Page 67 - Studio International - April 1973

Art information

Feedback Artists' Publication (see 'Feedback' December
1972) to which it is similar in conception; Ace
Space Company will in fact be found to have
infiltrated the October 1972 issue of the latter
(Items for review in the 'Feedback', 'Graphics' magazine. The Space Atlas of 1971 has between
and 'Vision' columns should be sent to Clive
one and three pages each from 120 contributors,
Phillpot, Bud Shark and Malcolm Le Grice 25o copies of each page submitted were
respectively, all c/o Studio International, forwarded, and after collation yielded volumes
14 West Central Street, London WCi.) of 'group consciousness'. While these
publications cannot be bought, information can
be relayed to Ace Space Company via Box 62,
Eadweard Muybridge's collaboration with Crested Butte, Colorado 81224, USA. q
the railroad builder Leland Stanford, which CLIVE PHILLPOT
began in 1872 when he was invited to obtain
photographic evidence for the latter that a horse
trotting at top speed has all four feet off the
ground at one point in his stride, is celebrated by Books
an exhibition and publication Eadweard
Muybridge: The Stanford Years 1872-1882, Visual Aesthetics by J. J. Lucio Meyer.
organized and published appropriately by Lund Humphries. £4.25.
Stanford University Museum of Art, Museum Meyer's Visual Aesthetics is a nice down-to-
Way, Stanford, California 94305 ($7.50). One of earth, pre-mystical attempt 'to bridge the gap
the purposes of this substantial 136-page produced by artists for artists, quarterly', and is between the orthodox method of teaching art
publication is to reveal Muybridge's available from 87, Yonge Street, Toronto 1, appreciation which is mainly historical and the
accomplishment in text and pictures prior to, Ontario, Canada, annual subscriptions $2.00 for modern approach to design theory which is
and thereby explaining, his selection by individuals or $5.00 for businesses and predominantly visual'. It includes more than
Stanford. His life and work are discussed and institutions. It is almost impossible to describe 200 illustrations.
illustrated by Robert Bartlett Haas in one of or summarize, it is the spin-off of a life style
three essays; the second relates to the which can be glimpsed through its pages. A Scottish Painter and His World: Gordon Gunn
photographs of 1872-1880 and is by Anita `Sugardada Ray Johnson remains the by N. Rhind. Impulse Books, Aberdeen. £5.50.
Ventura Mozley, and the third: 'Marcy, forerunner of international image exchange', I quote: 'Gordon Gunn, the subject of this
Muybridge and Meissonier, The Study of which is one of the key activities uniting most of book, is a Scottish painter whose work has
Movement in Science and Art' by Francoise the artists involved with FILE. Number 4, become widely known in the past few years.
Forster-Hahn, amongst other things reveals December 1972, includes a fascinating Image This book was not written as a definitive account
the names of some of the artists who subscribed Bank Image Request List as well as an Artists' of his life and work, nor does it attempt to be a
to his Animal Locomotion. They included Millais, Directory of 700 names and addresses of artists critical evaluation of his paintings and his
Holman Hunt, Menzel, Puvis de Chavannes, across Canada and much further afield. particular role in modern painting. It is an
Rodin and Whistler. The contents are One of the characteristics shared by these interim account of the life and work of a friend.
concluded with a selection from contemporary Canadian artists and their friends is their An assessment of a creative artist in a world that
documents and correspondence, and a fondness for aliases; some of these have been is not always kind to men who choose to take
bibliography. mentioned already, others include Ant Farm, their own path through life'. Now, it's that last
Art Rat, Anna Banana, Marcel Dot, Granada near-sentence that I find least true, though I'm
That once pre-eminent vehicle of Gazelle, Mr Peanut, General Idea and Ace more or less tempted to believe the rest.
photo-journalism, LIFE, has finally bitten the Space Company. General Idea is behind FILE, Everyone knows that life is kindest of all to
dust, but if LIFE is dead, long live FILE! Ace Space Company is responsible for, among those who choose an enormity of difficulties for
Volume 1, number 1, April 1972: 'The other things, Notebook i and Space Atlas. A themselves. As for Gunn's work it is excellent,
phenomenon of FILE and of files emerges from quotation from the company prospectus: 'Ace reminiscent of certain paintings done recently
the underbrush of available art, shuffling its Space Company, started in the fall of 1969, has by the American painter Yvonne Moran.
leaves in patterned disarray. Files are the dead worked primarily to develop structures capable
matter of appropriated ideas, the manure of rat of creating gestalt communities whose members Futurist Manifestos edited and with an
city, the space hidden between one gallery and reflect technically and conceptually diverse introduction by Umbro Apollonio. Thames &
the next. In order to grasp the FILE points of view. A consistent motivating factor Hudson. £2.50.
phenomenon it is necessary to realize the has been to connect these people and their Gertrude Stein, primarily a defender of Cubism,
extent of concerns involving the invisible energies and to maximize the flow of attempted in her lurid autobiography to dismiss
network that binds the world of Dr Brute and information while minimizing the differences the Futurists as a load of intrusive foreigners
Alex the Holy, Marcel Idea and Miss that often hinder such exchanges. There have who 'came to her house' — the ultimate calamity,
Generality . .' This may give an idea of FILE, been three constants: according to her lights. She was apparently not
its purpose and its prose; one more quote from Nothing is for sale aware that the greaseballs had mistaken her
the first editorial: 'FILE is precisely this: the No rights are reserved address for Clemenceau's.
extension and documentation of available space, Nothing is rejected. This new book begins to put things straight.
the authentication and reinforcement of Copies of Notebook I, March 1970, incorporate The photographs reproduced, rather than the
available myths lying within the context of printed material from about 6o contributors in a paintings, constitute the better part of the
Canadian art today.' ring binder, in accordance with the above visual material. q
'FILE is a transcanadada (sic) art organ principles. Notebook i predates the L.A. TIM CRAIG

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