Page 40 - Studio International - January February 1975

Nothing but an Artist

Jindrich

Chalupecky:

`I am nothing else

but an artist,
I'm sure, and

delighted to be • • • •'

Marcel Duchamp, 1961

Chocolate Grinder 1914. Coll: Nordrhein-Westfalen Museum, Düsseldorf

1. information' is one of the factors has become clear that journalistically,
'It is perfectly true that an
experienced anthropologist, visiting a producing the 'sophistication without modern art can be exploited far more
`new' primitive society for the first time depth' that is a characteristic of the profitably : it can be presented as
and working with the aid of competent modern public's reaction to art. something out of the ordinary, but for
interpreters, may be able, after a stay of Moreover, art conveyed by the Press that very reason, entertaining as well.
only a few days, to develop in his own comes into collision with the great social On the other hand, this presentation
mind a fairly comprehensive 'model' of problems of our time, thus making its must be as readable as possible. Thus the
how the social system works, but it is status even more doubtful and difficult to content of modern art is compressed into
also true that if he stays for six months assess. 3 a few easily remembered catch-phrases :
and learns to speak the local language, Here Alloway is pointing to an Pop Art, Op Art, Minimal Art,
very little of that original 'model' will important truth. No amount of publicity, Conceptualism, Hyper-realism, and so on.
remain. Indeed the task of understanding no matter how competently or critically These phrases are coined quickly, as the
how the system works will by then presented, can take the place of direct occasion demands and, rather than
appear even more formidable than it did contact with a work of art. The art critic explaining, they tend to confuse the
just two days after his first arrival.' can tell you that his experience in studios meaning and value of the works. What in
So wrote Edmund Leach in his well- and galleries is similar to that of the fact does Lichtenstein's pop art have in
known book on Levi-Strauss, and he anthropologist in situ: he must be common with that of Segal ? Or can
adds : 'Levi-Strauss himself has never had continually ready to find his theories on Pearlstein, Estes and de Andrea really be
the opportunity to suffer this modern art inadequate to deal with the grouped together under the same
demoralizing experience and he never new work; he must always be prepared to heading ? The work of some artists lends
comes to grips with the issue involved." be taken aback or surprised by itself especially well to journalistic
It is somewhat the same with art something, and to adjust his ideas treatment, and many go out of their way
criticism. Today, contemporary art is accordingly. But from this it follows that to be obliging in this regard; other
receiving an unprecedented amount of art criticism can never lead to definitive artists may seem far less effective, and
publicity while, at the same time, the conclusions. It must remain open; it thus a quite special scale of values is
number of people who actually see the must pose questions rather than give created. Think of all that goes on under
works remains minimal. Lawrence answers. the label of conceptual art! A sculptress
Alloway, writing in Artforum about the Today, however, people are used to who in New York exhibits a series of
function of art in modern society, points having the media provide them with nude photographs of herself as
out that it is rare for more than a predigested information so that they documents of her successful reducing
thousand people to view a gallery won't have to bother thinking for cure, and the dilettantish questionnaire
exhibition, and art reaches a wider public themselves, and art journalism has had to action organized by Hans Haacke in a
almost exclusively through the Press. adapt itself to this attitude. Until museum, are given world-wide
In this context, he says, 'the works of art recently, it was enough to dismiss modem publicity in the art press. The reader no
become part of the lively flow of signs art with ridicule. Today, it is treated as longer need view the new work directly:
and symbols that populate the nonsense and humbug by only a very few reproductions and commentaries are
environment', and this 'saturation by backward writers. For in the meantime it enough. But if he goes on to an

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