Page 95 - Studio International - July August 1975

intermediary of the optical nerves. primarily the product of an and those of Jerry Zeniuk can be museum's function to clarify
But the system may also attain a historical evolution, and it may made only on the level of matters by bringing out these
rather more exalted status. From still make sense to consider the intentions - as visual objects differences, however slight they
the early nineteenth century to the fact that blue reminds us of the they belong to the same class. As may be. Whether the museum
days of De Stijl there appears sky as equally 'basic' to painting far as they can be made out, these is right or wrong in this particular
again and again a kind of superior as its alleged soothing influence intentions seem to confirm the case, I am unable to decide. But I
being, Art, which possesses on our nerves. Assuming, all the impression that present-day think it would clarify matters
`dignity' (Goethe) and other time, that such phenomena are `reductionism' is not striving to even more if it did not allow
moral attributes, is capable of to be considered basic to a system arrive at some kind of painting historical concepts to go
evolution and revelation, and called 'painting', not merely more in accordance with unchallenged when assessing the
exacts 'servitude' from its mortal listed among the hitherto supposedly basic principles, but significance of events in the art
followers. This being, though now observed properties of the rather to get away from what world of today.
probably extinct, may have left nervous system. painting has hitherto been. The Cor Blok
its mark on the language used in I dwell upon this point because painter's materials should serve
dealing with artistic matters. the identification of the 'reduced' no known purpose. Nonetheless,
This would explain why and the 'fundamental', if its they still serve to produce an
`painting' is so readily spoken of conventional nature is overlooked, object immediately
as if it were an independent tends to invest `reductionist identifiable as a painting. But UK
entity rather than the sum total of painting with an absolute authority even here an attitude of
what has been realized and in relation to other forms of avoidance may be adopted: Reviews
imagined by painters up to now. painting, and, at the same time, Rob van Koningsbruggen
Assuming, however, that such to reduce its alien qualities professes a complete lack of
an independent system exists, why to more familiar dimensions. interest in the result of his `The Condition of
is mimesis excluded from among Using language in speech is easy operations; for him, painting is
its 'basic principles' ? That it is, enough, but it is generally taken the realization of an idea, not the Sculpture'
follows from the equation for granted that the investigation production of an object. (In a Hayward Gallery
fundamental =anti-illusionistic. of its basic principles must be dull recent interview, however, he 29 May-13 July
Many early abstract artists and difficult and may be insists on finding a similarity to
regarded the abolition of confidently left to specialists: landscape in his paintings. He The preface to the catalogue for
subject-matter as a liberation we may neither understand nor does not approve of the concept this exhibition, written by Robin
from restraining forces. As late enjoy what they do, but we know of the exhibition, into which his Campbell and Joanna Drew, is
as 1950 abstraction was still what it is for. Similarly, the work was eventually included on a different tack to the
often proclaimed superior to unfamiliar aspects of 'reduced' against his will). introduction by William Tucker.
representation because it allegedly painting may be explained away The criterion of 'strangeness' The former talks of the basis for
offered more freedom and space into the familiar category of is not in itself one of value: it the selector's partisan views being
for adventure. At the same time, `basic research'. This explanation does not imply that a work of art 'serious reflection about the
however, this 'liberation' had to falls as far short of the should be unfamiliar in relation nature and history of sculpture
be represented as an historical immediate impact of the to its context. However, we are evident both in his own work and
necessity and this meant that the paintings as Naomi Spector's witnessing the centenary of in his writing'. The introduction
art of the past could not simply statement that Ryman's work is Konrad Fiedler's On the Judgment states that if the 'exhibition is
be rejected. `True' art, it was `about the qualities of different of Works of Visual Art, in which "about" anything it is about the
asserted, had always been paints and surfaces.' it is stated that `eminent artists persistence of sculpture in face of
effective by virtue of its The criterion of 'strangeness' provide man's cognitive avant-garde theory', and is
abstract qualities; subject-matter is overtly historical because it consciousness with new material.' qualified earlier by, 'artists
was merely a kind of disguise refers to what is familiar to people The notion that really significant who appear consciously or
which Raphael and Rembrandt at a specific moment and in a art emerges out of the future, so intuitively to accept the
had been unable to dispense with specific context. To themakers of to speak, as an unknown entity conditions of sculpture as 1
but which could now, fortunately, the Bayeux Tapestry, Holbein's using only the barest minimum of [Tucker] understand it'. The
be thrown off. In this way Ambassadors would probably material from the past to take on broad qualification being those
abstraction became the 'essence' have appeared as uncannily alien shape at all, has become a who take the 'physicality and
of art. The artist, however, was as a Proun painting to most of commonplace. Fundamental visibility of sculpture ... as a
still left with the problem of Lissitzky's contemporaries. In the Painting testifies to this, through challenge, and a natural and
finding a way to organize his context in which recent what can be gathered from the necessary one'. Under this latter
material in the absence of `reductionist painting arose, it intentions of some of the artists concept everything included in the
external models, and this made it was not the absence of subject- but also by its having been put show fits the description but not
necessary to investigate the matter but of composition which together at all. The increase in the the artist's own definitions of
properties of form, colour etc. was unfamiliar. And this only in a amount of `reductionist work partisan theory as demonstrated
apart from their mimetic relative sense, because (apart being done during recent years by his work and writing. It is this
functions. Abstraction, from such isolated early examples may justifiably attract a museum's anomaly that disturbs but is
consequently, was not only art as Mondrian's grid paintings of attention as a shift in emphasis probably answered in the preface,
`purified' of mimesis: it actually 1919, the monochromes of characteristic of the contemporary where 'time, money and very
preceded mimesis. To represent Malevich, Tatlin and Rodchenko, art world, and accordingly be particularly space' are cited as the
something was to (ab)use and Strzeminski's 'Unism') a taken into account in composing three evils limiting the selector's
abstract elements as signs considerable amount of non- its exhibition programme. But `freedom' and shape for this show.
referring to realities other than compositional painting had when E. de Wilde, in his preface Its earlier format was quite
those elements themselves. already been done around 1960. to the catalogue, lists different both in spirit and form
Logical though it may seem, the In view of this, a sharp Fundamental Painting with to this presentation, which is
notion that abstraction is more distinction between, say, Yves previous exhibitions prescriptive rather than
`fundamental' than mimesis is Klein's monochrome paintings demonstrating 'the many descriptive.
breakthroughs and the A slender hope is that the Arts
expanding horizon of art during Council will not allow its
the sixties', the silent assumption programme to be altered to the
seems to be that we are again detriment of sculpture-making in
confronted with something novel this country by low attendance
(even though it,is immediately figures to this show or by any other
asserted that 'the exhibition does equally lugubrious yardsticks it
not claim to introduce a new cares to choose. I mention this
current in art'). If a tendency is because part of the preface
seen to emerge, the implication indicates Arts Council interest in
goes, there must be more to it a direction that worries me:
than a shift in the numerical `.... the cluster of activities we
relationship between the amounts call art is expanding at a dizzying
of work produced in different rate, a re-examination and public
sections of the art world. There testing of principles is essential.'
must be something which I agree with Tucker when he says
distinguishes the recent work `.... that the need to make
Brice Marden. Winter Painting, 1973-5. Oil and wax on canvas, from similar but earlier sculpture "real" and substantial
183 x 305 cm phenomena, and it is the is a good deal more deeply

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