Page 44 - Studio International - February 1974

Contributors Berlewi, Hiller, Kobro, Stazewski and listening to. It is published quarterly, is job'.
One hopes that the example of
edited by Barry Barker and William
Strzeminski ; most of the works
Michael Baldwin is a member of Art exhibited are reproduced in the Furlong, and costs £6.50 for four Audio Arts may prod broadcasting
Language ...Jonathan Benthall is catalogue, and since almost issues, each on sixty minutes of tape, companies into selling cassettes of
the newly appointed Director of the threequarters of the works shown from Audio Arts, 136 Gordon Road, such programmes as interviews with
Royal Anthropological Society... were by Strzeminski, he is particularly London W13. UK Volume 1, artists, which have been or will be
Braco Dimitrievic is an artist living well represented. However the number 1, October 1973, contains broadcast perhaps only once, and
and working in Yugoslavia ... catalogue covers much more ground four pieces : Caroline Tisdall thereby cut through the restrictive
Caroline Fawkes is lecturer in Fine and includes biographical notes on introducing Jack Wendler's recitation copyright which at present renders
Art at St Martin's School of Art ... twenty people, primarily artists, of Ad Reinhardt's 'Auto interview', them wellnigh inaccessible. The only
Timothy Hilton is contributing involved in the development of Polish Cyril Barrett interviewed by other tape venture which relates,
editor to Studio International . Constructivism. The catalogue begins William Furlong, and Richard Sladden albeit partially, to the visual arts about
Malcolm Le Grice is a film-maker with 'A Chronicle of the Polish discussing the idea of a 'Systems which information has been received
and teaches at St Martin's School Avant garde' and 'The Polish approach to art and design education' is the discussion between Menuhin
of Art ... Lucy Lippard is an art critic, Revolutionary Avant garde', and on one side, while the other side is and Ayrton published by Seminar
historian ... Cara Montgomery is a these pieces are followed by a given over entirely to an extract from Cassettes, 218 Sussex Gardens,
Californian art critic, presently discussion of each of the three main 'Art Language' proceedings. London W2 3U D. News of other tape
living in London ... Lynda Morris artistic groups : Blok 1924-1926, The novelty of an art magazine on publications will be welcomed.
is a freelance writer and art critic ... Praesens 1926-1939, and a.r. tape requires that proportionately Clive Phillpot
Andrei B. Nakov is an art historian 1929-1936. Next the periodicals of more consideration should be given
living in Paris ...Jennifer Oille is the movement are described, in terms to the medium than to the content.
temporarily acting assistant editor of of their history and the personalities The recording quality is quite Vision
Arts Review ... Clive Phillpot is behind them ; their titles are : adequate, though occasional words
Librarian at Chelsea School of Art ... Zwrotnica, Blok, Praesens, Dzwignia are a little difficult to pick up in the Line Describing a Cone
R. J. Rees is a lecturer at Birmingham and Forma. This section is followed by Art Language group discussion ; the Following a Swedish presentation of
College of Art and Lanchester two articles on Strzeminski and his extract chosen appears to be more of a his Landscape for Fire last autumn,
Polytechnic ... Harry Snook is an sculptress wife Katarzyn a Kobro. monologue than a discussion, but a Anthony McCall spent a couple of
artist who teaches at the Birmingham Some of the works of Kobro are now stereo recording would have helped to weeks in London on his way back to
Polytechnic ...John Walker is an only known in reproduction, since distinguish the participants and New York. He had with him a new
artist, writer and art librarian ... they were destroyed in the war, confirm or deny this impression. And film, Line Describing a Cone, which
Günther Wirth is a German art critic ... however with the help of photographs why, on this track, are there added represents a genuine innovation.
and the discovery of Kobro's use of sound effects, birdsong, chimes, The concept of the piece is
systems of construction involving traffic noise and other sounds extremely simple. It is not necessary
Feedback multiples of a basic unit, half-a-dozen irrelevant to the discussion ? Is this the to have any kind of screen or surface
on which to 'catch' the image, and it
of the missing works have since been
equivalent of fancy visual packaging
Constructivism in Poland 1923-1936: reconstructed. The most substantial or an attempt to give us an everyday may even be better if there is none,
BLOK, Praesens, a.r. (price about part of the catalogue and perhaps the story of artist-folk ? Perhaps Art like projecting out into infinity in a
£4.00) is the catalogue of the most valuable to non-Polish readers is Language have more in common with landscape. If the image is seen on the
exhibition which was first shown in the translation of texts from the five Gilbert and Jarge than one supposed. screen, it is nothing more than a
May 1973 in Essen at the Museum periodicals referred to above, as well Another aspect that must be white dot on a black ground
Folkwang and later in Otterlo. While as from other Polish sources, also considered is the appropriateness of gradually describing a circular path,
both the foreword and introduction to including letters. The quoted texts the content to an audio magazine and leaving a white circular line as its
the catalogue are in three languages, include references to the divisions rather than a printed magazine. The trace. The total circle is built up in
the bulk of the catalogue is presented that occurred between those artists 'Auto interview' is fair game for either thirty minutes, the length of the piece.
medium (but should professional However, even if there is a screen,
readers have been used ?), indeed it is not what you watch during the
more normal interviews with artists projection. The piece is to be viewed
are one of the most promising uses of from the side of the beam and looking
the medium, as it is in this particular back towards the projector. It should be
issue we are presented with a 'second shown in a space where the audience
order' live interview, i.e. an interview can walk about. So what is seen is
with someone with an interest in art not a dot forming a circle but a line,
rather than with an artist. Excluding running outwards in space from the
non-verbal contributions, discussions projector lens, like a sharp searchlight,
are the most suitable audio form in very very slowly forming a conical
view of their evanescence, because of curved plane, which finally forms a
the importance of intonation, and complete cone with its apex at the
since a level of 'noise' which may even lens. The real surprise was the
facilitate aural comprehension is often sensuality of the experience. The
intolerable in cold type. The image is formed on the dust particles
Richard Sladden statement, rather in the air, or on the smoke from
hurriedly spoken, would seem to be cigarettes, which somehow seems
the least suited to the audio form. substantial, but does not resist touch.
The content of the magazine is Since McCall's short visit he has
varied and topical, as well as written describing his new work and
sometimes having a more permanent, his difficulties in remaking the cone
Mieczyslaw Szczuka, from sympathetic to Tatlin and those closer even archival, value. The Cyril Barrett film. 'Mainly I want to make the cone
BLOK no. 1 p. 1, 1924
to Malevich (who actually exhibited interview is too short to be able to independent of smoke, dust or
as an English translation of Polish in and visited Poland). On the whole develop many points, though his humidity, by thickening the lights
texts, both old and new. The majority the artists shown in the exhibition remark that 'nearly every new work of slightly.' Technical difficulties with
of the exhibits were loaned by the represent the latter tendency, however art is non-art' is a useful one. The Art the medium and petrol shortage
Museum Sztuki in Lodz, whose the catalogue is also rich in Language proceedings remind one of making it impossible for him to
collection of modern art was documentary photographs of artists, the musings of Beckett's tramps : perform his 'fire' pieces has led him
established in 1931 when an of periodicals and books, and of 'Here we are with nothing to do, to work on two series of drawings —
agreement concerning the placing of artworks and architectural projects of hardly anyone to talk to — um — you Duration for One Pencil, mostly on a
the 'International Collection of both groups ; the graphic work and know, what then is our position ?' scale of around five feet square. He
Modern Art' was signed by a town typography of Mieczyslaw Szczuka in 'Here am I, look, sitting here ... with intends to be in London for all of May
councillor and Wladyslaw Strzeminski particular comes over very strongly. no visible means of support ...'. and part of June. He will have the
representing the a.r. (revolutionary Audio Arts is an art magazine Indeed they almost acknowledge a cone film and hopes to have
artists) Group. In fact only five artists produced on a C60 Audio Cassette, in similar role when they say that completed two more films before his
were represented in this exhibition : other words it is not for reading but for 'historically we have been put out of a visit. Any organization which would