Page 71 - Studio International - March April 1975

attitudes provide a strong should not overlook it. Nowhere unknown but the logic of the Altman's concrete-poetry
undercurrent of sympathy for else are they likely to find situation drives out colleagues oriented institute in Vaduz; for
experimentation. quasi-academic discussions on into extreme situations pretty instance.)
Chevallier's aims came to the history of employing sperm for quickly. And last, the most august
fruition in 'Art Press'. Catherine creative purposes. Joseph Beuys, One cannot make accusations example of its kind: `L'Oeil'
Millet has built a stronghold for Manzoni and Daniel Spoerri because the evidence for these (cost per issue 25NF ; £2.50).
orthodox avant gardism and its belong to its obsolete band of assertions would not stand up in Under its comparatively new
sacred precinct is open to a heroes but one cannot help a court of law. It is better to speak management 'L'Oeil' has begun
hitherto neglected group of the feeling a measure of nostalgic of impressions when one to publish very well-written
elect. She appears to have regret before their innocence. The discusses the glossy press - articles on contemporary
recognized that revolutions of confidence which inspired their (although, in fairness to the phenomena as well. These
any kind, including revolutions negative gestures is gone and the glossies, it should be added that columns observe an almost
of taste, are only the fatal blow to neo-capitalism was the best offset-papers are house Anglo-Saxon respect for facts and
intellectual's business and her delivered by ignorance and greed; journals!) they are mercifully free from the
magazine caters for a rebellious not by art. 'Artitudes 'Cimaise' (cost per issue 35NF ; Gallic disease of empty, pompous
independence of spirit. Her group International' employs the offset £3.50) is perhaps the most and sentimental jargon. The
has reached axiomatic of propaganda for the forgotten suspect example of the genre illustrations in 'L'Oeil' are
conclusions and it no longer causes of optimism and its because it has no line of its own probably the finest published in
concerns itself with the attempt to illustrations are redolent with at all. It carries only panegyrics any journal known to art
overthrow ancien régimes - (it childish records of a heady and most of them are atrociously historians and now that its
considers them defunct). In her enthusiasm - which is infectious argued but the illustrations are of purview includes photography,
view the new dawn has already in its ways but more or less a high quality - and they at any the strip cartoon and up-to-date
arrived and her companions irrelevant. The typography is also rate are of high informative value. art, in addition to a personal and
disentangle the hoary designed to evoke nostalgia for Another exceptional feature is exciting selection of bookreviews,
problematics of a creed with the 'Les Temps Perdus'. (Cost per the English translation which its predominantly traditional
ancient zeal of scholasticism. issue 8NF; 80p.) accompanies each and every text; character should not deter any
Her allies make no concessions The rest of the story is easily and its illiterate felicities provide longer. Its news section is well-
to ease of comprehension. Their told; in fact a good deal too easily entertainment of a very high edited and the stand it has adopted
ideals are ascetic as well as because the narrative is order. Unintentionally, of course. is bound to ensure that the
narrow - and they apply them necessarily incomplete. Libel 'Opus International' (cost readers of `L'Oeil' have a
with a rigour which is militant. laws prevent one from aiming at per issue 2ONF; £2) strikes one as historically informed approach
They address themselves to an a complete account, It is only too a good deal freer; on the other towards avant-gardism: it thus
inner circle of converts; to the well known that galleries exert hand, its obsessive interest in fulfils an essential function.
intelligentsia of a professional considerable power over editors minor events gives it an air of Kenneth Robertson
revolution - and the rigidity of and publishers through publicity. claustrophobia. This is reinforced
their principles is modelled on the From time to time they must be by a preoccupation with numbers,
Papal doctrine of infallibility recompensed for the advertising multitudes, fragmentation and
when they set out to establish new revenue they provide for our art fragmentariness. It seems as 9th
criteria of excellence; and many journals - and the editor, who though it wished to survey an
of these criteria come from Mao's has high moral standards, is endless quantity of local International
little red book. Their performance often driven to subterfuge and phenomena in order to attract
is, astonishingly enough, ruse to defend his reputation when publicity; it carries too many Biennale
exhilarating. The right motivation his financiers present their postage stamp sized illustrations
has prompted their passion and demands to him. There are varied which cannot be deciphered even Exhibition
their passion conceals very reasons for the power galleries with the help of a magnifying
real sources of anger. They have have over journalism. Exhibitions glass. Its typography is repellent of Prints
also succeded in identifying the are in many ways the counterpart and the writing betrays a fatal
most influential section of the of publication but books sell for a lack of editorial control. The tone in Tokyo
art-conscious public and they variety of reasons - whereas art is always hurried - as though
have learnt to adapt their speech sells only when success can be contributors submitted their
to its need. The high seriousness translated into public acclaim. pieces at the very last moment This year's Tokyo Print
of their tone has expelled the A large publishing house and inspired only by the (modest?) Biennale opened at the National
spirit of the money-lenders from launches a much larger number of fee they are about to receive for Museum of Modern Art in
their temple and it has individual issues (books or their articles. Each paragraph Tokyo on 16 November and will
reintroduced terms of a belief in authors) than a gallery; and thus displays its own self-conscious remain on view there until the
moral absolutes - without which a gallery's investment in an artist insignificance. 12 January, 1975, when it will
art cannot be discussed is correspondingly higher. In the 'Galerie/Jardin des Arts' (cost move to Kyoto.
satisfactorily. (Art is often circumstances pressures from per issue 9.50NF: 90p) is a more Just over three-hundred prints
disregarded by the critics of 'Art capital are considerable (let us useful example of the genre are on exhibition from all over
Press' due to their fervour to say, more concentrated) and few although it is not directly the world and this is about the
identify imperatives : because editors can resist them involved in contemporary art. same number as in previous years.
imperatives are in fact more easily completely. There is only one way In fact, it is primarily devoted to a This year, howeVer, the selection
discussed in words than art. They out of the quandary. There are survey of the pre-1945 scene but its method has been changed and
are much too eager to dissect good artists about; there are excursions into the present are there are fewer artists, each
verbal abstractions but their heart artists whose work appeals to honourable attempts to be showing more prints.
is in the right place and their editors and their associates. It is, informative - on a superficial In previous years there has
challenge to Clement Greenberg is therefore, not altogether level. It is a strange hybrid always been a sizeable Japanese
altogether timely; the rightwing dishonourable to arrange a between our 'Arts Review' and section in the exhibition and
aesthetics of 'quality' are no meeting of interests and to 'Pantheon' (Munich); it marries artists from other countries have
longer tenable). It is, therefore, satisfy the demands for publicity the former's lack of seriousness been nominated by national
sad to record that 'Art Press' is with articles composed by critics with the latter's traditional bodies such as the British Council
also dedicated to publicity of a with a genuine predilection for interests. in the UK. Each country had its
kind. Catherine Millet is married one kind of work or another. 'Connaissance des Arts' is also own section, however small, and
to Daniel Templon and the This is one extreme; and there is devoted to the survey of the visitors could easily make
Galerie Templon exercises a another, much sadder and no less traditional scene but with greater comparisons between the
reciprocal influence on her career. common position vis-à-vis such elegance, panache and style. The liveliness or otherwise of
Ironically, the Galerie Templon demands. The first kind of editor quality of the illustrations is high printmaking in different countries.
has recently become the foothold chooses subjects to his own liking and from time to time it carries Even the prizes, either by chance
of Greenberg's Americans in from a gallery stable and he impressively argued texts. Its or design, tended to be spread
Europe - in addition to its more looks around for a critic who preoccupations are not over the various countries.
important role as the stage for shares his own enthusiasm for the altogether classical and articles All this has now been changed
innovation in Paris. (Cost per work before he commissions a on contemporary object-inspired and three large zones have
issue 7NF; 70p.) text - and he publishes only art are not infrequent. It prints replaced individual countries. No
'Artitudes International' is a essays of a high quality; whereas partial but useful news and even country now has a right to be
less well-written runner from the the second kind accepts gallery avant-garde events don't escape invited to nominate artists for the
same stable. It provides suggestions without modification notice in these cleverly compiled exhibition. Instead about forty
supplementary information on and employs critics willing to columns. (To the best of my artists per zone were nominated
borderline activities and readers celebrate anything for a fee. knowledge, only 'Connaissance by the two correspondents in
interested in video and body art Intermediate positions are not des Arts' paid tribute to Roberto each zone to the Biennale
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