Page 61 - Studio International - April 1973

done almost as well by reproductions, or almost by RM : I think a good way of looking at this is in grand old men or grand old ladies. And progressively
publishing a book. In fact, the most valuable thing contrast to the sort of one-man exhibitions this has moved down and down and down. I'm not
out of those shows, in my opinion, is the actual concentrating almost entirely on the work that one sure whether it's entirely advantageous — I think it is,
catalogue-cum-book. And the moment your theme man produced, which I think was the original because as Richard has said the main work by many
becomes too wide, you run into that danger. It is not opposition you made. Take the 1970 Richard of these people has not been seen except casually in
worth either sending a valuable work of art off Hamilton exhibition, for example. To what extent a passing exhibition now and again. And so gradually
somewhere else, or asking someone to lend you a does all the fascinating material which we could it's been regarded as advantageous to see artists
valuable work. For instance, in our landscape have put into the Hamilton show— about the virtually in mid-career, if their work is what we regard
exhibition next winter, Leslie Parris is asking for hostility to nuclear armaments in the 50s, for example, as significant, and to demonstrate what they have
specific works by Poussin, Claude, Salvator Rosa— or the rise of the Beatles, or car advertising in the 50s, done so far. Goodness knows what effect it may have
people like that. He's trying to get the actual work of which we could have done as tremendously on the artists themselves : an exhibition may be a
art which was here in this country and could be seen glamorous and evocative displays —to what extent very worrying experience— it is certainly an important
by British landscape painters. This is really should those things really be covered in a catalogue one for the artist who is understandably concerned
worthwhile, because Gainsborough saw that or in film, as indeed they were in a little part of the about how his work is going to be presented and
particular Rubens, and it may have affected his style. exhibition, in order to give as much coverage as whether it's going to be understood, bearing in mind
But once you get beyond that, with a rather vague possible in this museum of art to works of art which how emphases and interests have changed over the
idea that it's stimulating to compare the Florentine have virtually never been seen by the British public at last ten years or so. In my view, it's fully justified we
concept of landscape in the 16th century with the all ? What we did in that exhibition was to trace what should show people at that stage in their careers : the
naive concept of landscape in early 18th-century the artist had actually produced, it was a matter of only thing that worries me is the effect it has on the
England, you can do it just as well in a book, frankly. information of the most primary sort with regard to artists, but they are free to say no when they are
And our exhibitions are, I think justifiably, fairly art. But we didn't cut out the other sort : we supplied invited. As to who chooses them, we have
tightly restricted to what you might call it lavishly in the form of a book and a film. And it — inevitably— a small committee, which is fair
art-historical themes, one-man shows, landscape in a seems to me that this was the right sort of balance for enough, debating what the programme shall be,
certain period with direct influences. Even the the Tate to do, although I think there are other because the committee is not only considering the
exhibition which we had called 'Shock of institutions in London which could go to the other programme of exhibitions we would like to make
Recognition', which was arranged largely by the extreme. ideally, but we're also taking into account what
Dutch, was in my mind far too generalized. The RC: The film in the Richard Hamilton show is shows are likely to be available that we should take
Dutch I am quite sure saw it as an excuse to get a lot something I remember as being valuable to have in advantage of. Sometimes we pick up an exhibition
of good English pictures, and in fact a lot of good that exhibition, and wouldn't this be something that because we know that if we don't, we can't do it for
Dutch pictures from British collections, and show the Tate could perhaps think about even 5 years or perhaps even 10 years. In the case of
them in Holland. It did not really go far enough in commissioning, a film about a background for an Mondrian, this is now proved because the Dutch
saying what particular Dutch pictures were there in exhibition ? have shut down on loans, so we can't do a Mondrian
East Anglian collections which would have NR: Well, I think there has been more than one exhibition for goodness knows, an indefinite period.
influenced Crome, for instance. So I think the occasion when that sort of subsidiary information We're always considering what's available, plus
moment you go into wide issues for exhibitions, you has been available. One of the most recent was the what ideally we would like to do, and new ideas.
have to be very careful. Friedrich, where it wasn't a film but a slide carousel MC: Some of us also sit on committees elsewhere
RA: But with regard to what Michael said, am I not which I thought was immensely valuable because it —the Arts Council, for example— and so obviously to
right in saying that at the time of the Constable added an extra dimension to this exhibition : we were some extent we plan in relation to what other
exhibition we had here, there was quite a bit of able to show works which we couldn't borrow, institutions are doing.
documentation about rural conditions in England at apartfrom anything else, and there was a certain RA: We are also influenced by knowing which
the time, the burning of machinery by the farm amount of text as well. And I was very interested to artists have already had retrospective exhibitions : if
workers and soon, which related to or perhaps see that a large part of the visitors at some stage sat somebody has had a big one-man show at the
contrasted with the work of Constable ? It did down and looked at those things. Whitechapel or the Hayward Gallery five years ago,
attempt to put the whole thing into some sort of M C: Yes, they spent far more time on the slides than we shift our interest to somebody else. But we've
historical context. they did with any one room in the show. But we have now reached the point where certain artists are
MC: Yes, that is so. done this consistently : the Paolozzi show had both coming round for the second time.
AS: If we don't do such exhibitions — I don't suggest film and slides, the Hogarth show had slides, and the RC: One of the biggest bugbears of the Tate
we do bad ones— but if we don't do some kinds of Warhol show had Warhol's film. exhibition programme is that it needs to be settled so
broad and interesting shows, who is going to do AS: But Richard, you're not suggesting that the Tate far in advance. Why is this so, in view of the fact that
them ? should do one type of exhibition, and somewhere you thereby miss chances to stage important shows
RC: So you're saying that they ought to be done ? else such as the Arts Council should do another? from abroad simply because they offer themselves at
AS : I think they need to be done by someone. RC: Not at all. I'm just asking whether the Tate is short notice, and also find it difficult to mount a
I don't suggest they need necessarily to be done here. prepared to consider some more flexible ideas. modern show at the time when it would be most
NR: But when you say more interesting shows, you NR: Wider, yes. relevant? There is a right time and a wrong time,
don't mean simply things deliberately aimed at a MC: The Tate is always considering this. even for retrospectives.
popular level . . . RM : We have the opportunity in so few exhibitions. MC: 1 agree that it is so. I'm not sure whether it's
AS: No, but not necessarily art-historical. There's so little space, money and time available, stated or implied by the question that the exhibitions
MC: But in the case of the Constable show, and so vast an amount of information being needed we put on tend to be untimely. You ask whether the
juxtaposing the effects of the Agricultural Revolution by the public about what artists did actually produce. reason is that we book them in advance, and I guess
with Constable's paintings is a valid point to make, Take the new Robyn Denny exhibition. I mean. the answer is that to carry out the kind of show that
and one that can be partially made in an exhibition. everybody involved in the art world recognizes he's we do for the most part one has to book them in
Some of the elements in that show were purely a very important artist in the history of British art over advance, in order to get the loans you want. In the
picturesque, purely stage-props within the the last 15 years, but very few of his works have case of the Hogarth show, I think it took four or five
exhibition ; others were entirely helpful within the actually been seen by the public. I think it's a years' negotiation to bring it off.
terms of the exhibition. But what is not valid is marvellous function to be able to show this. RA: You're talking about shows which we initiate,
merely to point out that the Russian Revolution was RC: Most of the modern exhibitions concentrate on rather than touring exhibitions . . .
happening at the same time as Léger's paintings of retrospectives of one artist only. How do you choose MC:That's right. Shows which are initiated
the late teens, merely because those are the political these favoured people, who chooses them, and at elsewhere you tend to hear about two years or so
preoccupations of people who think that the political what stage in an artist's career do you consider him ahead, if they're a big show. And you have to say yes
ambience of art is the essential ambience. eligible for a Tate retrospective ? There seems to be a or no. And so when it happens that somebody has
RC: Whatyou're really saying is that any material great deal of difference between the age at which got a hole in the programme for shall we say an
outside a kind of fine art enclave has to be justified in Ben Nicholson received his show, and the age at Ad Reinhardt show, and says 'can you do it within
exhibition terms. which Robyn Denny is receiving his. the next three months', you have to say no ; because
MC: Yes, it has to be justified in terms of the art N R : When I first came here, we usually had not the other shows of the same type have been booked
itself. You have clearly to relate it to the actual retrospectives but memorial exhibitions. We did up much in advance. And another reason is that the
configuration and appearance of the pictures which them as a sort of public duty, a final seal on the pressure is constant. We have I should think five
you're showing. artist. Then partly because it paralleled buying from times as many proposals to do a show as we in fact
RC: Are you implying that there's nobody who is an artist at an earlier stage in his career, they carry out, or ten times as many —Idon't know. And
really qualified to organize an exhibition along these gradually began to get in, so to speak, in the last therefore when the proposal comes, it has to be
more general, as it were Renaissance Man lines ? decade of their lives, when they were already rather treated by the trustees and by the staff advising the
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