Page 41 - Studio International - November 1974

UK reviews
British Painting 1974, at the Hayward
Gallery, London, 26 September —
17 November
If we felt there was an overriding
necessity to forward a case for the
unassailable value of British art now
(that is, over and above or merely
against North American or any other
kind of nationalism in the field) as
(Above) John Plumb Colour Barrier
certain Blimpish elements in this
no. 5 series 2 19 74
currently dispirited land have suggested,
(Far right top) John Hoyland Purple
then we should take care to see that
over Brown 20/5/74
those persons remaining sceptical of
(Right) Claude Rogers BE Flight 539
the vaunted premise of an indestructible
1972-3
artistic force in our society should be (Far right bottom) Bob Quick Gig
steered well clear of our national 19 74 Vitreous enamel on steel plate,
contemporary painting extravaganza 53½ x 93 in.
presently on show at the Hayward
Gallery.
That the exhibition is a palpable
failure on every level I can think of
should not, however, be read as a
criticism that is directed solely at the
organizers or the exhibitors; and
neither would it serve any purpose to
suggest that the weakness lies in Mr
Forge's nepotistic-grapevine-don't-
blame-me selection strategy as seems
to be one of the quibbles going around.
This in fact is merely a matter of
surface politics — although it's perhaps
worth mentioning that a quick scan of transvaluation of painting into religious and by his artifice in calculating his end and in optimism of the day when,
the shown artists' addresses and surrogate (vide, Clement Greenberg readings etc., but most of us, I think, if the skill and fortitude of the painter
'histories' in the catalogue reminds us and his lay-preachers) the activity has would be singularly unimpressed by prevails, we will be able to see
once more that to be really British a become subject to the exigencies of the relevance of his enterprise. aggregates of endeavour which are not
painter has to study, live, paint, and preterite formal artifice and as such has It would seem that the only perfunctorily prefaced by apologia, as
show in London and its environs. We come to regard itself as a social anomaly 'interest' thrown up by developments is the case in the catalogue introduction
should perhaps rename the show, (a condition which many seem to enjoy) in painting over the past ten or twenty to the items in this show.
'London Painting 74', thereby giving in so far as it has pruned its possibilities years is its relationship to language Peter Smith
benefit of doubt, unwarranted though to such a degree that its only remaining whose traditional role has been one of
it may be, that such mediocrity could pursuit, if it is to remain consistent support function or as interpretation — 'What this exhibition is trying to do is
survive in our provincial domain. But with its own proclamations, is that of that is, as a meta-system. This function to cut a deep slice through the ant-hill
to dwell upon such factors is to miss self-parody. However, these contentions until recent years has been delegated of painting in this country, to show as
the point, for there seems to be more are not specifically designed to to the critic and historian, and much as maybe in one exhibition of
at stake than the success or failure of undermine out of hand the executant painters in particular have learned to what is being done in the name of
this 'one off' enterprise, and more, skill which is manifest in some of the become increasingly reliant upon the painting by painters of different
indeed, to worry about than the representationalist contributions of latter's services in proportion to the generations and all sorts of affiliations'
sustaining or otherwise of individual Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton and extent to which their work has ceased (Studio International, September 1974).
reputations. Any negative response to Paul Gopal-Chowdhury whose single- to have any mediational or Andrew Forge, painter and critic,
the exhibition, and I have already minded objectives stand out, if only by communicative value that one expects attempted to realize his aim of giving
heard several, should not be taken as a contrast, with the myriad aimlessness, — by definition — of a language. The birth to an impartial representation of
de facto suggestion that there is a more tired eccentricity, and almost fact that certain schools and styles current British painting by taking the
dynamic and vital aggregate of predictable esotericism which typifies may have some sort of esoteric or role of the guiding ray of light which
unselected canvases 'out there' which the majority of the exhibits. But privatistic code is hardly a justification leaves no trace of the way in which it
have regrettably been overlooked. The neither is this to posit, simply, a return for what in linguistic terms has been has manipulated, probed and eventually
truth is, the exhibition does serve a to the 'subject'. In suggesting that described as semantic inertia (that is, selected from the material which falls
function — albeit a negative one — modernism, or the spurious avant- in the case of cliche, tautology, jargon into this category. To achieve selection
because in a very definite way it is both gardism that it fosters, renders itself etc., ... the art of saying nothing without leaving thumb-marked work
typical and representative if not of the servant of history (and a carefully while appearing not to.' (Max Black) ). Forge organized in the following way.
British art then certainly of British sifted history at that) I am in no way The italicised reference to 'difficulty' He chose 24 artists ('whom I admired
painting and the 'standards' of its suggesting that these latter painters are above does not suggest a programme to and who covered a wide spectrum
current dimension. If we were to raid more significant or ambitious than the be tackled with the traditional armoury corresponding more or less with my
the fine art painting studios of any of rest. They exhibit consummate skill and objectives of painting but with own tastes') and invited them to
several art schools around, taking only in handling the tools of the trade and renewed courage and determination. recommend up to ten other artists,
those objects that are colourful and are patently journeymen who perceive, It is, moreover, a suggestion that maintaining the right to the last word
indisputably 'painting' (I use the term copy and practice what they are good painting has in the past completed throughout. The organization of the
as an objective definition, not as an at. I suppose it is honest endeavour itself. Drawing and painting are show is riddled with gestures towards
attribution of value), we could, with a and, as such, refreshing against a obviously employable for providing impartiality, lip-service to the idea of
modicum of discrimination and a fair background of hysterical upstaging. images in education and commerce etc. an exhibition of British painting for
deal of surplus energy, arrive at the However, simply turning one's back on But it's when we come to the suggestion and by British painters taken 'en masse'.
same kind of licensed anarchy in our the pedantic aspects of abstract of transcendent values for specific What has actually happened is a
more or less random collection that we painting and the determinism that it objects that we run into trouble — or at Hayward show of painting of Forge's
can now see on display at the Hayward. entails for its practitioners is also least we ought to run into trouble. lop-sided choice, pretending to be what
But painting, as a cultural pursuit beside the point. The problem of Once we get over the traditional it isn't: a comprehensive survey. One
above and beyond its utilitarian contemporaneity was never previously prejudice against, for example, 'non- man did decide upon the original two-
function, has become difficult, rarified, acquiesced by ignoring history and it is painted' art (as a recent contender) or dozen names, a further loss of
retardataire, academic in its 'modernist' unlikely that it will be now. The the 'lesser-arts' and realise that painting perspective occurring by allowing this
guise, and almost uniformly reactionary figurative painters mentioned does not automatically have some biased choice of artists to invite their
in its adherents' obstinate and purblind (possibly excepting Hamilton) could ontologically self-contained value or favourites. Far from devising a method
belief that the activity should be in fact be likened to a disenchanted essence by way of its past achievement of selection whereby painters of all
preserved at all costs. Since painting chemist deciding to return to the or establishment in our 'cultural' generations, affiliations, denominations
denounced the world (an event which eighteenth-century problem of proving hierarchy, we will perhaps be in a etc. stood an equal chance of
is not to be confused with the advent that air contained a gas we now know position to see painting in a more representation (the Academy Summer
of abstraction — although popular as oxygen — that is, to re-do Lavoisier. objective or disinterested light. I do Show manages it), Forge assured that
extrapolation often suggests otherwise) We might remain in admiration of the not forward these notions as yet the exhibition would show all the
or alternatively since the annunciation dexterity he employs in employing the another attempt to 'cry the death of right artists and that the slice through
of the modernist myth and the traditional rubric of the lab. equipment painting' but towards a more positive the ant-hill would be made with a