Page 77 - Studio International - January February 1975

is easily discerned but only his here in London, provide the best even higher among those who collaboration a selected group of
orientation displays it; not his example of it. have attended other art schools. people from diverse areas of
comments. The analysis of Kenneth Robertson In this professional group there expression but all with a desire
content along quantifiable lines are 28 per cent women, the total to forge their individual energies
has been altogether abandoned percentage of women in all fields into a completely new and
Note:
(although Catherine Millet may, Part Two of this Report will be of life in Finland being 42 per expanding unit of ideas.
perhaps be an exception in this devoted to an examination of the cent. I contacted the dancer/
respect) — and, in this sense, even Although the state of Finland choreographer Micha Bergese,
French art Press.
the formalistic approach of our has since 1970 granted a certain the Viennese actress Eva Pilz, the
own Patrick Heron is primarily number of scholarships to dancer Cathy Lewis and the
devoted to questions of content. cultural workers, the number of musician/composer Bob Downes.
Content includes the function of these grants is not adequate to This association has been
Note from
colours, canvas areas, guarantee proper living extremely productive and
composition — and it includes conditions to the bulk of the rewarding.
Finland
thematic probings as well. In the artists. Pictorial artists get
circumstances, the rightwing annually 14 one-year scholarships,
critic's stance explores the 7 three-year scholarships and 5
metaphysics of a peculiar On the initiative of the Artists' five-year ones. During the stated
morality. His terms reproduce Association of Finland and with period the artists receive a
the ecclesiastic rhythms of chant — the financial support of the monthly salary. Besides these
and, plainly, they are designed Ministry of Education, Miss state scholarships there are a
to enchant rather than to Kristina Hautala was number of private foundations
convince. Personal factors commissioned to make a study of that subsidize art. Scholarships,
become ineluctably involved in the economic and social however, do not play a decisive
the anthems composed by a situation of professional role in the income formation of Development
Restany — and it is very much to pictorial artists in Finland. The the artists. During the years 1966- Structured Theatre has been
his credit that an unwavering study was completed in 1973 and 70, 56 per cent of the artists developed by building models and
fidelity and long-held convictions shows that only a minority of received no scholarships and 25 formulating our ideas around the
provide the fire of his speech. Finnish artists have an adequate per cent had only once been given Institute of Contemporary Art
Among all living French critics, income to provide a minimum financial support in the form of a Theatre where we plan to launch
Restany may be alone in the logic living standard. According to the scholarship. The average the London season before
of his position — for he has never study only 17 per cent of Finnish scholarship in Finland is 2,700 touring Europe. Each day
betrayed any of the earlier artists earn 10,100 Fmk a year — Fmk, which is very low. represents one complete cycle and
causes, never forgotten an earlier an amount which can be regarded The publication of this study presents one complete work given
enthusiam and in his capacity as providing a minimum living has led to a lively discussion on the that certain parts of the music,
to add to them, he has standard in today's Finland. Half artist's role and his right to a the choreography, the text and
proved himself a man of of the artists have an annual decent living. The Artists' the structure will change each
exceptionally wide-ranging income of under 4,900 Fmk, the Association of Finland has put performance. One of the
sympathies. medium income, again, being forward a proposition whereby participants will be responsible
There remains the cause of 7,400 Fmk. The research covered the state would subsidize art by for the over-all direction of the
conceptual art and it is almost all professional Finnish artists. founding a system of artists' action at any given time. This can
impossible to discuss because it The number of artists included in salaries which would enable a change from day to day creating a
inspires writing which fulfils, at the research was 650, out of certain number of artists to do multiplicity of focus points in
any rate superficially, the which number 9 per cent fell out creative work without economic their inter-relations instead of a
demands of the British reader. It of the final analysis. problems. The salary would be basic, set piece.
states criteria and abides by their The study was based on the adequate to guarantee the basic
demands throughout an situation in 1970, but no great necessities of living. This
argument. The conceptualist's changes have taken place since proposition with all its
stance is also singularly well the time of the investigation. It implications has so far not been
placed for discussions and a shows a heavy centralization of investigated in detail. It has,
consummate debater, like artists in South Finland: 45 per however, been greeted with
Catherine Millet, performs her cent of the active artists live approval by some of the larger
task not merely with a ballet either in the capital or in its political parties in Finland.
dancer's grace; there is wit and immediate surrounding. This also Maaretta Jaukkuri
intelligence in every phrase has to be seen as an outcome of
coined by her pen. Her essay on poor living conditions. Most of
Bernar Venet could be a set piece the country's art business takes
for study in any future school of place here and the capital
criticism if we ensure that pupils provides the best opportunities Structured
cannot relate the writing to the for exhibiting.
works which they describe. Nor is In a particularly difficult Theatre
Venet's work to be dismissed out economic situation live, on the one
of hand. But the question hand, the older generation of
remains. is it art? And artists, which in this study means Origin
Catherine Millet's argument is artists who are over 60 years of I have been consistently
never involved in resolving these age, and, on the other hand, the involved with the structuring of
basic-seeming doubts. She belongs very young generation. The colour working on the two-
to an exclusive band of the elect; number of aged artists in this dimensional surface, as well as
in fact, she could be considered study is 26 per cent and 70 per shaping canvases to employ an
the patron saint of all cent of them are still external ambiguity of a chroma
conceptualists and she may well professionally active. Their light-change, bringing about a
deserve canonization for the incomes, however, decrease surface movement while
steadfastness of her faith. All the sharply after the age of 60 owing respecting the two-dimensional
same, it must be realized that a evidently to their diminishing plane. My large environmental
papal style is better suited for production. work has been an extension of
excommunication than explication The beginning of an artist's attitude in so far as I am
and her severe dogmatism inflicts career is also difficult and many physically identifying and
its punishing sentences on an young artists have to look for containing space by a structure,
often unconvinced reader. Hats other jobs to earn their living — the space being activated by
off, nevertheless, to the spirit of and some are forced to stay in colour and by the use of freely
her brave attack! other professions for the rest of moving and revolving suspended
Strangely, with Catherine their lives since after a few years it poles with the ability to pendulum
Millet's exception, there seems to would be too risky to move off the perpendicular.
be no middle ground. The middle back to being a 'free' artist. The The inevitable progression was For the evening performance
ground may well be the lukewarm study reveals that 36 per cent of to build a totally all enclosing the spectators will be gathered
prerogative of less committed those who have finished the four-dimensional situation where outside the theatre in the
societies. And — in many ways it School of the Fine Arts Academy the essential activator of the concourse. The house lights will
is our great good fortune as well of Finland have art as a secondary structure would be people. I be gradually faded to a half-tone
as our minor tragedy that we, occupation. The percentage is needed to bring together in total light. Then the doors open. The
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