Page 91 - Studio International - July August 1975

In spite of Sherwin's remarkable lack of an article on the use of Venet (1941-) is a French Stonypath, Dunsyre, Lanarkshire.
record as a teacher (all achieved the body by contemporary Conceptualist who is perhaps best Tel. Dunsyre 252. A film
from zero on the basis of two performance artists (Acconci known for his displays of blown- Stonypath Days by Stephen Bann
days a week part-time) the Poly et al). up photographs of diagrams and will be shown at the Tate Gallery
has seen fit to make him redundant, contents pages of scientific twice daily from 21-25 July.
along with Peter Cusack, a The psychoanalysis of textbooks. Paradoxically he
similarly exciting experimental artistic vision and claims that his work is not art Museums: The Galleria d'Arte
music teacher, who also (most laymen would agree). This Moderna, Bologna recently
contributed to the five evenings. hearing: monograph is primarily a opened in Piazza della
The main reason for the an introduction to a theory of photographic documentation of Constituzione 3, Bologna. Among
redundancy seems to lie in the unconscious perception his many exhibitions but there is the opening shows is a
closure of a pre-diploma course by Anton Ehrenzweig. 3rd ed. also a short essay by Millet and an retrospective of Giorgio Morandi,
and the obligation to incorporate interview with Venet, both in scheduled to continue till the end
xxxii, 272 pp; 25 illustrations.
the full time staff from this course Sheldon Press, 1975. French (the rest of the text is in of July.
into the communications and fine £5.95 French, Italian and English).
art areas. I consider it a scandalous Journals: L'Art Vivant has ceased
injustice that a teacher with A welcome re-issue of an Hermeneutic philosophy publication.
exceptional talent, in this case illuminating book which first and the sociology of art:
supported by demonstrably appeared in 1953. Ehrenzweig Awards: The Chichester National
exceptional results, can be (1908-1966) was one of the most an approach to some problems of Art Exhibition had a large entry
dropped without it creating a perceptive writers on the the sociology of knowledge and (See 'Correspondence' p.88) and
major outcry. Long live psychoanalysis of art and his the sociology received considerable financial
`rational' mediocrity at the North thesis that art reveals that the of art and literature support. The Metropolitan
East London Polytechnic - if you unconscious is structured rather by Janet Wolff. vii, 149 pp. Pensions Association donated the
sack teachers of this quality you than totally chaotic is still Bibliography. (International use of the exhibition building and
deserve it . . . provocative. Especially valuable library of sociology). £1,000 expenses, and prizes were
are his explanations of the Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975. donated by the Fine Arts Society,
The Video Show distortions in Cezanne's £3.95 Sothebys, Piccadilly Gallery,
I can do little more here than paintings. Wolff combines the methods Leslie Waddington, The
record the fact that the first major of hermeneutic philosophy Chichester Observer, John Marsh
British Exhibition of Video Skyscraper style: (science of interpretation) with & Co, Benson & Hedges, Mrs
occupied the Serpentine for Art Deco New York those of phenomenology in an Henry Gestetner and anonymous
almost the whole of May, by Cervin Robinson and attempt to establish the donors. Major prize winners
backed up by seminars at the Rosemarie Haag Bletter. foundations for a sociology of art. were: Chichester Prize (£2,000) -
RCA. I was surprised and 88 pp, 130 plates; fully illustrated It is a highly technical book John Hoyland; Benson & Hedges
pleased to see that the equipment (12 in colour) maps. New York: (in fact, a re-vamped Ph.D. Prize (£1,000) - Lawrence Preece:
functioned well throughout and Oxford University Press, 1975. thesis) which is deeply Mrs H. Gestetner Prize (£1,000) -
that the viewing conditions were £7.50 disappointing to the art Norman Stevens. Other winners
better than in any other video specialist because, in spite of included Jeffrey Camp, Stephen
show I have seen. My general Art deco architects tried to the odd insight, the author Buckley and Sandra Blow.
impression counteracted the develop an acceptable Modern Judges: Alan Bowness, Godfrey
style and were not averse to hardly ever gets beyond theoretical
almost 'taken-for-granted' preliminaries to a discussion of Pilkington, John Piper and Peter
inferiority complex of British decoration; this fact has caused Blake. The Exhibition was
them to be neglected (until now) the role of artworks in society.
video. It shares, at its best, a self The book's main use is as a guide arranged as part of the
questioning philosophical by architectural historians loyal to a vast range of sociological celebrations for the 900th
strength with some other to the purism of the International literature. anniversary of the foundation of
European work by artists like style. This book celebrates the John A. Walker the Cathedral but it must be hoped
Weibel and Export, rarely capital of art deco architecture that its success will ensure its
displayed in the slicker American and matches the quality of the continuation as an annual or bi-
tapes. I was particularly buildings with an abundance of annual event commensurate with
interested in tapes by Dirk Larsen, sharp-focus photographs and the John Moores Exhibition in
Steven James, Mike Leggett and brilliant colour plates. The 88 News the North. Pierre Soulages has
Michael Drucks, though I have pages of text consist of two received the Paris Grand Prix des
no doubt that I must have missed essays: 'Buildings and architects' and Notes Arts for 1975. Lautrec, a film
other important contributions. by Robinson and 'Art Deco jointly financed by the Arts
style' by Bletter.
Malcolm Le Grice Council and Dragon Productions,
won the best short film prize at
Deaths: Michael Granger, artist
Austerity/Binge: and ex-Chairman of the Midland Cannes. The film is available for
the decorative arts of the forties Group. Dorothy Mead, painter 16mm sales and rental from
Rodney Wilson, Arts Council
Books and fifties and formerly chairman of the Film Office, 105 Piccadilly,
by Bevis Hillier. 200 pp; fully London Group. London W1V OAU. Tel. 01-629
illustrated (some in colour). 9495 or Jim Nurse, Dragon
Studio Vista, 1975. £7 Galleries: Lucy Milton Gallery, Productions, 91/93 Paul Street,
The body as a medium From gasmasks to Rock 125 Notting Hill Gate, W 11, London EC2. Tel. 01-253 5102.
of expression: culture via the Festival of Britain, closing by September. Gallery The film is in colour and lasts 7
essays based on a course of with an introduction by Sir John Schwarz will cease to be an open minutes.
lectures given at the Institute Betjeman. One could dismiss this exhibition gallery from July 31.
of Contemporary Arts, London; book as a camp joke but this All works of art previously
handled by the gallery will
edited by Jonathan Benthall and would be a mistake because by thereafter be available from
Ted Polhemus. 345 pp; 16 plates; looking hard at the kitsch products Arturo Schwarz by appointment
42 illustrations. (essays in social of the period 1940-1960 Hillier only, at Via Gesu 17, Milan. Tel.
studies). Allen Lane, 1975. reveals truths about our society (02) 709024. P. M. J. Self & Co.
£7.80, paperback £3.50. which are avoided in books on Ltd. have opened a second gallery,
'good' design. Particularly
In recent years a spate of books interesting are Hillier's analyses at 50 Earlham St., London WC2H
has appeared on non-verbal of design motifs such as picture 9LA. Tel. 01-836 8187. Open
communication. This one consists frames, disembodied hands, Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-7 pm. A
of a series of essays by winged horses, flying saucers, new gallery has opened in
specialists from several different balloons, and mermaids and his Edinburgh University's Talbot
disciplines - anthropology, descriptions of the fashions for Rice Art Centre. The main space
sociology, psychology, kinetics, whimsy and canal boat art. is an uncluttered 40 ft square, with
linguistics, art history - on the one wall measuring 25 x 40 ft.
language of the body. It includes Also in Scotland, Ian Hamilton
discussion of such diverse topics Bernar Venet, Finlay has opened a private
as animal communication, gay by Catherine Millet, 143 pp; gallery in his moorland garden in
technology, motor bike culture fully illustrated. Bibliography. Lanarkshire, 45 minutes drive
and Tantra. A glaring omission, Paris: Editions du Chene, 1974. from Edinburgh. Viewing by
in view of its ICA origins, is the Unpriced. appointment. Address: