Page 24 - Studio International - June 1973
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developed as much as possible.'           'Art is not free'                         `Manipulation, paintings by Daniel Buren,
       This comment implies that the teacher is                                           presented by Jack Wendler'. You have been
      sufficiently interested in the inherent                                             conditioned both by receiving this announcement
                                                Daniel Buren's work was shown at the Jack
      capabilities of the immigrant children in his                                       and bringing yourself here to see an exhibition of
                                                Wendler Gallery, London, 9-3o March 1973.
      classes to base his art programmes on these                                         paintings. Your reasons for being here may be
                                                The room was empty except for a video machine,
      capabilities.                                                                       varied: social, professional, sceptical, critical,
                                                on which could be seen the artist speaking the
                                                                                          aggressive, curious, hostile. . . . you could be
                                                text reproduced below. People who were
      Comment No. 4                                                                       here by mistake, with a friend, by force, because
                                                interested had to ask to see the exhibition, which
      `. . . in this department it is presumed that,                                      of your boredom, because of your interest, to be
                                                consisted of seven paintings on linen which
      when the children first come to us from junior                                      seen, maybe to see an exhibition of art . . . As you
                                                were held up by the gallery owner, who
      school, they have had no specialist art                                             can already see, with the exception of the video
                                                sometimes had to be helped by the viewer in the
      training . . . if any child introduces into his                                     that you are watching, the room is empty of
                                                case of the larger works.
      work any characteristics, (of previous cultural                                     anything hanging on the wall or glued to the
      and art experience) all well and good but no                                        wall. This does not signify that there is nothing
      comment would follow.'                                                              to see in the exhibition or that it has not yet been
        The views expressed in comment 4 appear                                           installed. The exhibition will not be installed
      to be antithetical to any art programme                                             but the work will be visible.
      indicative of the promotion and utility of the                                        You have arrived from many different areas to
      previous art experiences and activities of                                          this specific location which is the Jack Wendler
      immigrant children, as well as those of English                                     Gallery which is not only a location to see this
      children. The comment indicates a firm denial                                       exhibition but all those before and after. In this
      of any art experiences a child may have had                                         context, do you not think that this location has
      before entering secondary school, with the                                          an effect on the exhibitions which you come to
      implication that art education only starts in that                                  see here ? Outside the fact of the physical
      particular teacher's classroom.                                                     location I have just described, this gallery,
        The comment is an instance of a common                                            although it is new, has a certain reputation from
      attitude identified by Brian Allison in noting                                      preceding exhibitions from which the
      that                                                                                exhibition cannot escape. At the same time the
      `. . it seems somewhat curious in the light of                                      next exhibition will be partly framed by this one.
      developments in other subject areas that there                                      All the exhibitions here have the same frame,
      appears to be a consistent inability to consider                                    and this frame is not neutral. But to pretend to
      the development of learning in art as being                                         escape from these limits is to reinforce the
      cumulative.'                                                                        prevalent ideology which expects diversion from
        Infant and junior school art experiences do                                       the artist. Art is not free, the artist does not
      play an important role in the education of                                          express himself freely (he cannot). Art is not the
      children, and it seems most unlikely that a                                         prophecy of a free society. Freedom in art is the
      denial of such experiences will terminate their                                     luxury-privilege of a repressive society. Art,
      influence on any future art work of the                                             whatever it may be, is exclusively political.
      children.                                                                           What is called for is the analysis of formal and
        It is perhaps unfortunate that many art                                           cultural limits (and not one or the other) within
      teachers tend to assume, because of general                                         which art exists and struggles. Those limits are
      assimilationist policy, that purposeful                                             many and of different intensities. Although the
      references to, or specific utility of, past cultural                                prevailing ideology and the associated artists try
      experiences of immigrant children in their                                          in every way to camouflage them, and although
      classes would be contrary to the wishes of                                          it is too early — the conditions are not Meant to
      authority, and in the long run of no intrinsic                                      blow them all up — the time has come to unveil
      value to the children themselves. And it is                                         them.'
      possible, because of attitudes of this kind, that                                     All installations in galleries are in fact
      much valuable insight into Pakistani, Indian,                                       decorations of that place. Today, this particular
      and West Indian art forms is being lost to                                          exhibition for which you have especially come,
      English schools. It is also possible, because of                                    will be visible and only visible if you express a
      these same attitudes, that art education in many                                    desire to see it. This exhibition is not only
      schools is not able to contribute properly to the                                   limited and defined by these walls, the system,
      full education of the immigrant child.                                              the intent of the artist, March 1973 etc . . . etc .. .
        Tolerance and understanding are usually                                           it depends also completely on your willingness
      regarded as desirable and necessary traits for                                      to make this exhibition possible. A work is done,
      coexistence. It seems that in a multi-racial   You are watching a television screen.   yet it is necessary that you wish to see it. If you
      school situation, any exchange of cultural ideas,   I am going to use it to read a text. What has   are interested to see my work and if you want to
      in particular by visual means, should contribute   begun here is a short tentative explanation of the   see possible applications of my work, Jack
      to fuller pupil understanding of many cross   significance of the situation in which you now   Wendler is at your disposal to present some of
      cultural characteristics. This could well be a   find yourself. This tape, made especially for this   my paintings. Only then will the exhibition of
      form of logical preparation for the future of   exhibition will be shown for the duration of the   this work be complete.
      Britain and other countries with multi-racial   show and then erased. This tape is not a work of   Thank you very much for listening, and now,
      communities. q                            art.                                      if you wish, please ask to see the exhibition. q
      CLIVE COLLING                               From different places, by different means you   DANIEL BUREN, March 1973
                                                have arrived at 164 North Gower Street here in
                                                                                           Extract from 'Limites, — Critiques' edited by Yvon
                                                London after having received an announcement:    Lambert, Oct. 1970.
      254
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