Page 14 - Studio International - February 1973

sections — 'The Secret of Life', 'The Human Arkive is very much concerned with these ICA French
Machine and How it Works', 'From Genot to issues, and in its educational role can help bring
Unimate', 'Manikins for Destruction', 'Pages the teaching of twentieth-century art and art programme :
from the Aerospace Medical Laboratory' — the history nearer to the realities of our
images are radically transformed when technological surroundings. March 1973
reproduced in the fine-art medium of etching.3 A number of items concerning the Arkive's
The original source material was exhibited future still remain to be clarified. If it is to grow
alongside the etchings as well as printer's proofs as its founders anticipate, donations must be
and plates, and a variety of photographs encouraged from the general public as well as
relating to each section: medical drawings from from artists.6 An annual purchasing policy— and
`The Secret of Life' (1948) and other sources; grant — probably at first quite modest, will have
robots and human simulators for medical and to be formulated. At present the physical
physiological analysis; images from road problems of housing the material are not great.?
research experiments in Britain, the US and Questions of conservation too are crucial for the
Japan; and finally examples from the survival of fragile pulp material from the 192os
iconography of space travel and exploration. and 193os and the already disintegrating comic
Paolozzi also produced a special version of his books of the 6os and Ios. In future, inspection
Crash Head, painted chrome yellow with the and retrieval from the collection may have to be
characteristic diamond marks found on done by photographic reproduction,
Japanese test dummies. The Frankenstein microfilming, etc. Apart from work in the
characteristics of the Crash Head (bolt and collection itself, research can be disseminated
chain) were symbolically invoked by the display through exhibitions. After Science Fiction:
of horror and film magazines and other 2- and Introducing Hugo Gernsback and Forest J, major
3-dimensional objects in order to illustrate the exhibitions on 'Twentieth-Century Styling', on
overlap of different media. the concept of the Grotesque, and probably on
Ogle Designs lent the pelvis of their recently specific iconographic aspects of World War
developed Anthropometric Crash Test Device — Two imagery, will be planned.
a steel skeleton which also provided the motif for Naturally, the Arkive does not wish to work in
a poster ;4 and a number of American car isolation, and invites suggestions and
styling magazines from the early 195os were donations in these formative years, from the
shown. Patrick Murray, curator of the Museum public as well as from artists, of art works and
of Childhood, lent Japanese toys and artifacts. source material in its widest connotation.9 q
Approximately 30o images from different ROBIN SPENCER
media were exhibited. Like the 'Parallel of Life
and Art' exhibition at the ICA in 1953,5 the 'The official title of the Krazy Kat Arkive is The
Archive of Source Material for Twentieth Century
St Andrews exhibition demonstrated the
Art.
possibilities of transformation from consumer 2'The Conditional Probability Machine and other
society into art, and the narrow area, populated works by Eduardo Paolozzi' opened in St Andrews The ICA has always had strong international
by commercial artists, designers, precision on r February 1972 and ran until 4 March. It was links, particularly with France and other
afterwards shown in Aberdeen City Art Gallery; the
engineers and film makers, which divides them. Department of Fine Arts, University of Glasgow; European countries (though since the move to
The display of related art and artifacts as and a selection at the Traverse Theatre Club, the Mall in 1968 it has reflected a general
sources of inspiration and admired 'spiritual Edinburgh and the Leith Festival, Edinburgh, in tendency in Britain to look towards the USA
August 1972. To coincide with the St Andrews
ancestors' — a basic feature of the ICA opening, a public symposium 'Art and more than Europe). The ICA's financial
exhibitions of the 5os and of 'This is Communication in the year 2000' was organized by problems have always hitherto inhibited its
Tomorrow' at the Whitechapel in 1956 — is a the Fine Art Department and the Extra Mural potential as an international centre for
Department. Speakers : Eduardo Paolozzi, Professor
technique similar to that used at the C. H. Waddington and Colin Young. contemporary cultural activities.
International Surrealist exhibition held in New 3Conditional Probability Machine, 1971. Etching In early 1972 we drew up plans for a French
York in 1937, where a section of 'comparative 22 X 15, box of 24 images; edition of 24. Divided programme to be held at the ICA. We were
into 4 sections of 6 images, numbered 1-6 in each
material', consisting of the art of children and section. Text by Diane Kirkpatrick, published by advised that an approach to the British
the insane, folk art and examples of commercial Editions Alecto. government asking for a grant would be
and journalistic art was shown. It is surely the 4Ogle-Motor Industry Anthropometric Crash Test favourably considered. In March 1972 we wrote
Device. Photographs and research material supplied
historical vindication of the influence of by David Ogle Ltd., Transportation Design and to the British government with proposals for a
Surrealism and Dada that the sort of material Development. See articles in Design, December 1971; French programme to be held during the month
and Reyner Banham, New Society, January 1972.
shown in 1937 is now replaced by photographs 5For an account of Paolozzi's involvement in this of March 1973 at the ICA. Our letters stated
of the Apollo moon landing and Mr Peanut. In exhibition see Frank Whitford, Paolozzi and the that it was not our intention merely to promote a
this way, Pop Art in England not only developed Independent Group' in Eduardo Paolozzi, Tate wider knowledge of French cultural life, but to
with lectures on car styling and related subjects Gallery 1971, pp 44-8 (and bibliography). explore some relationships between the British
British Olivetti Ltd. have already presented
given at the Independent Group in the early Paolozzi's set of tandem etchings Cloud Atomic and French peoples. In particular, the problems
195os, but is really transcended by its undeniable Laboratory to the Arkive. Printed by Editions Alecto of mutual understanding between British and
links with Dada and Surrealism. exclusively for British Olivetti Ltd. in an edition French intellectuals seemed very worth tackling.
of 85.
Unlike the ICA exhibitions of the 5os, 'The collection is at present housed in the The British Government responded with a
however, the Krazy Kat Arkive has a Department of Fine Arts, a mid-nineteenth-century grant of £10,000 leaving the ICA wholly
building, which will eventually become part of a
permanently catalogued collection to draw on responsible for the content and structure of the
complex to include an arts centre for the visual and
for analysis by specialists working in different performing arts designed by James Stirling. programme. The French Government was then
fields and for exhibitions on a wide range of 8All communications, including the information about approached and at the time of writing has agreed
themes. Its didactic aim is visual education in the touring of exhibitions, should be addressed to: to contribute over £4,000 to the cost of the
David Walker, Research Fellow, Department of Fine
the language of both form and symbol. The Arts, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife. programme. Smaller but useful grants in
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