Page 50 - Studio International - November 1974

an exception to this seductive axiom
occurred in Paris in 1960 where the CORRESPONDENCE
recession, though brief, was acute
enough to dispel the aura of dreamland.
Galleries closed, artists on contract
were laid off and prices plummeted.
But this was more in the nature of a sky-photographs. you would inform your readers of the
corrective to the truly hysterical nature Is 'Art's Art for a' that' the same as following: the 'Movimento Democrático
of the 1950s Parisian art world, than `Art Remains Art' (Kunst bleibt Kunst) de Artistas Plásticos' founded in Lisbon
the effect of economic stress. in British English? on 8 May 1974, is the only officially
Elsewhere, particularly in America, Hans Haacke recognized and representative
prices moved remorselessly higher. New York 10014 professional association of anti-fascist
So what is the outlook today? It is artists in Portugal. The Central
still too early to say. But the general Committee of the MDAP feels obliged
world prospects of resilient inflation to register its indignation and protest
Portugal
coupled with a severe contraction of towards the above mentioned article
Your September issue includes an
economic activity and a sharp reduction which is both inexact and an insult to
account of the situation of Portuguese
in the level of prosperity are not likely the professional dignity of Portuguese
artists which contains inaccuracies
to lead to a climate in which confidence artists in deliberately overlooking the
used to give credibility to your
in any assets can flourish. On the other fierce resistance maintained by many
correspondent's contentions. In his
hand, as we have seen, art has in the of us throughout the fascist regime.
contempt for the integrity of
last years been considered a safe hedge The MDAP will be glad to supply
Portuguese artists the writer does
against inflation and has held up well details and photographs on request
grave disservice to those who have
in past crises when compared to the documenting resistance during the
worked seriously and consistently to
stock-market. Furthermore, good art previous regime and showing aspects
understand the forces at work in their
is a commodity in scarce supply. The of the present activities of the
society. Firstly A. Queiroz Ribeiro
July sales at Sotheby's and Christie's Movement.
says that an insignificant number of
suggested that a certain restraint had You will no doubt note that the
artists chose to work abroad. I can
crept into the somewhat indiscriminate names of the three artists mentioned in
list Lourdes Castro, René Bertholo,
buying of the past years. Recent sales the Queiroz Ribeiro article appear at
Escada, Julio Romar in Paris; Paula
have not sparkled with record prices the bottom of this letter. They were
Rego, Bartolomeu dos Santos,
but have shown no sign of despondency. and are by no means alone: Alice Jorge/
Eduardo Batarda in London; Costa
The full winter season has yet to supply Vespeira/Joaquim Rodrigo/Joao Abel
Rinheiro in Munich. Most of these
us with a more accurate barometer. As Manta/Nikias Skapinakis/David Evans/
artists exhibited in Portugal during the
for the prospects here of patronage, Jorge Vieira/Joao Vieira/Eurico/
fascist regime, all were anti-fascist,
public or private, and the health of Escada/Rogério Ribeiro/Aurelio/
some very specifically in the overt
those galleries orientated towards the Fernando Azevedo/Julio Pomar/
content of their work, yet
English market, one can only hope that, Moniz Pereira/Fernando Conduto/
nevertheless they sold very well in
with increasing economic inertia as the Costa Pinheiro/Artur Rosa/Helena
the commercial galleries in Portugal to
only weapon against the coming slump, Al meida/Nuno Sampayo/Sá Nogueira/
the wealthy — this is an irony
working artists and their galleries will Lima de Carvalho.
familiar anywhere in the capitalist
not be hit too hard. The Central Committee of the
world. The wealthy have their
Movimento Democrático de Artistas
Michael Goedhuis Plásticos
money to cushion them against the
'endurances of life' and so far,
Recent sale prices unfortunately, no fascist has dropped Lisbon
Christie's October 10 sale served to dead in front of Guernica.
confirm some of the major buying Haacking back Secondly it is little wonder that
instincts of the British collecting/ I should like to point out a few publicly commissioned art in Portugal
dealing public. Devoted to modern factual errors in Lynda Morris's is vacuous, this is generally true of such Rosenbloomer
British paintings, drawings and sculptur mention of my Manet-Projekt 74, in art this century throughout the world I noted with interest the somewhat
sculpture, the two sessions turned in her review of the Cologne 'Projekt 74' and the sums he cites in payment give disparaging remarks in Paul
'creditable' figures for more important exhibition. little hint of corrupting opulence. Rosenbloom's (born1949) recent
artists, but continued to record lowering Manet's still-life, 'Bunch of Asparagus, In his touching faith that all began review (September issue) of Paul
prices for minor works. Among the was not sold by Max Liebermann in anew on 25 April there is a familiar Huxley's exhibition at the Rowan
higher prices: Ben Nicholson, Nov. 52 1937 at a give-away price to escape the note, as is the requirement that Gallery.
(Looking Glass) 1953, 30¾ x 26¼ in., gas chambers, as she reports. harrassment by the political police I quote 'Everything was fairly
oil, £23,000, and Still Life 1931-36, Liebermann died 1935 in Berlin of a proves political consciousness in a unambitious, very staid and guaranteed
20 x 22 in., oil, £9,000; Lucien Freud, natural death. He had deposited the climate in which artists' committees to at least partially succeed', and later
George Dyer 1 1965, 24 x 24 in., oil, painting with the Kunsthaus Zurich discuss endlessly the restructurings 'the work complied with expectations,
£7,800; Henry Moore, Family Group in 1933 to protect it from the Nazis. necessary to precede the 'mass was secure and conservative'. I have
in bronze with green patina, 6 1/8 in. It was inherited by his daughter, programme of culturization'. To touch never met Mr Rosenbloom but I did
high and one of an edition of nine Käthe Riezler, and later his grand- a brush at such a time is thought happen on my second visit to the
made in 1944, £9,500; two Graham daughter, Maria White. It was only in frivolous and elitist. Hayward Biennale to come across
Sutherlands, one a 36-in, long gouche 1968 that the still-life was sold by When the regime fell, relief and some paintings that were 'fairly
Study for 'Vine and Pergola' of 1953 way of Marianne Feilchenfeldt in hope swept the Portuguese. It was a unambitious, very staid and guaranteed
at £4,000, the other a 21% x 25½ in. Zurich and acquired by the Wallraf- `festa' not a trauma, more an to at least partially succeed', ... 'the
Figure and Vine oil of 1948 at £8,000; Richartz-Kuratorium and the City of abdication than a revolution. The work complied with expectations, was
a small (18 x 14½ in.) Gwen John, Cologne. The then Chairman of the authoritarian attitudes which oppress secure and conservative', consisting
Girl Holding a Rose of c. 1922, a Kuratorium was the banker Hermann the Portuguese psyche are not the of over-all washes of stained
delicate and sensitive study, at £3,700; J. Abs, who was appointed in 1937 result only of the 48 years intellectual nondescript colours in something of
Sickerts from £4,200 down; Stanley Chief of the Foreign Division of the repression and are not purged by a the London Art Schools style of the
Spencers from £5,500; and Lowrys Deutsche Bank, 2 years after change of faces. A number of early sixties. They were conspicuously
from £3,500. Good prices were also Liebermann's death. Portuguese artists have devoted unambitious and I was surprised to see
made by paintings by Matthew Smith, The opening of 'Projekt 74' also themselves to a serious probing of that they were by no less a figure than
James Pryde, Edward Seago and Paul did not coincide with the attempted these oppressions, which are by no Mr Paul Rosenbloom. Perhaps if and
Nash. Ginner climbs steadily. kidnap of the Gestapo boss, Kurt means a purely parochial problem, and when Mr Rosenbloom next exhibits
Munnings (£9,500 for a very dull girl Lischka. Rather, it coincided with the it is this personal vision which continues his work Studio will afford the
on a very dull horse) and Russell Flint trial of Beate Klarsfeld, the would-be to be the more significant in Portuguese possibility to Mr Huxley of
(£4,100 for one of his delightfully kidnapper, who had attempted to art. reviewing the show, and I have no
available nubile and warm-breasted forcibly take Lischka out of Germany Perhaps now that the Portuguese doubt that Mr Huxley will endeavour
girls splashing across a seashore with to be tried for war crimes in France. are recovering their self-respect this not to make the mistake of
an improbable piece of fabric on the There was an amusing factual sometimes painful confession will reproducing Mr. Rosenbloom's
far side of her behind) summed up that error in Charles Harrison's claim that receive an international showing. painting upside down.
horse-bred eroticism which makes our the 'Projekt 74' poster's Victor Willing John Hoyland
upper crust comfortable. Sotheby's Götterdämmerung was the work of a London NW1 London NW1
similarly-inclined sale of October 2 painter working under Albert Speer. With reference to the article by We apologise for printing the picture
had nothing so delectable ... but wait! It was, in fact, a colour-photograph of Queiroz Ribeiro on Purtugal, published upside down. Mr Rosenbloom was not
a Russell Flint Figures in a Lochside the sky over Düsseldorf, chosen from in the September 1974 issue of Studio responsible for this. His text described the
Meadow, watercolour, at £1,500. a commercial catalogue of international, we should be grateful if picture correctly. Ed.