Page 87 - Studio International - July August 1975

newspaper employs when relaying its the nature of 'reality' is respected by archetypal urban environment of
particularized version of current events appearing to refrain from interfering modern man will form an equally central
to a largely unsuspecting and receptive with its existential character. The former part of his ensuing programme. It is
body of readers. In Cause of Death ? the is directed inwards, to a narrow debate here, after all, that the photographic
one-word captions are used like terse about photography in art; the latter medium exerts its most dominant hold
headlines, authoritatively laying down reaches outwards, to the kind of ready- over our reception of appearances and
cause-and-effect sequences which by made subject-matter treated in the sign our construction of their meanings.
their interchangeability are revealed as language employed by the world at large. Every street bombards us with the
mere speculation. Hilliard himself That is why the model Hilliard has highly doctored messages of advertising;
remembers a photograph in the London evolved in his most recent work seems every newspaper stand is replete with
Evening Standard of a female 'hijacker' to me such a promising examplar of the editorialized images masquerading as
descending from an aeroplane, and how way art could operate in the future. His instantaneous facts; and every bookshop
the whole meaning of the picture was frank declaration of signifying systems contains manuals, encyclopaedias and
turned on its head when it reappeared the like cropping and captioning supposedly objective studies full of
next day in the same newspaper with a demonstrates a wish to examine the `unimpeachable' aids to understanding.
different caption, this time identifying communicative vocabulary he uses. The artist can help us deal responsibly
the woman as a 'hostage'.18 The But this exercise is not carried out for its and critically with the whole apparatus
substitution was left unexplained, and it own sake, as a ploy contributing of modern communication systems, and
did not depend on editorial interference exclusively to a debate about how the Hilliard's adoption of the camera
with the image at all; but it highlighted avant-garde should proceed to the next manifests his intentions within this
the spurious authenticity which any news phase of its dangerously isolated sphere. They guarantee his work a
photograph exploits as its principal progress through the twentieth continuing relevance for everyone who
weapon. As Stuart Hall has pointed out, century. Hilliard's plea for self-awareness hopes for the closest of all possible links
`news photos operate under a hidden is aimed above all at safeguarding the between the signification employed
sign marked, "this really happened, see viability of his urge to tackle by society and the art it produces.
for yourself." Of course, the choice of contemporary life, and the methods by
this moment of any event as against that, which we all receive our information
of this person rather than that, of this through a culture dominated by a wide
angle rather than any other, indeed, the variety of visual codes. See Hilliard's notes on 'Intentions' in
selection of this photographed incident The several stages of his work so far, `John Hilliard and Ian Breakwell',
STUDIO INTERNATIONAL, September 1980,
to represent a whole complex of events proceeding from a study of sculptural p.94, for a detailed explanation of his
and meanings, is a highly ideological documentation to the mechanics of the dissatisfaction with the practical
procedure. But, by appearing literally camera itself, and then from artists' disadvantages of such sculpture.
to reproduce the event as it really use of photography to its wider means of 'Conversation with Hilliard, March 1985.
selective/interpretive/ideological dealing with natural phenomena in Both this sculpture and its 'partner' - a row
happened, news photos suppress their
general, chart a steadily increasing of knee-level wooden beams placed on
function. They seek a warrant in that engagement with the broadest spectrum concrete blocks - would have been even
ever pre-given, neutral structure, which of material art can draw upon. At the more obstructive had the authorities at
is beyond question, beyond moment, a characteristic 1985 piece St. Martin's not insisted that he partially
interpretation: the "real world"'19. like Pool shows that most of his amend his original plans.
In 'Notes from 1980-81', published in the
That Hilliard fully appreciates the attention is directed at articulating both catalogue of Beyond Painting and Scuipture
capacity of this powerful photographic the denotations and the connotations to (Works Bought for the Arts Council by
`reality' to mask profound distortions is be read into a discreet and ostensibly Richard Cork), 1983, p.44, Hilliard asked:
shown by another 1974 piece called unexceptional pastoral setting. But there `What does it mean, then, to say, for
Steam Rising/Fog Swirling/Cloud is every reason to suppose that the example, "This is a photograph of a
Descending/ Smoke Drifting. Elemental
in the fullest sense of the word, this
outstanding work brings about the
maximum conceivable metamorphoses
through the minimum apparent
manipulation. Without resorting to the
drama of Across the Park or the distinct
use of a posed body and environmental
props in Cause of Death ? Hilliard succeeds
in making his patch of 'mist'
completely shed its identity four times
over. Earth, fire, air and water are barely
indicated; nothing impinges on the 'mist'
with any force whatsoever; and yet it
moves into completely separate areas of
reference via each new extension of the
image. Hilliard's need to honour his
material therefore meets in a memorable
marriage with his equally pressing need
to promote a consciousness of how
photography is exploited. The 'mist'
appears to owe nothing to the artist's
intervention, but at the same time it is
subjected to several extreme
transformations in meaning. As a
consequence, this dualism ends up
affirming the importance of maintaining
a responsibility towards both art and life.
The nature of the medium itself is
respected by exposing the way it works
in the very fabric of Hilliard's work, and

Steam Rising/Fog Swirling/Cloud
Descending/Smoke Drifting, 1974
Coll: Sol LeWitt, New York
68