Page 59 - Studio International - June 1974

is often the demonstration of an on-
U K Reviews tatty painting, is the simplest assertion. If it's wrong he moves it. going process through which an
Colour is given a similarly tough
illustration of Uglow's attitude. A
Euan Uglow at the Whitechapel pear is selected and work begins with handling. The subject suggests a key artist develops work. The work
Gallery, London, 18 April-19 May a decision : the tip of the stalk of the or, more probably, a weighing-up of thereby accommodates change. The
Euan Uglow's paintings at the fruit is to be the centre of the canvas. the limitations of pigment and separation of drawing from painting
Whitechapel are thrilling. The Uglow remains true to the appearance observed extremes of colour in the or sculpture and the ensuing
whole show is a bold statement of that pear in the face of treacherous subject leads to a decision ; and that discussion is somewhat academic. It's
by an artist whose concerns are the nature; he follows its rotting and key remains constant. A morning a common cliché that artists like de
problems of how an object is sagging movement with a series of picture may well be drawn in the Kooning could, after all, also draw.
perceived and what the commitment demolition jobs on his painted pear afternoon but attention to colour Newman always considered his
to canvas of an object well-seen is and reconstruction jobs on the canvas, demands a consistent light. Each tiny primary contribution to be in terms of
capable of expressing. It demands no the tip of the stalk remaining central, area is as important as the next in its drawing. It certainly could not be
more from the spectator than a the pear's final resting place on the tendency towards blue, yellow, etc. argued, as Mrs Vaizey suggests, that
capacity to enjoy definition of what canvas describing one truth, the One feels that when Uglow finds it drawing is similarly central to the
is already known. evidence making the point. possible to equate a colour seen with activity of each artist represented. The
This retrospective of an artist in his Summer Picture, an unconventionally a colour known (the colour, perhaps.
early forties who has shown little till seated nude against flat holiday-sky of a certain kind of cheese, wine...)
now dispels any idea that English blue, risks the spectator's loss of faith his task becomes simpler. Colour is
representational painting is the dying in the artist's procedure by obscuring elusive : the guesses made at those
sport of a few boring old cranks : the a lot of the evidence of hard work undistinguished shades which occur
paintings re-educate and stimulate with big composite colour decisions. where flesh casts a shadow on flesh,
one's emotional response to the The multicoloured minuscule when made by Uglow, are not to be
traditional subjects of the life- measuring-marks (which, though argued with. His equivalents for truly
painter—girls, nude or clothed, purely functional in the making of the seen colour, his knowledge of the
landscapes, portraits and still-lifes. pictures, can unwittingly become a possibilities of what a colour barely
One actually feels a lot happier having kind of snazzy decoration) tend to seen might be, give him the right to
seen this crisp and refreshing disappear in this picture, as the dozen act boldly in a tight corner.
exhibition, not least about the state of or so colours which so eloquently Tony Rothon
English art.
Uglow's background is Euston Prunella Clough Charcoal drawing II 1972
Road ; that is to say his early low-key 11 x12 M.
paintings were made with the idea is an insult to the
encouragement and supervision of
accomplishments of artists for whom
painters like Coldstream and Claude drawing was never a secondary,
Rogers; he attended the Slade in the
peripheral activity, and whose work
early 50s. Euston Road painting had never demonstrated the incompe-
nothing to do with clumsy thinking or tence on display at Tooth's.
a sloppy vision of the world. The
What constituted drawing was left
process of recording real visual to each artist, and most used
appearances with authority, especially conventional materials. There was
for Uglow, is an arduous one. His some paint, but not a lot. Victor
paintings take years of close Newsome worked for ten years as a
scrutiny of the subject before him, the sculptor and returned to painting
question 'What does this thing look about three years ago. There were two
like ?' remaining open-ended. Subjects preparatory drawings in ink and
are chosen with care. There is a sense pencil for paintings of a woman in a
of rightness in the choice, the same bath. They were diagrammatic and
sense which other painters at other interesting, and more structurally
times have allowed to influence, if
informative than the sculptors'
not dictate, what happens as brush drawings included. Craig-Martin
hits canvas. showed a few drawings for, of, and
The paintings in the exhibition, Euan Uglow Georgia 1973 Critic's Choice at Arthur Tooth &
from an open book. Flanagan had
almost without exception, make clear describe the figure in light and space Sons, London, 23 April-18 May some perfunctory sketches of
that Uglow's sense of rightness has hit the blue. Shape and colour seem Marina Vaizey, art critic for the interiors. The work of Kidner and
been made to operate before to have moved willingly into that Financial Times, chose around one
Martin is encapsulated by systems —
starting work : while a model was pattern of familiar discords and hundred drawings from twenty- the subsequent drawings, while
being posed so that the line which harmonies called life. Gloria, eight artists for the 1974 Critic's competent, often remain routine
separates her thighs coincides with unfortunately, has to suffer a huge Choice. This was the fifth show in the illustrations.
the corner of the room behind to make cross in the corner of her left eye, present series, and it's probably time A miscellany of landscapists and
a vertical which divides the canvas; obviously a constant point of to call it a day. It was, with a few watercolourists kept their hands on
while a face or a landscape was reference in the painting of the notable exceptions, a pretty their hearts, accompanying the work
being chosen ; while in his studio was portrait and a point of adhesion embarrassing collection. The choice with poetry and pretentious titles.
arranged something of greater or to the surface of a very solid head, appeared wide at first glance, but was Versey's kitchen-sink and shower in
lesser beauty or something to resolve but a great shame. The artist finally linked by the general low mixed media were after Hamilton.
or pose a special perceptual problem. constantly describes all one wants standard. The selection of artists like His self-portraits were terrible, as
If a mistake was made, as perhaps it to know about what is happening John Walker and Alan Green were John Davies's vacuous
was with Jocelyn in Tibetan Monk's to a forehead, an arm or an electric alongside postage-stamp designers scratchings of little men in open
Hat (nobody could look nice in that heater over a model, with marks and kitsch fantasists was probably spaces. Similarly trite were Malcolm
hat), it was made long before a brush which adamantly refuse to budge supposed to indicate a catholic taste, Carder's compartments of symbols.
went anywhere near a canvas. But from the surface. Woman with but merely demonstrated an These people were all involved with
the hat painting is as arresting as the White Skirt, an early painting, rudely unfortunate and irresponsible lack of themselves. One hesitates to single
elegantly posed and arousing encases a figure in solid air but by discrimination. Accepting 'Desert out Judy Clark's work, as it might
Georgia in her filmy white dress. And giving the same concentrated Island Discs' as a parallel for her mode appear to accord it a status it doesn't
daisy-in-the-milk-bottle simplicity attention to the brickwork to the left of selection, Mrs Vaizey chose deserve, but it seems necessary to
sits easily beside the bizarre. The ins- of the lady as to her nipples, the drawings which she liked, and as she protest the significance attached to it
and-outs of Uglow's taste add little to artist has turned the image into explained in the catalogue, what she recently. Four small boxes framed
the strength of his work. The something which is spread on the likes is work which makes her 'think containers of hair, nails, etc.
evenness of quality is the direct cloth. more, about both the inner world, and accompanied by a drawing of the
product of a ceaseless striving for a Uglow tests and probes with his the observed world around our implement used in plucking,
truth which is beauty. marks, knows there is no point in senses.' clipping, scraping and shaving. Thanks
Diary of a Pear, a small and rather being delicate, and makes a firm Drawing is a great leveller. It to people like Mrs Vaizey, Clark is