Page 29 - Studio International - April 1973

unexpected. gallery or museum should rightly be proud of
The temptation to slide into invective is of having put it on. But in London, its defects and
course nearly irresistible. Yet I shall for once grave shortcomings cannot be overlooked, the
ignore the rewards such a temptation would, in more so in view of the extravagant claims made
my case, at least, allow. Let me suggest only for it by the PR apparatus without which no
that Czerewko go out to any stationer and exhibition these days is complete.
purchase any manner of English dictionary at To put it bluntly, the exhibition is not on a
once before he's picked up by the police. scale nor at a level to qualify for the epithet
I have asked a reputable friend of mine to `major'; nor can the representation of Balla,
verify the event which I described in last Boccioni, Qua, Severini, etc., be said to be
November's Studio. Since I have obviously no extensive when the show is short on major
credit with Canadians (where to turn ? where to works, the Boccioni Unique forms being a modern
turn ?), it would be rather bootless were I to re-cast and scarcely other than a reproduction,
repeat my description of Fare's carryings-on or and the Balla items, catalogue numbers 7, 8, 9,
merely to request belief. I trust that my friend 10 and 20, hardly any better. Doubts have also
will not fail to convince your readers, whose been expressed as to the authenticity of the
welfare seems so verily in the balance, moving lights in the Fireworks model; and
according to cz . . . . certainly they seemed out of phase with the
TIMOTHY CRAIG music.
London NWI The essays in the catalogue contribute
nothing new and betray no sign of original
research. On the contrary, they repeat received
I normally live here and there in Paris, where I opinion, contain nothing that might not have
am employed by the French Government on a been written thirty or forty years ago, and seem
series of art-projects. However, I come to not to have any acquaintance with Italian
London just about once every month to see my writing on Futurism of the last twenty years.
friend Linda Wroth. Knowing this, Timothy There is a singular failure to cope with the
Craig (may his tribe increase!) wrote to me c/o problems of the relations with Fascism,
Linda sometime last week asking me to verify particularly in the light of recent neo-fascist
an experience we both sat through some five attempts at cultural 'restoration' and the
years ago in Toronto. He included a photocopy dragging into public gaze of old idols one
of a bitchy letter from one michael p. thought surely dead. Nor are the less contentious
czerewko which had been addressed in the first themes of futurist ideology and practice
place to you. This letter, as I assume you know, disentangled. This one would have thought
questions the veracity of Craig's report of a essential in a show that aimed to range over the
John Charles Fare performance. I often read whole of futurist activity. One thinks
your excellent publication, but I had not until particularly of the conception of the city as a
yesterday read Craig's wonderful little article in machine, the 'compenetration' of interior and
your issue of last November; he included a copy exterior, the various aspects of simultaneity.
of it as well. Finally why the arbitrary 1919, ignored by
Let me state at once that the event actually some of the contributors in the interests of
occurred, but that I am not totally familiar with adequate exposition ? True, there is general
all of the details of Fare's career and so cannot agreement on Primo Futurismo and Secondo
verify all of the details concerning Fare's Futurismo being divided by the war. However
meetings with his confederates, etc. It does not, recent studies suggest there were several waves,
I hope, matter very much. The important thing, the first dating from the 1909 manifesto and
to me, is that Craig should be questioned or spending itself with the death of Boccioni, the
challenged on any matter whatever. Please, if next coinciding with a major preoccupation with
you can, print this letter as a rebuttal. Please, as politics and including the foundation of the
well, excuse my heat. Futurist Party, the entry, secession and re-entry
ROBERT BASSARA into Mussolini's fascist movement, and several
Paris more during the twenties and thirties.
TONI DEL RENZIO
[For readers' information Time magazine, Dec. Italy
18, 1972, reported the death by self-inflicted
amputations of a Viennese artist Rudolf
Schwarzkogler in 1969. The article also stated Is a red square beautiful?
that prints recording the amputation of Impatience with the inconclusive nature of
his penis were shown at Documenta 5 last aesthetic enquiry can easily lead to a search for
year. Ed.] precise answers provided by experimentally
quantifiable data. Maurice Yaffe's article 'Can
Aesthetic Preferences Be Quantified ?' (Studio
Futurismo's deficiencies International, October 1972) is the latest
The exhibition, Futurismo' 1909-1919, has now instance of this way of thinking. There is of
been afforded a London showing at the Royal course nothing objectionable in principle in
Academy. It is a brave little effort and not measuring people's reactions to colours and
without merits at its modest level. A provincial simple designs, but this activity must not be
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