Page 48 - Studio International - October1973

Fischer and Lloyd decided to an effect from which it is almost involved account of an orange
concentrate on art. Marlborough's GERMANY impossible to tear oneself away. coloured curtain, 450 metres long,
dynamic development was due as This first German retrospective of an which for a whole day spanned a
much to Lloyd's financial acumen as to It is hard to foretell whether the artist who died aged only 36 — it is valley and then tore to shreds.
Fischer's knowledge and appreciation effect of the far-reaching personnel to go on to Rotterdam, Brussels and Some outstanding drawings by
of art. Fischer gives much of the changes that have occured in the Paris — charms one as the work of a Christo made this otherwise
credit to Will Grohmann, the German ranks of the exhibition organizers loner, who specialized in close-up consciously 'unartistic' show
critic and art historian, who had been this summer will be felt in the views of things like a shirt, a jacket, particularly worth seeing.
closely associated with Kandinsky, season now beginning — many of the a tie, shoes or a couch and lifted them Gunther Wirth
Kirchner and most of the other exhibition commitments undertaken in enormous dimensions into his (Translated from the German by
leading Expressionists in Germany, by the old incumbents must, for good picture. It is the kind of painting John Wheelwright)
and who educated Fischer in those or ill, be worked off by their born of an isolated standpoint, rich
areas of art in which Grohmann successors. The comings and goings in tangibility and brushing the
specialized. In turn, the Marlborough have, however, been thoroughgoing : borders of the Absurd which is
now educated the English public in Wieland Schmied, the excellent latent, not only in objects but also
modern German art and the gallery's Director of Hanover's famous in human existence. One need not be ZAGREB
exhibitions of Kandinsky, Klee, the Kestner-Gesellschaft on 1 October a prophet to foresee that Gnoli's
Blaue Reiter, Nolde, Klimt and started work as Chief Curator of the reputation will continue to grow. In 1961 an exhibition was held in
Schiele were of the quality of large Nationalgalerie of the Stiftung Zagreb under the title Nova
museum shows. They were also as Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Foundation At the Württembergische Tendenciji (New Tendency). It was
well catalogued and, most important for the Prussian Cultural Heritage) Kunstverein, under the title Aspekte an international exhibition, but
of all, they were pioneering, and in succession to Henning Bock, who des abstrakten Werkes (Aspects of unlike most international
explored an area completely unknown in turn, has taken charge of the Abstract Work), there is a exhibitions in those days, the artists
in England. Fischer also helped the Picture Galleries of the Staatliche retrospective of work by the painter who took part had certain ideas in
Arts Council stage major exhibitions Museen in Berlin. Schmied's return Max Ackermann who, with Otto common. They were reacting against
of German and Austrian art and to the museum service is not only Ritschl, is the last survivor of the such trends in art as informal art
assisted them with, among others, the a flight from the stress to which the classic epoch of abstract painting in (tachism, abstract expressionism,
first Kokoschka retrospective at the exhibition organizers of the Germany. The eighty-six-year-old action painting) and traditional
Tate and the first British Brücke Kunstvereine are particularly artist, who for sixty years has lived in constructivism. They also wanted to
exhibition in 1964. But Fischer also exposed, but also a considered Stuttgart and on Lake Constance, bring art into closer relationship with
became interested in British art and, embracing of the status of official, studied under van de Velde in social needs and scientific and
over the years, persuaded with a retirement pension perhaps Weimar and Franz von Stuck in technological developments.
Sutherland, Bacon, Piper, Hepworth in mind. All the same Schmied and Munich, and under the influence of
and Moore to join the Marlborough. Werner Haftmann as colleagues will Adolf Hölzel (whom he met in Among the artists who took part in
He reserves his greatest admiration for make a good team, and so we can Stuttgart in 1912), became one of the that first exhibition were Biasi,
Moore, who now exhibits at Fischer hope for outstanding exhibitions at most inventive German abstract Castellani, Dorazio, Karl Gerstner,
Fine Art, who has been a close friend the Berlin National Gallery in the painters. The exhibition includes Le Parc, Heinz Mack, Manzoni,
and who has helped him during future. examples of his work from 1919 up to Mavignier, Morellet, Otto Piene,
especially difficult periods of his life. the present, and its high points are Dieter Rot, Joel Stein and Ucker.
The Württembergische undoubtedly the splendid pictures of Most, if not all, are now internationally
The Marlborough was largely Kunstverein in Stuttgart, which has the early 1950s which begin with famous. Three of them were
responsible for bringing German the largest membership of any in Uberbruckte Kontinente represented in this year's exhibition :
Expressionism on to the high Germany, besides having the most (Continents spanned) and partly Le Parc, Mavignier and Morellet.
international market, and soon exhibition space, has also acquired anticipated Hard Edge Abstraction. They were joined for the first time by,
became the most successful private a new, very young, chief in Tilman These are followed, in the spirit of among other artists, Soto and
gallery in the world. When Fischer Osterwold ; he comes from the the 'absolute or musical painting' Vasarely. Soto's inclusion was
parted company with Lloyd in 1971. Lehmbruck- Museum in Duisburg. that Ackermann publicized, by presumably an act of penitence for
the result was incredulity and a host The previous Director, Uwe M. beautiful contrapuntal plays of colour previous neglect. (If this is so, why
of rumours. Schneede, as I have already and form on blue background ; these not others ?) The inclusion of
reported, started work on 1 — particularly the pastels— Vasarely is puzzling, since he stands
Why he decided against retirement September with the Hamburg demonstrate the artist's stature. It can for the sort of traditional
and started up a new business is a Kunstverein, which sorely needs be seen that Max Ackermann has constructivism that the New
much harder question to answer than some new vitality. Klaus Gallwitr hitherto quite unjustly stood in the Tendency was initially so opposed to.
why he left the old firm, especially of the Baden-Baden Kunsthalle shadow of Baumeister and Nay. But this is not really the point. The
when, because of today's art prices, has now, after vain efforts in It may be that this work will now be real question is : in what sense is
dealing has become, as he puts it, Karlsruhe, got a post at the held in greater esteem, particularly the tendency to which these artists
more like merchant banking than Staedel- Museum in Frankfurt. His since it is fashionable in Germany belong new?
anything else. Clearly, he now has the activities will be greatly missed in these days once again to regard
chance to work exclusively with his Baden-Baden, where there is no pictures as art— and not just objects To give the organizers their due they
son, Wolfgang, a shrewd dealer and successor in view ; there will be or manufactured articles. were perfectly well aware of this
trained art historian. But perhaps quite a crowd of applicants, however, question. The director of the Zagreb
more important is the fact that dealing for Baden-Baden has always been a This strange event — which was, Gallery of Contemporary Art,
is clearly in Harry Fischer's blood, good springboard from which to however, to be expected, and which Radoslav Putar, in the catalogue
especially the kind of dealing which launch a career. is conservative to the extent that it is introduction, explains that one of
involves close and intimate co- based on the recognition that art is the reasons for holding the exhibition
operation with the artists themselves. While the private galleries, with the effective only in art's own field, and was to discover whether this kind of
At the Marlborough both Harry and Kunstmesse in Basle under their does not extend into politics, as many art had exhausted its possibilities or
Wolfgang were responsible for belts, prepare, some for the believed — perhaps led the Baden- had still something to achieve, or,
opening up previously unknown or Kunstmesse in Düsseldorf others for Baden Kunsthalle to mount their more pertinently, whether it met a
underestimated areas of modern art, the Kunstmarkt in Cologne, the exhibition of pictures by the young genuine need or was just being
and as their forthcoming exhibition of Kunstvereine and Museums have Berliner Markus Luppertz. But the churned out for commercial
Russian art will show, they are still been working away, even during giant-sized works of this dynamic purposes. To be perfectly fair, it must
anxious to do the same thing at the summer lull, so that there are painter, when seen in quantity, are be admitted that the original New
Fischer Fine Art. several interesting exhibitions to a sad disappointment. Here raw Tendency art (which I shall call
report. power seems to have lapsed into the neo-constructivist) formed only a
At 70, Harry Fischer is still one of the stridency of a hoarding. third of this year's exhibition — the
most influential men in the British art In the Kunsthalle in Darmstadt is an other thirds being computer art and
world, and there is no reason to doubt exhibition of work by the painter The counterpart in Munich, at the conceptual art. It should also be
that the new firm will consolidate its Domenico Gnoli, who died in 1970. Neue Staatsgalerie in the Haus der admitted that, like the previous
already strong position. The pictures have a fascinating Kunst, is Christo's Valley Curtain exhibition in 1968, this year's was
Frank Whitford effect through their object-fetishism — Project 1970/72 — the cool yet so entitled 'New Tendencies'.
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