Page 104 - Studio International - July August 1975

(Left) Vija Celmins
Untitled Ocean,
1974/5.
Pencil on paper

(Right) Jennifer Bartlett
Gravity Drop, 1972
Enamel, silkscreen,
baked enamel on
16-gauge steel,
9 units, each 12 x 12 in
'idea' which the artist then of dots. The boundaries of each of their physical placement, but resemble manufacturer's sample
clothed in material form. The sequence can, however, quite like a snail's trail, they also plot swatches and invite the close
titles of Celmins' sea drawings - easily be discerned, and once this the movement of the artist's investigation of a buyer. One's
Untitled - Ocean, do hint at an has happened, the paintings are hand and eye over the canvas, eye already sensitized to the
underlying idea. Presumably she seen merely as applications of the and invite the observer by material by Guirey's drawings,
intends them to be read as rule, which makes them tedious following these actions in his examines them closely.
abstract compositions in which and predictable. mind's eye, to witness the making Sylvia Guirey's drawings allow
the ripples function as modular In some abstract works, the of the work. The drawings, like for intimate communication
units - a kind of 'Found procedure is less obtrusive so the a diary, act as an account of between artist and observer.
Minimalism'. paintings can be enjoyed for private thoughts and actions into Their value lies in the fact that
But perspective recession themselves instead of merely as which the viewer is allowed to they encourage the viewer to
interrupts the abstract reading of illustrations to a system. But Peep. share the making process and
Vija Celmins' seascapes, and tonal others, which resemble gestalt Other works consist of small therefore to come close not only
fading towards the horizon also perceptual exercises, encourage a pieces of canvas actually folded to the finished product but also
introduces a romantic 'spot the rule' response, which and secured with eyelets. They to the artist behind it. Sarah Kent
atmosphere and confuses the destroys more serious
minimal message still further. appreciation.
Celmins' thoughts still remain Bartlett's choice of figurative WHY THE WEALTH TAX SHOULD BE
tangled, so that the two statements images also interferes with serious
- minimal and romantic - consideration of her work. In the APPLIED TO WORKS OF ART
conflict and finally negate each large series, mentioned above, the
other. doll-like house and garden with Last year the British Government public access to the paintings,
Systems artists such as its duckpond and stereotyped published a Green Paper sculpture, and other fine art
Jennifer Bartlett exemplify a shift clouds may be deliberately banal, outlining a proposed wealth objects situated in this country. A
of emphasis from object to but even so, one is still repelled tax on the assets of those greater number of people would
process, but with them by the redundancy of the initial individuals who are worth be able to view, appreciate and
creative exploration has been cliché. £100,000 or more. From the enjoy a greater number of works
perverted into bee-like diligence. Sylvia Guirey's fine drawings outset, the Government of art than ever before.
For these artists follow on canvas have a private, recognized that there would be It is logical to suppose that
predetermined rules designed to introspective quality as if they difficulties over the application of should they derive a substantial
bypass their critical faculties and have resulted from a very personal the tax to works of art. fiscal advantage from doing so, a
produce an art object from which investigation. They are the Museums, dealers and collectors great many collectors would seek
the factor of personal taste has outcome of the inward-looking have called attention to these to make significant works of art
been eliminated. If the system is method of creative contemplation difficulties and asked for the in their private possession
flexible and unobtrusive enough advocated by the Symbolists, and complete exemption of works of available to the public. They
or the artist cheats, an in order to fully appreciate them, art from the tax. might be expected to do so in the
interesting result may one needs to look into them The following document was following ways:
materialize from the closely and re-enact the process of recently submitted to the Select (i) In those cases where owners
uninteresting process, as their making by tracing the Committee - set up under the already have facilities for public
Kenneth Martin demonstrates. decisions that brought them into chairmanship of Douglas Jay - to exhibition (eg in country houses
Jennifer Bartlett, however, being. enquire into the problems which currently open to the public) that
rigidly adheres to her system Small pieces of raw, the tax might create. The art part of the collection offered for
which is both inflexible and unstretched canvas are pinned to critics signing this document general viewing, as opposed to
obtrusive. She builds up an the wall through metal eyelets so argue strongly for the that retained by the owner for his
image from small dots clumsily that edges are left to fray and desirability of the tax, so long as personal enjoyment, would tend
painted onto ugly metal plates, wrinkles are still visible. Rows of the Government fulfils its to be extended.
and the hours of tedious labour tiny, black ink dots trace along parallel obligation to provide (ii) Owners of historic houses
engendered by this method the lines of the canvas weave or more money for the national and other significant collections,
empathetically intrude into the follow its raw edges, and dot museums. hitherto closed to the public,
viewers' consciousness and clusters delineate a crease or would have an incentive to make
interfere with his enjoyment of exaggerate a former fold. Fine (1.) THE ADVANTAGES them generally accessible for the
the works. black lines mark true verticals first time. Such developments are
In a piece consisting of 61 and horizontals, but appear to (A) Increased public access already taking place in
plaques, a house and garden are be displaced by the oblique and In the Green Paper, the anticipation of the tax. (For
rendered in black, white, greys irregular grid of the woven Government proposes that the example, the Daily Mail of 15th
and four colours, so that all material. Wealth Tax should be applied to May 1975 reported that the owner
possible permutations of colour The ink marks which construct works of art held in private of Norris Castle in the Isle of
and tone are illustrated. In a the images in her work, are used ownership, but it also suggests Wight had opened the
second sequence within the to discover and restate the that some form of cushioning establishment to the public for the
piece, one more element of the physical qualities of the cloth against the full impact of the tax first time, and cited as the sole
composition is removed in each whose surface they should be extended to those reason for doing so expectation of
painting until nothing remains; impregnate, so that the owners and collectors who put the Wealth Tax. While
and in a third, more interesting drawings and their matrix their works of art on public insignificant in itself, this
series, a detail of the garden is reinforce each other physically exhibition. If the Wealth Tax was development gives some
enlarged repeatedly until the and by implication. The drawings introduced with such conditions, indication of what might be
image disappears into a pattern not only describe the morphology it would lead to greatly increased expected if the tax became a
84