Page 87 - Studio International - January February 1975

is the saddest story of the recent out of the massacre theme but leading crazily up into a deep exhibition representing 100
vogue for political artists. At some lack the intensity of emotional blue void, recall stereotyped artists chosen from 2,500 works
point in the past three years he focus which is the basis for the surrealist devices which here submitted to a distinguished jury
appears to have stopped trying first paintings. They depict seem gratuitous. A striking consisting of David Baxandall,
to teach people and has started monstrous composite beings, example of this is the picture of a Sir Norman Reid, Sir Roland
accepting converts. The word part mechanical insect, part green apple hovering in space Penrose. Robyn Denny and John
charlatan comes to mind. human which in their sad with a wide 'mouth' complete Hoyland were among the major
The exhibition certainly raised transformation are designed to with teeth bared in a grimace — a prizewinners. In 1968 the full
the relevant question of social and illustrate the predicament of package which refers quite range of the achievements of
political art in London. At the modern man whose traditional accurately to Magritte without Canadian painters, representing
symposium Stuart Brisley read humanity and values have been adding anything of its own. In indeed post-painterly abstraction
out a statement detailing the work scrapped in the attempt to cope other words Anselmo has moved and minimal art, could be seen
of artists who have been involved with a technological age. Anselmo from one pictorial technique to in the first major exhibition of
in these issues in London. He strains to transmit his anxiety another, executed quite competent contemporary Canadian art in
asked why London gave the about the erosion of human works but, since the 'Massacre' Briain. This was followed in 1970
opportunity for a public platform individuality. In one large paintings, seems to be working by the undoubtedly historic
to German artists before English vertical oil, an indefinable robot- without much conviction. exhibition which introduced
artists. The exhibition did not insect with pink and hairy human Where on the other hand he contemporary West German art
provide an adequate discussion of legs, is presented with bowed does seem to be completely to Britain. Entitled 'Strategy Get
the major point: can the artist head and huge eyes in the process himself and where his vague Arts', the exhibition questioned
have a realistic social-political of stripping off his blood- pessimism does emerge with true the nature of the art of our time
role? This basic question was drenched trousers. An obvious feeling is in his drawings. They and the form of major art
somehow taken for granted. In attempt is being made to reminded me powerfully of exhibitions. It introduced to
the context of the exhibition the stimulate the spectator into an Kubin's fantastic world and Britain the then highly
artists seemed to feel a awareness of abuse — abuse of the spidery line. They are studies of controversial aspects of
responsibility to lead society. I human identity that is being women, ugly and grotesque, performance art with the work
have always thought of the artist discarded in the metamorphosis either nude or squalidly clad. of such major artists as Joseph
as a reflector of society. Art is from living body to mechanized They have the feverish intensity Beuys and David Spoerri, Klaus
apolitical, that is its social value. insect. Anselmo's search for a and a morbid attention to the Rinke and Robert Filliou. It also
The art is not made with a telling image, has led him to distasteful that reflect Anselmo's emphasized the role of the artist
political message, but it can be attempt to isolate and exploit the personal vision of man's disgust as a film-maker, whose works
interpreted politically if that is the horrific element in Francis with himself. It is as yet only could find no easy place within
artist's intention. If he is an Bacon's paintings. In the latter within this prescribed area that the the programme of International
important artist people will listen the sense of closeted suffering artist can, with economy and Film Festivals. This exhibition
to his politics, out of curiosity. is largely transmitted through the conviction, be himself. questioned the boundaries
Perhaps this is the game Beuys is representation of human beings Michael Goedhuis between music, theatre and the
playing. In which case his deformed by a violence that is not visual arts, and indeed both
arguments are important because made explicit. It is just this Gunther Uecker and Joseph
of the work in Darmstadt not quality of undefined menace Beuys, in collaboration with
because of his political ideology. that Anselmo fails to capture and Correspondence composers Friedelm Döhl and
To look at the argument from therefore his painstaking Henning Christianson, presented
another direction, consider the depiction of afflicted creatures 'concerts' which were beyond the
aesthetics of Churchill's does not carry conviction. Browned off limits within which most of the
paintings or Hitler's drawings. I was heartened to note that most celebrated contemporary
Lynda Morris composers operate.
your October and November
issues contained articles on In 1971 the Festival's official
ANSELMO aspects of the contemporary art programme again allowed for the
at the Bedford House Gallery, scene in Scotland, with first-ever presentation in Britain
London particular reference to the 1974 of experimental contemporary art
November Edinburgh Festival. However, from Rumania, which proved that
Anselmo was originally a David Brown, writing about the there is much to be learned from a
sculptor. He turned to painting in Festival exhibitions in general, dialogue with too easily ignored
I965 when commissioned to and Peter Cook, writing about the areas of Eastern Europe. In 1972
commemorate the fifty years Festival's Oil Conference, both the very first major exhibition of
anniversary of the massacre of the failed to point out just how contemporary Polish art,
Armenians by the Turks in 1915. important it is that the Festival's involving 42 artists, introduced
This was the atrocity to which international spotlight has the work of such eastern European
Hitler referred in his notorious attracted contemporary artists of masters of constructivism as
'Who remembered the world stature over the past decade, Henryk Stazewski and the
Armenians?' although I will admit that, apart experimental film-makers of the
The indirect involvement with from the Jasper Johns exhibition Lodz Film School, the work of
this event seems to have affected Anselmo, 1974 sponsored by the Traverse Gallery Wladyslaw Hasior and Josef
Anselmo very deeply for it in 1964, there has been no attempt Szajna and Boguslaw Schaffer,
inspired a long cycle of works The very recent works have to invite the superstars of the New which obscures the boundaries
entitled The Massacre. He clearly grown out of a reaction York School, whose absence from between sculpture and the element
returned compulsively to this to the expressionistic format the Scottish arts scene David of performance in music and
theme for almost five years. and content of the earlier Brown so rightly laments. theatre. And it introduced the 22
These works, although periods. In fact despite their I will admit, too, that 'Cricot' artists, led by Tadeusz
expressionistic in purpose and descriptive intention, many of Scotland has missed out on the Kantor, who, in their presentation
impact, owe their formal them look from a distance like attitudes of the better-known of S. L. Witkiewicz's The Water
development to the confused 1960's hard-edge painting. On constructivists and the importance Hen, seemed to be defining not
energy of Matta's surrealistic close inspection however these of showing the best exponents of only the syntax of contemporary
human/machine figures. The overlapping slabs of colour turn post-painterly abstraction and avant-garde theatre but the
picture space is charged with a out to be doors or 'solid' windows minimal art at the time when their origins of post-war happenings
network of strange anonymous just open enough to allow us a work was crucial to the and 'actions'.
shapes locked in violent action glimpse of a deep blue space development of the art language The 1974 Festival saw the one
and flattened by bright beyond. The human figure does of the seventies. But however and only conference set up as an
unmodulated colour. These works, not appear. One gains the badly Scotland may fare for the art event or art exhibition
though detached from any impression that its presence forty-nine weeks of the year when involving Joseph Beuys and
of the major artistic would interfere with the attempt there is no Edinburgh Festival to Buckminster Fuller in a dialogue
preoccupations of their period, to evoke a surrealist world in help internationalize the with the Labour government
have a stylistic unity and purpose which escape from the wear and Edinburgh scene, 1 must draw minister responsible for energy —
that were the direct result of the tear of living is invitingly attention to the following facts, Dr Gavin Strang, and his
depth of the emotional experience proferred by the thin openings which David Brown and Peter Conservative opposite number,
that inspired them. into an ideal world. And yet, the Cook might have taken into Alex Fletcher, and all manner of
This momentum however had pale blues and greens, the strange account if they had experienced experts representing the Scottish
subsided by the time Anselmo windows under arched frames the last eight Edinburgh Festivals: Nationalists, the oil experts, the
embarked on the earlier works that don't quite fit together when In 1966 the best of British conservationists, the poets of
of the current show. They grow closed, the irregular staircase painting was to be seen in an Scotland and indeed the
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