Page 53 - Studio International - September 1973

BOOKS FOCUS NEWS & 1, a new monthly magazine of the
visual arts, on sale for 20p, contains
feature articles and reviews of current
Theses on art by the Union of This year's Serpentine Summer London exhibitions.
Socialist Artists. 13pp, no illustrations, Series presented photographic work NOTES
1972. Available from the League of by those under 35 who had never The Whitechapel Gallery,
Socialist Artists, 13 Camberwell before had a major London Show. Professor William Townsend the London, is presenting an exhibition
Church St, London, SE5, £0.10. Brilliant white (vinyl matt) walls and painter died suddenly on July 4 at of works by the sculptor Jack Smith,
Pure Marxist-Leninist propaganda approximately (it you count) 350 Banff, Alberta, Canada, where he was who died last Christmas, after a
which sets the teeth on edge from mounted prints made an impressive giving a course of lectures. He was 64. relatively short career; from 25
the outset by quoting that well known show. For the first time the entire Professor Townsend had been a September to 21 October.
art critic and butcher Joe Stalin :'the gallery was devoted to photography. professor at the Slade School of Art
artist is the engineer of the human The forty-three photographers in the since 1968, the year he was also made Graham Stevens has been invited
soul'. Predictably the writers claim exhibition were chosen from over a Fellow of University College, by the new Museum of Solidarity in
that the only form of aesthetically 200 applicants by Peter Turner, London. He was visiting Professor at Chile to construct a solar energy
good art is socialist realism, which editor of Creative Camera. the University of Alberta. structure in the Chilean desert. The
must inevitably triumph because of
the 'scientific' basis of Marxism (no The Director of Exhibitions,
mention of Karl Popper's criticism of Norbert Lynton stated in the
Marxism). Fascinating example of catalogue, 'Although this show is by
the closed, self-programmed, pre- no means an attempt to define the
war mind in action. nature of photography, it does
indicate the range and level of
The five happinesses: symbolism in contemporary concerns, via the dual
Chinese popular art by Edouard filters of the open send-in process
Chavannes, translated and illustrated and a one-man selection committee.
by Elaine Atwood. 152pp, 47 We hope that a show of this kind at
illustrations, bibliography. New the Serpentine will be a considerable
York, John Weatherhill, 1973. encouragement to photographers
Distributed by Phaidon Press. £4.50. working all over the country, and at
'Long life, tranquillity, wealth, love of the same time offer us all a chance to
virtue, and death only after achieving explore and enjoy the quality of
one's destiny' are the five happinesses photography freed from its daily role
symbolized in the decorative motifs of newspaper and illustration'.
found on Chinese porcelain,
brassware and textile embroideries. Black American music has brought
The text of this book was originally about a cultural revolution in this
published in French in 1901, century. 'Jazz Seen : the Face of Black Sotheby's first contemporary art purpose of the structure is to
therefore it describes traditional Music' was the title of an exhibition of sale, on 5 July, was brought to a demonstrate that Chile's resources
Chinese folk art, not popular art black and white photographs by temporary halt by David Medalla, who can be utilized by modern science in
current in China today. A well- Valerie Wilmer at the Victoria and claimed that Lot 113, Grande support of her struggle. Construction
produced book. Albert Museum-20 July to 19 Vibration Noire et Bleue by Raphael has been tentatively scheduled to
August. Valerie Wilmer was born in Soto, had been stolen from him. When begin in November.
African textiles and decorative arts Yorkshire in 1941, she is a journalist, Medalla demanded an investigation,
by Roy Sieber. 240pp, 244 living and working in London, and he and John Dugger (who took The 1973 Paris Biennale will be
illustrations, 40 in colour, spending part of each year in photograph, above) were ejected by held at the Musée d'art Moderne de la
bibliography. New York, Museum of America. 'My concern is with the attendants, and the work was sold. Ville de Paris and the Musée National
Modern Art, 1972. Distributed in the interior of the person rather than the The Soto appears in Sotheby's d'Art Moderne, from 14 September to
USA by New York Graphic Society exterior, and I hope that as well as catalogue as 'provenance David 21 October. The event is entirely
and in England by Idea Books. £7.50. capturing the essence of the music, I Medalla', and according to Peter devoted to young artists from 20 to
Black art is beautiful (especially when have managed to explain about Wilson, chairman of Sotheby's (at 35. British artists represented include
it originates in Africa). A copiously the people, known and unknown, podium), and Thilo von Watzdorf, Stephen Buckley, John Cobb, John
illustrated book produced to who appear in these photographs'. head of contemporary art for Davies, Tam McPhail and Carl
accompany an exhibition of African Interesting to devoted followers of Sotheby's (to Wilson's right), no Plackman.
decorative arts, drawn from jazz ; photographically the work was effort was made to examine Medalla's
American museums and private nothing profound, just direct and documents or to investigate his David Hockney is to be the sole
collections, which toured the United simple. charges. (Medalla is standing, representative of Britain at the
States during 1972 and 1973. Includes ANTHONY HYDE JR. foreground centre). Venice Biennale, June 1974.
examples of woven textiles, tie and
dye fabrics, jewellery, costume, Philip Guston is to be the visiting
headdresses, body painting, scarring ; painter at the Royal College of Art
excludes pottery and sculpture. this year.
Roslyn W. Randall has contributed a
valuable ten page bibliography. Oval House, 52 Kennington Oval,
London SE11, has opened a free
Contemporary art1942-72: exhibition space, which is available to
collection of the Albright-Knox Art individuals and groups who would
Gallery (Buffalo, New York). 480pp, normally encounter difficulty in
fully illustrated. Praeger, 1972. $25. exhibiting their work. Interested
A substantial volume combining a artists can contact the planning
catalogue of the Albright-Knox committee at the above address.
collection (over 500 works) with
eight broad historical surveys of art In June 'News and Notes' it was
since 1942 by well-known critics. reported that the Arts Council's
Major artists are described in detail 'How to Play the Environment Game'
and their works generously illustrated. had been threatened with a libel suit
The reference value of this book by one of the firms cited. The firm in
would have been enhanced by the question was the Redland Brick
inclusion of an index to the text and a Company, who succeeded in having
separate bibliography. Enrique Saenz de San Pedro accusations of price-fixing deleted
JOHN WALKER Kiss 1972 Serpentine Gallery, London from the exhibition.
99