Page 62 - Studio International - November 1973

some time. Certainly such thinking entails Holland during the winter 1971-1972, later that Douglas Huebler, Dan Graham and Jan
certain views on art which would be interesting year exemplified by the exhibition of The Dibbets. In that discussion Miss Lippard, who
to have in a book like this about 'ideas in the Paintings by Gilbert and George in the Stedelijk talks quite a lot, tries to argue certain points
air'. Museum, by the selection of Jan Dibbets as sole about language in art, and the four artists are
True, the book's form would hardly permit Dutch representative at the Venice Biennale, very reluctant to follow or politely disagree.
such subtle reporting. Chronology as used here and major shows of Jan Dibbets in Amsterdam (After the problem is stated Carl Andre
is probably the least interesting way of ordering and Ger van Elk in Eindhoven. Once more, a answers : 'Pm a disciple of Brancusi and I don't
material and, in terms of history writing, fairly simple chronology can hardly capture the know what I'm doing here'.) Then, answering
primitive too, because it leaves different items relatedness of events. another remark by Andre, Miss Lippard says :
totally unrelated apart from their occurrence in But maybe the book is not to be viewed and `I don't know how you can say that, but let's not
time. Take for instance the last three items in judged as history. Rather it is a reflection on get into defining conceptual art, because it
the book (p. 262): 'Gilbert & George: A Touch certain events as they came to Miss Lippard's seems like an awful dead end.' (p. 157). As far
of Blossom (Spring, 1971). Art and Project attention, and to the attention of her artistic and as I am concerned, precisely there lies the
Bulletin 47, 22 December, 1971- 21 January, intellectual milieu in New York (which is, of book's failure. It is full of very interesting detail;
1972. Levine, Les. Museum of Mott Art, Inc. course, a very particular milieu), and gradually and it is a masterpiece of non-definition.
Protetch-Rivkin Art Hearings, Washington, slipped into her mind to form and sustain that R. H. FUCHS
D.C., 4 December, 1971. Catalogue of the dream of a global art/information network free
museum's services. Rosenberg, Harold, 'On the of pressure. So 'Six Years' is actually a very
De-definition of Art'; also, Kim Levin, 'A private book, a jungle of fact, comment and Into history
Different Drummer' (on Rafael Ferrer). Art small talk impenetrable by those who don't Jules Olitski by Kenworth Moffett. 71 pp,
News, December, 1971 (`The problem is not belong to the scene. And, as I have indicated, 57 illustrations, 23 in colour. Museum of Fine
what to do. It is where to do it and how'—R.F.).' factual information necessary to any reader is Arts, Boston. £8.5o.
Is that all there is to know ? For one thing not given either. The leading lady is Lucy
there is Miss Lippard's curious practice of Lippard: she has selected events and Far too few of Olitski's paintings are seen in
giving no indication of the content of critical information for inclusion (`there is no precise England. All we shall see of his current
articles quoted, in this case Rosenberg's article. reason for certain inclusions and exclusions retrospective is the catalogue — beautifully
This is really contradictory: on the one hand except personal prejudice and an idiosyncratic produced, finely illustrated, and with a
some art criticism is accepted as playing a role in method of categorization that would make little characteristically lucid essay from Kenworth
the celebrated 'network of ideas in the air', and sense on anyone else's grounds', p. 5); then the Moffett. It is well worth having if only for
they do that for their argument, I suppose. The seemingly objective form of the chronicle the excellent documentation (by Elinor L.
central point made in an article, however, is only provides an alias for utter privateness. Woron), and especially for the colour plates : 24
rarely mentioned. In some cases this is really In its intellectual concept (something other good memory jogs for both the well-known and
unbelievable. On p. 45 an unpublished than the book as information source, if you can lesser-known of Olitski's pictures (including, I
manuscript, dated Spring 1968, 'Idea Art', by find it) 'Six Years' is about art, but mostly am glad to see, two fine dark paintings including
Howard Junker, is listed with the remark that about Lucy Lippard's ideas about art. That is the stunning Doulma of 1966). Of course, they
this manuscript is partly a commentary on the perfectly in order: formulating ideas about art is lose much in reproduction, and some more than
Lippard/Chandler article 'Dematerialization of the critic's job (though Miss Lippard is others. The stain paintings come over best
Art'. One would think that the views of despairing: see 'Changing', p. 274, for instance), because there are less different surfaces to
somebody reacting directly to the book's central but it is also his/her job to reason about those remember, and the early spray paintings —
theme could at least have been quoted, ideas in order that they can be discussed. In without perimetal drawing — worst, because they
particularly since it concerns an unpublished `Six Years' all theory is either hidden, or so depend on shape and scale, impossible to
text. Then, what actually is the Museum of Mott fragmentary — as in excerpts quoted from know from these flat cropped-in images. (And
Art, and what precisely are that museum's interviews and articles by Lucy Lippard I would like to add a plea here for reproducing
`services' ? Simple information of this kind is herself and by certain key artists (Huebler, paintings as they are actually hung, with frame
lacking most of the time; that is as annoying as Andre, Graham, Kosuth, Weiner, Barry). Why and wall: as Moffett says, they do look better
it is unnecessary. (It is in relation to these and other critics, and other opinions, are quoted so framed.) Usually, in art publishing, and in
similar lacks that I find the phrasing of the rarely, is beyond me; it hardly makes the book catalogues especially, the writing is not up to the
book's sub-title so modish and pedantic.) Nor is into a reflection of that 'network of ideas in the illustrations. This is a rare exception; I take it as
the index, important enough in a chaotic book air', does it ? evidence of a good catalogue that one wants to
like this, very reliable. The three items just Maybe all this is the final result of the return again to the work and check one's
quoted are not listed; and while going through situation of the critic in recent years, during the reactions against the author's. This is indeed the
the book I found other omissions which, intellectualization of art (my label !). The classic case here; but Moffett goes further than these
unfortunately, I didn't note. Finally, at the form of quiet, reasoned criticism (like, for specific paintings. He knows how to stick close
same time as the Gilbert & George show at Art instance, William Tucker's marvellous essays to paintings, and draw them together as an
and Project, Jan Dibbets had his first museum on sculpture in this magazine), not so much oeuvre. His writing submits itself to the work,
exhibition in Holland (not listed by Lippard), in concerned with the rigmarole of avantgardism, and is always relevant to it. This itself is no
the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven is becoming increasingly rare. Somehow the mean achievement. He is also concerned,
(3 December, 1971 — 16 January, 1972), young critic has to be clever, flashy with ideas, however, with the broader issue of Olitski's
accompanied by a beautiful 'catalogue' with or (another variety) philosophically obscure. place in modernist history. He retells this
stills from the film Horizon and texts by Jean Opinions then soon go beyond art, and start an history for his artist — in the fullest way yet
Leering and R. H. Fuchs. The Gilbert & George intellectual life of their own, with critics even attempted — and this I suspect will remain as the
show consisted of four works all of which were claiming certain expressions as their inventions; most important aspect of his broad-ranging,
sold, three privately, and the fourth to the a sad sight. This pressure on the critic to remain inspired essay.
Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum. These two intellectually in charge sometimes leads to This retelling of history is sometimes frowned
events are not as unrelated as a chronological curious situations. There is one reported in this upon as meddling with the facts. Olitski himself,
list would show them. Their success signalled book (pp. 155-59), a symposium moderated by however, has meddled with the facts of history;
the breakthrough of so-called conceptual art in Lucy Lippard in 197o, with Carl Andre, and this is his importance: that he has not
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