Page 83 - Studio International - March April 1975

looking out of a train window. So
successfully trapped in narrow Selected
conventions was Seago that only
occasionally does he begin to Gallery
break out of his decieving
common sense. In Flowers on a Guide
Blue Stove the flowers seem to
have achieved incoherence rather
than affecting it and in (Galleries who wish to be
Gloucestershire Valley there are included in the May-June
signs of Seago struggling rather gallery guide should send
than just reducing the world to information to Gallery Guide
habitual conventions. These Studio International, 14 West
unimaginative and shallow Central St, London WC1A 1JH,
conventions summoned up a not later than 31 March).
fictional England which
conservatism pretends to LONDON
preserve while living off Achim Moeller Ltd 8 Grosvenor
Street W1 (01-493 7611/4591).
indefensible social realities. John Hacker, 'Work in progress':
drawings and watercolours to 31 March.
Andrew Brighton
Barrie Cook, Easter exhibition through April.
Continuum 1975 Angela Flowers 3 & 4 Portland Mews
Acrylic D'Arblay Street W1 (01-734 0240).
Barrie Cook 42x 120 mm Cecil King: paintings to 22 March.
small is by no means always (For some the same effect will Leonard Marchant: mezzotints &
Large Paintings from powerful and Cook's canvases undoubtedly have different drawings April.
Black to White have to be big. He is a body man: associations - with minimal Annely Juda 11 Tottenham Mews W1
(01-580 7593). 3 Italian painters :
Experimental Gallery, he needs to use his full reach and means he caters for a wide Ricardo Guarneri; Georgio Oliveri ;
Whitechapel Art Gallery, more when he works. He needs variety of tastes.) For me also his Claudio Verna to 27 March. Alan Green :
25 February - 6 April 1975 ladders and he needs 3 metre cylinders look like organ-pipes in paintings & drawings April.
Anthony d'Offay 9 Dering Street W1
width canvas which is now the mad science-fiction films. Cook's (01-629 1578). Duncan Grant to 21
Barrie Cook speaks of himself world's fastest disappearing paintings, as images, have great March. Paintings from the R. A. Bevan
as a formalist. In his brochure he commodity. His surfaces need to dramatic potential. They have collection ; memorial exhibition April.
sounds exactly like a discredited be big enough to give you a sense this at the outset, a fact which he Camden Arts Centre Arkwright Road
NW5 (01-435 2643). Antiques Fair
provincial Greenbergian of the of being enveloped, to fill your recognizes and combats as 10-19 April.
kind Terry Smith got so peripheral vision. The latter is shallow. He is right to do so Colnaghi's 14 Old Bond Street W1
exasperated about in December true because Cook is something because those of his works which (01-451 7408). Exhibition of French
Studio International. It is an of an optical painter. Many of his are immediately and overtly drawings : post neo-classicism to
27 March
interesting fact that in all the paintings appear to undulate as theatrical prove, after a period of Everyman Foyer Gallery Everyman
attention, including Smith's, you look at them - they have a considered looking, to fall apart Cinema NW3 (01-4354071). Victoria
Messel : flower paintings 18 March to
given to the big Hayward show, ripple effect. The effect is formally. But differences of 13 April. Lily Antell : prints 15 April to
Cook has never been mentioned particularly strong when his degrees of drama on the one hand 11 May.
either among the blamed or the paintings are three-quarters done and of formal control on the Felicity Samuel Gallery 16 Saville
praised. Yet his painting there and he then takes deliberate steps other are matters for the Row W1 (01-734 8557). Vija Celmins:
was a stunner and hung so well to neutralize the phenomenon, to spectator to assess in this drawings April.
Fischer Fine Art 30 King Street SW1
that scarcely anybody can have stabilize his surfaces to a greater installation. I cannot mention (01-839 3942). Hector Mcdonnell &
failed to notice it. The probability degree. Nevertheless, he different titles here because Cook Ben Johnson to 1st week April. Zebra
Group Hamburg : 5 young German
is that nobody quite knew what to frequently leaves them in a state insists that he is `repainting the artists through April.
make of a single painting and he is where they still move in a more same painting'. He says that the Gallery 21 13a Grafton Street W1
not famous enough for people to limited way. They palpitate title of each canvas is the same - (01-493 6832). Zoltan Borbereki &
be aware of the context of the rest organically, they quiver, they 'Continuum'. Armando Baldinelli : sculptures &
of his work. With Cook it is sweat. What is new in these latest The works in this show do mosaics 19 March to mid April.
Gimpel Fils 30 Davies Street W1
necessary to a more than usual paintings is Cook's increased relate to New York, of course (01-493 2488). Maillol to 12 April.
degree to see his paintings the way attention to his surfaces. His they do. But they relate directly Hoye Gallery 228 Fulham Road SW10
they were made, a lot at once. I technique has always been to to the great generation, to (01-352 3281). Antonio Sena :
did for the first time six years ago brush broadly then spray. He Newman, Rothko, mostly but also paintings to 28 March. Derek Dalton:
paintings & watercolours 8-30 April.
at Arkwright Road when the still does but now uses cloths and to Clifford Still. Cook's works are ICA Nash House The Mall SW1
rays of power transmitted from sponges to give a more varied and sublime and, at the risk of (01-839 5344). ICA Science Fiction
walls on every side zapped me yet more tightly controlled finish. labouring it, dramatic. When he programme to 29 April.
Lisson Gallery, 28 Bell Street, NW1
and patted me into a slab of fast He now goes for rich scumblings talks about `language' and 'form' (01-262 1539). John Hilliard till
melting butter. That's another in his highlights which contrast Cook really refers to the tools he 5 April.
way of saying that if you submit - with the translucencies in the is using, to the means and not the Lords Gallery 26 Wellington Road
NW8 (01-722 4444). Permanently:
if you just stay in the room - the shadows - all of which sounds like end. His catalogue notes should Schwitters, Medardo Rosso, Meckseper,
paintings take you out of yourself trompe l'oeil Old Masterism, and almost be disregarded except that rare old original Art Nouveau & Art Deco
- remove all those tensions and that's all right. The forms he he quotes a text from Barnet posters.
obsessions - give you a mental tricks you into seeing are mostly Newman which is absolutely Marjorie Parr Gallery 285 King's
Road SW3 (01-352 0768). Aart van
sauna - they clean up your dirty only cylinders seen in a diffused spot on. Kruiselbergen : recent paintings to
mind. low light. This light effect is Terry Measham, 29 March. Shlomo Cassos : paintings &
But, as I said, not enough highly credible and convincing tapestries 4-26 April. Denis Mitchell :
people seem to have had the but it is also highly individual. sculpture 2-24 May.
Michael Parkin Fine Art Ltd 11
opportunity to see for themselves I would call it 'Cookian Light' Motcomb Street SW1 (01-235 8144).
what he's about and this because I know how it came into William Gaunt: retrospective 19 March-
Whitechapel show puts the existence. It was the superbly 5 April. London impressionists
8-30 April.
situation right. Exactly right, subdued daylight - Turner National Book League Gallery 7
because Cook never looked good would have loved it - which CORRECTION Albemarle Street W1 (01-493 9001).
in a little West End Gallery: small filtered through the filthy The editor regrets an error in Old Master Drawings presented by
may nowadays be beautiful but windows of Cook's old loft studio. the Duchamp Supplement Armando Neerman 24 March-12 April.
19th & 20th century watercolours &
Farm loft not the South Houston (Jan/Feb issue). Anthony Hill small oils by Brian Hatton presented by
variety. writes:- Clarges Fine Art 16-30 April.
National Portrait Gallery London
Now Cook's vertical cylinders, It was discouraging to find WC2 (01-930 8511). Augustus John
some bending a bit, some the origin of Rem Doxfud's 25 March-31 August.
straight, some flat in the middle, name rendered stupid by over New Art Centre 41 Sloane Street SW1
(01-235 5844). Prunella Clough to
some calm and some snatching zealous subbing. 5 April.
about - these cylinders are there The name derives from Nigel Greenwood 41 Sloane Gardens
SW1 (01-730 8824). John Walker: new
for you to interpret any way you REMBRANDT paintings through March. Alan
want. For me they are exotic S'DOGHSFOODT Johnston : new work through April.
smokes, pencil cigars, perhaps what appeared was P. M. J. Self & Co. Ltd 10 Haunch of
Barrie Cook because of the burnt brown REMBRANDT'S Venison Yard, off Brook Street W1
Continuum 1975 DOGHSFOODT (01-499 9491). Nice style Pose Band to
Acrylic colour which Cook often infuses end March. Hamish Fulton 3 April-
90 x 120 mm somewhere near the cylinder tips. 1 May.
153