Page 61 - Studio Internatinal - October 1974

conference on 'Scotland and Oil' and private collectors of modest means. Of interest to all German artists -- Blair Hughes-Stanton
present lectures by Buckminster Fuller The paucity of collectors of good and also to artists outside Germany —
and others. However, none of these contemporary art in Scotland is related is the demand that graphic artists should Blair Hughes-Stanton first started wood
manifestations was as compelling as to the gallery situation but if a gallery be paid a fee when they exhibit their engraving in the mid 20s when he was
Kantor's Cricot Theatre production consistently showed good modern art work publicly. The demand came from a student at the legendary school of
Lovelies and Dowdies presented by from abroad it would be bought. Partly the sculptor Otto Herbert Hajek, the drawing run by Leon Ur.derwood, His
Demarco last year. because of this lack of suitable space chairman of the German Artists' contemporaries included Henry Moore,
The exhibition '11 Dutch Artists' Scotland has not had exhibitions of Association. His proposal is to be T,E, Lawrence and Gertrude Hermes;
chosen mainly by Caroline Tisdall, was any of the main movements of adopted for the first time at his 22nd also at that time artists such as Eric
the first to be held at the new Scottish twentieth-century art except Belgian annual exhibition organized by the Gill were, in their sober refined way,
Arts Council Gallery at the Old Fruit Surrealism and Futurism — no shows of German Artists' Association for 12 perpetuating the wood engraving
Market, near Waverley Station. None fauve, cubist, dada, constructivist, October to 24 November in Mainz. traditions of Biake, Bewick and
of the works was outstanding but all abstract expressionist, post-painterly This would indeed set a precedent, the Calvert. But these confines were not
were of interest and immaculately abstraction or minimal art. To name consequences of which cannot yet be for Hughes-Stanton. Taking the tools
presented, and reflected the current just a few individuals, paintings by foreseen. Artists, Hajek thinks, should and materials of wood engraving, he REVIEW 5
concern of many with work in which Pollock, Newman, Rothko, Ad no longer have to deliver an order for broke all the rules, and virtually
the idea content is paramount. The Reinhardt, Jasper Johns and Frank culture at a nil tariff. Not even nuns reinvented the medium. His
exhibition was a particularly refreshing Stella, sculpture by David Smith have would work for a 'heavenly reward', acquaintance, rather than friendship,
event to take place in Edinburgh; an never been shown in Glasgow, he says. He pointed out, quite with T,E. Lawrence led to the
interesting contrast to the work of Edinburgh, or anywhere else in rightly, that all other kinds of artists publication in 1926 of the 'Seven
many Scottish artists, particularly Scotland. are paid for their appearances, and Pillars of Wisdom', containing ten of
those trained in Edinburgh where the Since the time of Allan Ramsay that only painters and sculptors have to his wood engravings, this was his first
work is often long on the handling of Scottish artists have responded to rely on sales. Of course, the demand real venture into book publication.
the medium, inclined to tasteful developments elsewhere. Early this which the German Artists' Association He did not much like T,E.
colours, and short on ideas. It is century the Scottish colourists did so wants to comply with, raises explosive Lawrence, but his relationship with
difficult to over-emphasize the and it is ironic that the first fauve questions. Are galleries in fact in a D,H. Lawrence was considerably more
importance of the acquisition of the painting, a Derain, was only acquired position to pay artists an exhibition successful, The poems and engravings
Fruit Market as a Gallery by the by a public gallery in Scotland, Glasgow fee? Considering the present bad in 'Birds Beasts and Flowers' published
Scottish Arts Council. For the first in 1942, after Peploe, Cadell and financial situation of galleries it is in 1930, just before the writer's death,
time Edinburgh possesses, a stone's Hunter were dead. With few exceptions unthinkable. The same is true of were a beautifully positive product of
throw from Princes Street, a public (one is Ian Hamilton Finlay) Scottish museums and art clubs. And in the two artists, strong on immediacy
gallery in a building with no historical artists with a reputation outside the addition there is the lack of solidarity and directness of expression. Other than
associations, with space of a neutral United Kingdom have spent much among artists themselves. Certainly the obvious artistic similarities much of
character suitable for showing modern time out of Scotland, and it is outside there will be many who will still agree the sympathy probably came from the
art, much of which demands large walls, Scotland that they have been stimulated to an exhibition of their work even if fact that neither were hitting it off
and to be seen at a distance of more and stretched and found dealers to they receive no fee. Besides, there are with the establishment of the time. The
than a few feet. This space will be show, and collectors to appreciate and still galleries which charge artists rent wood engraving heirarchy obviously
available all the year round, The buy their work. But could artists in for the duration of their exhibition. It thought that Hughes-Stanton was a
Royal Scottish Academy, which has Scotland be stimulated and stretched seems to me therefore that Hajek's young upstart not obeying the rules,
large rooms, is occupied by a by good modern art they see at home? demand is to be supported in principle, and of Lawrence, Hughes-Stanton says:
programme of its own exhibitions and If so, this is a measure of the challenge but it comes at a very inopportune 'The Georgians (an early twentieth-
that of other societies which leave only and opportunity set for this new time. What will come of it in the future century group of writers) all thought
a month or two each year for other gallery. And the general public too has and whether the German Artists' he (D.H, Lawrence) was a terrible poet,
shows. The spaces in the Scottish Arts a right to see as much good recent Association is preparing the way for a as did the critics of the time. In his
Council Gallery in Charlotte Square modern art from abroad as possible, new relationship between exhibition- (Lawrence's) letters he stresses that
are as narrow as most of those in both for its own sake and as a yardstick manager and producer remains unclear, they read the poems all wrong, they
Inverleith House. After the present by which to judge the home products. and no forecast can be made here, But are not reading them right — they're
exhibition ends the Fruit Market David Brown at any rate, it is a beginning. trying to find one of those academic
Gallery will close until January and The third shock came from the
the first floor will be remodelled to Germany international meeting of artists in the
house the Printmakers' Workshop and Swabian town of Rottweil, where the
the 57 Gallery. It is also essential to In the south-west of the Federal internationally known sculptor Erich
include in this complex a coffee bar Republic of Germany the art scene Hauser has his studio, and takes an
(also needed by the Hayward and awoke like Sleeping Beauty from its active part in the 'art forum' there. For
Serpentine Galleries) as a meeting summer sleep to three quite different years Rottweil has had a 'plastic street'
place and for those needing a rest and beats of the drum. First, a scandal and its great art objects have come
refreshment while seeing an exhibition caught 'Europe's greatest contemporary from Germany's best-known sculptors.
without destroying the mood by wood-engraver' Hap Grieshaber The number of plastics is constantly
having to go elsewhere. And who completely unawares (he was so called increasing. Already there are more than
knows, those coming for the coffee by George Schmidt, the late director of 30. The inhabitants — which is most
may pause to look at the art bit. A the Basle museum, who was the first to surprising — have accepted these
good example of what can be done is introduce Pollock, Rothko and Newman objects and live with them as a matter
the cafeteria in the Birmingham Art in Europe). His printer, whom he had of course. In Rottweil the German
Gallery. trained himself and trusted implicitly, province 'with the nightcap' is a thing
The Arts Council hopes to reopen had, unknown to the artist, printed of the past. Now an international
the gallery in January with an extra copies over and above the meeting has taken place, with the
exhibition of Scottish Art. Other stipulated number and put them, common slogan 'artists make flags for
possibilities under consideration are complete with a facsimile seal, onto the Rottweil'. 180 artists from all over the
shows of Scottish sculpture and art market. The matter — in effect a world have taken part. English flags
tapestries, a Paolozzi exhibition, robbery — came to light when a student from Richard Smith, Bridget Riley and
events and video shows. The who had bought the wood-engraving William Turnbull flew there too. The
possibilities are enormous but so are Les Noces for DM 6,000 from an art town full of artists' flags made specially
the needs. Public bodies such as the dealer, went to the artist's home on a for the occasion was particularly
Scottish Arts Council have a special hill near Reutlingen and asked him to effective in the historic centre of the
responsibility to the public, artists and sign the wood-engraving. Grieshabe was old city.
art students, for showing as much as astounded, refused his signature and In the art gallery in Düsseldorf
they can of the diversity of modern referred the matter to 'Picture-art', a 'sculptural conception' was the theme
art. In London the Hayward and the society in Frankfurt for protecting and linking the sculptors Phillip King, the
Tate show much but they are aided in furthering the rights and claims of late Ad Deckers (from Holland) and
their efforts by the commercial graphic artists. However, it seems that Thoman Lenk. I particularly liked
galleries. Mixed exhibitions of good several people are involved in the theft. King's new works (which go on to Bern
modern'art can be seen in London at When I visited Grieshabe in his studio a and Turin) — steel plastics conceived
many galleries, but no dealer anywhere few weeks ago, he told me that his with sharpness and technical clarity
in Scotland shows such works. period of political activity through art with a strong insertion of colour, and
Edinburgh lacks even a commercial was over (his involvement had been an effect which pervades the whole
gallery with a policy like that of the very evident in numerous posters). He room — because their construction does
Compass in Glasgow which month by indicated that he intended to do his not hide their inner dynamism.
month holds exhibitions of art in the own printing in the future — of very Günther Wirth
more adventurous idioms, holds stocks small numbers of copies. Now the Translated from the German by Gill
and succeeds in selling such works to scandal is indeed forcing him to. Maddick.