Page 64 - Studio International - November 1973

accepted his past as something given and
208
oeuvre, which is a pity for he is well equipped to
inevitable but has rediscovered it for himself in do so, and because it is interesting that Olitski's
his way of working. The possession of tradition move into spraying did bring to his art certain
in the very technique of an innovating artist is initial limitations as well as the advantages so
one of the most striking features of modernism, eloquently discussed. The early spray paintings
and one which demands therefore that new seem to depend so utterly on the shape of
criticism be, in an important sense, ever the canvas as to look in some cases almost
historical — if only to clarify the immediate unbearably fragile, whereas at heart Olitski is a
present. Hence, although Moffett's essay takes very muscular if not aggressive painter (and
us back into the nineteenth century — via this the much misinterpreted colour
Mondrian, Matisse, Pollock, Louis, Miró, and notwithstanding), or at least the
many others — his terms of reference are superiority of his very recent works appears
essentially topical ones. 'Olitski', he says, 'is, at to suggest that this is the case. Only in these
least for the moment, saving the easel painting very tactile paintings has the fragility been
itself as a viable modernist idiom'. This is the fully expelled. This said, however, the large
concluding sentence of the essay. The opening spray paintings of the later sixties increasingly
ones have the same kind of temporal appeal. seem to be among the finest achievements of
Citing the opinions of three younger painters recent art. Moffett is especially illuminating on
(Poons, Bannard and Christensen), Moffett these, finding in them a synthesis of
suggests that 'over the past two or three years impressionist surface and Fauve-like bursts of
the painting of Jules Olitski has begun to seem hue on the one hand and an interface between
decisive. For a surprising number of younger Pollock's all-overness and traditional
painters he is like a block, the influence that has composition on the other.
to be gone through or overcome if any His style of writing depends a lot on formal
fundamental innovation or breakthrough is to description, and given his keen eye, is full of
be achieved'. perceptive details : the significance of Olitski's
This notion of a topical focus of ambition preference for elliptical forms; the relation of
which has to be 'gone through' in some way is a Olitski's sculpture to the painting; the nature of
peculiarly modernist one, or at least has a the colour; the significance of 'emptiness' in the
special and peculiar significance under work; and so on. I must confess, however, that I
modernism. Although it has always been true miss some sense of the real marvellousness of
that innovation requires a kind of overcoming Olitski's work. (This is a problem, I hasten to
of the immediate past (a past often controlled by add, not only for Moffett but for, all who concern
one major figure), under modernism this themselves primarily with mechanics.) By
situation is so exacerbated that its history is in concentrating on Olitski's historical significance
one sense a series of perpetual crises : a he inevitably must neglect the atemporal
succession of artists each so possessing quality of the art — its beauty before which its
tradition in his invented style as to become specifically modernist features seem in the final
nothing less than an obstacle to new talent. Over count merely contributory. If perpetual
the past two decades or so this is something invention is a prerogative for modernism it is
which has been increasing in pace — not because to keep its body alive. (The continual
recent inventions are less sturdy than those of redefinition of painting's constituent norms are
the past; more because they are consciously like cells renewing themselves.) And though the
recognized as being inventions, and thus possession of life itself is no mean achievement,
recognized demand being overcome — by further the feelings this living can afford become the
inventions, if not indeed by a perpetual state of real test of modernist art as they have been for
invention from which the only respite is the all the art of the past. About these feelings,
immobility of non-fulfilment. No wonder then Moffett is conspicuously silent. If his audience is
that even our best artists, with few exceptions, not already convinced about the quality of
have not survived it very long. Olitski's art, his essay cannot hope to persuade
Olitski is remarkable as one of the exceptions, them. It can, however, persuade them about
and Moffett rightly links him with Pollock, Olitski's seriousness — about the authority with
Louis and, of younger artists, Poons as which he has taken on the past and faced up to
discovering a new technique which 'is its responsibilities. This he does, with his own
tantamount to a whole new style and feeling', brand of critical responsibility, which makes
that is 'a new kind of colour picture'. Olitski has this catalogue the most authoritative
produced major work in three different publication on Olitski we yet have seen. q
techniques. The first — staining — was not his JOHN ELDERFIELD
invention, and his innovations within it were, as
Moffett says, primarily compositional: of
flooding the canvas with a single hue only Explaining art language
modified by perimetal drawing and colour and Glossary of Art, Architecture and Design since
value changes. These paintings — now nearly ten 1945 by John Walker. 240 pp, no illustrations.
years old — look as good as ever; surprisingly Clive Bingley Ltd. £3.30.
better than the first of the spray paintings (those
without perimetal drawing). Moffett does not The sub-title of John Walker's Glossary of Art,
make any overt discriminations within Olitski's Architecture and Design since 1945' precisely