Page 55 - Studio International - October1973

generation of adherents now plans Gabriel Stern playing in Tom
to initiate a free centre of Marioni's Ensemble of the Museum of
Conceptual Art, photographed at the
interdisciplinary study whose
Edinburgh Festival by Judith Isaacson
purpose is the liberation of students
toward the actualization of their
potentials. was actually served better by the
catalogues.
The most stimulating of the lecture
series included Dr Peter Selz, Lack of attendance at some of the
Director of the University Art events was due not so much to lack of
Museum, Berkeley, who besides interest as to a breakdown of the
analysing Sam Francis's evolution Demarco administration. By the third
and his relationship to American week, many of the staff had resigned.
art, offered a tantalizing theory which The rest tried valiantly to endure the
dealt with the reluctance of adversity. But the organism had lost
American audiences to fully accept its backbone. The amorphous, still
great paintings of beauty and joy. breathing remains floated, and fought
William Buchanan of the Scottish submergence.
Arts Council presented an
informative talk on the architecture The disease that plagued the
of Charles Henry McIntosh. Patrick administration was felt by the
Rentiens elaborated on the loss of extremities of the structure,
memory in modern man. particularly the school. It was all
Kantor and his wife in nor its 'perceptual' too loose, too soon. The students,
Lovelies and Dowdies and rigid image — Meanwhile, clustered in the Demarco mostly undergraduates from
Photo: Martin Bell but the sole Gallery were simultaneous American and Canadian universities
process of creation, exhibitions of French and Austrian could not cope with the lack of
giant rat trap ; the four legged which unlocks artists as well as a display of oil imposed discipline. Few took
Tarquin ; forty Mandelbaums; — the spiritual and intellectual activities. painted landscapes by Lord Haig. advantage of the vitality inherent in
a tuxedo clad Kantor punctuates This is the essential The appalling installations served the faculty resources.
the presence by resolutely and Movement, mainly to indicate a disregard and
conspicuously remaining part of the Mobility, lack of sensitivity to the works. Even That Richard Demarco tried to
action, mumbling inaudible life, an exquisite cape by Etienne initiate his philosophy is
instructions to his crew and the which do not serve to produce a Martin appeared shabby and of little commendable. While Edinburgh
audience who from the time they masterpiece, consequence. The distinctive Arts '73 did not become the
entered became part of the cast. but are important for their own sakes, personality of the exhibiting artists actualization of the prescribed
infiltrate into the total reality, utopia, it did serve a vital function.
Despite a hypnotic fascination with changing its composition. It was a terrific catalyst. Those who
the elements of the presentation, were open, assimilated the freedom,
I felt a tedium. This was, however, Joseph Beuys presented his theories space and available energies.
probably due to the handicap of of action by means of a provocative Artists of varying nationalities, while
unfamiliarity with either Polish or lecture which lasted twelve hours. drinking and smoking together, and
events of this nature. He defined the stream of logic which listening to jazz from musicians
Kantor, who was formerly a painter, preceded his now famous conclusions. imported from San Francisco's
now considers himself a sculptor. According to Beuys, the body is Museum of Conceptual Art, were,
He defines his meaning in the an environment for thinking, for after all, reacting to each other.
following poem : producing reality. Art now must be Despite the problems, Edinburgh
The rejection viewed as idea made manifest by man Arts '73 was still a fertile place to be
by artists (or preferably woman) who creates this August.
of this privilege individual structures in accordance
gives evidence of their with their own energies. Beuys also Edinburgh seems a smooth, soft,
nonconformity stressed his involvement in a dark and haunting city. But the
and of their politics of ordered anarchy which summer crowds and the imposed
absolute consciousness has its foundations in the eighteenth- foreign culture inject an
of creation. century philosophy of J. J. Rousseau unaccustomed liveliness and a
And it is much more difficult but which is to express itself directly forced gaiety. The transition is
than all formal by means of artistic creation-action. reminiscent of Achenbach who, in
and stylistic upheavals. Recently fired from the Düsseldorf Josaph Beuys during his Mann's Death in Venice covers his
Not the masterpiece — academy, Herr Beuys, who has 12 hour lecture wrinkles with powder, adds
product is important, become the culture hero for a whole Photo : Judith Isaacson mascara to his lashes, and in an
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