands the Idea. get the opportunity of justifying himself,
(Above)
Erich Haüser Gunter Gercken wrote in the catalogue of before he was sacked! In every field of modern
Untitled 1972 `Documenta 4' : The difference lies in the fact civilization specialists are put in responsible
Steel, 85 X 15 X 12 cm. positions and judged strictly by the profit-and-
Edition 35 that this hand-made, one-off work is prepared
Gallery Muller from the start with reproduction in mind, or has loss account they produce. Specialists are
characteristics which make it suitable for people who recognize things and situations
reproduction. earlier than other people and act accordingly.
`This repeatability, which is independent of The only exceptions are the so-called
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