Page 78 - Studio International - May June 1975

collection with little more than `The question of [party discipline some rather unsatisfactory
seventy small pages, is not for the artist] was very important reflections (à propos of the News
exhaustive, but it certainly omits for Lenin; for Marx it was not)'. Greeks) on why the art generated
nothing of any substance, and Morawski, careful to distinguish in rather remote circumstances and Notes
includes some fairly peripheral Marx and Engels from their `still afford us aesthetic
stuff. successors who wrote more enjoyment and in certain respects
This does not mean that Marx extensively — and sometimes more prevail as the standard and model Artists for Democracy was
and Engels were uninterested in narrowly — on the arts, extends beyond attainment'. This is a very formed on 6 May 1974 in London
aesthetics or the arts, or that the range of their interests. important and profound text, but by a group of artists and people
such ideas as may be found in Six chief aesthetic problems were it implies much more than it says, working in the cultural field. Its
them do not carry weight. considered by them: the origin of and various implications can be basic aims are threefold and
Indeed Marx at one stage planned aesthetic sensibility, the read into it with equal interlinked
an article on 'Aesthetics' for an alienation of art and how it will justification. Morawski, following 1. to give moral, cultural and
encyclopaedia, and was, as usual, be overcome, the class values Max Raphael, and anxious to financial support to genuine
rather well-read in the subject. embodied in art, realism, free Marx from the exclusive liberation movements all over
The well-known fragment from `tendency writing', and the embrace of realism, thinks it the world
the 'Introduction to the Critique expression of fundamental implies a recognition of formal 2. to propagate in a living and
of Political Economy', in which he human values in art, which attributes of permanent value. creative way democratic
specifically attempts to analyse includes such little reference as Probably. But he cannot and culture everywhere, to
`the unequal relation between the they made to the problems of does not wish to deny that Marx encourage all forms of
development of material artistic form. and Engels's aesthetic, as progressive, experimental art
production and eg artistic The first of these is largely expressed in their writings, 3. to explore and develop ways of
production', mainly in the light of •speculative. Morawski reads into concentrated almost entirely on integrating our varied artistic
Greek art and its persisting Marx (mainly the 1844 content rather than form. Nor theories and practices with the
appeal, demonstrates that the Manuscripts and the `Grundrisse') can we judge their aesthetic struggle for emancipation of the
subject was important to him. something like the following sensibility 'more reliably' by international working class and
Yet equally there is no doubt that schemax. Art is the child of their known passion for the great all oppressed people.
neither he nor Engels formulated labour. It first developed as a writers, since they were by no Any worker in the cultural field
any systematic view of aesthetics; `kind of bonus' to the activity of means the only mid-nineteenth- who supports these aims can
nor that they rarely turned their primitive artisans mastering the century enthusiasts for join. Meetings are held every
minds to them; nor that their material world. Eventually the Shakespeare, Goethe, Balzac, Monday from 7 pm at AFD's
interest in the arts was selective structure of the object (in Marx's Cervantes, Aeschylus and the rest. cultural centre, 143 Whitfield
and their judgements not German term its Mass — measure These are not a criticism of Street, WI.
particularly `marxist' . In fact, or proportion) preoccupied the Professor Morawksi's Artists for Democracy's first
these concerned overwhelmingly artisan, purely functional presentation. He is keenly aware activity was to organize a 2-week
literature. Their rare references to considerations receded, that in developing a marxist international Arts Festival in
visual artists (Titian, Leonardo, specifically aesthetic ones could aesthetic, we are building not so support of the Chilean
Raphael, Rembrandt, Dürer) are emerge. Since the autonomous much on Marx's texts, which may Resistance, held at the Royal
quite conventional; there is little aesthetic responses thus were not or may not imply but certainly do College of Art, the Architectural
sign of interest in music at all primary, the responses to given not contain a 'rounded, balanced Association and Art Meeting
(except for Mozart). physical attributes (colour, aesthetic theory', but on our place in October 1974. More than
timbre etc.) also appear later.
Marxist aesthetics is therefore knowledge of Marx's more 200 artists, poets, film-makers,
at two removes from Marx This view (which incidentally general thought and, hopefully, dance, theatre and music groups
himself: it is a theory (or a school implies that 'realism' or the on a command of his method. took part as well as representatives
of theories) based on the attempt imitation of physical reality was His own extremely intelligent of liberation movements in Latin
to construct a coherent view of not a primary aesthetic category version has the advantage of America, Asia and Africa, trade
the arts from the scattered for Marx) is at variance with seeking to emancipate marxist unionists, political and diplomatic
references to be found in the other interpreters, such as criticism from some of the more people, and many others.
classic texts, on the assumption Lukacs'. It is not so much based primitive versions which long AFD's cultural centre in
that underlying these there is such on what Marx says, but on monopolized its conventional Whitfield Street is open seven
a coherent analysis. Without this citations from him which are image. He is also keenly aware days a week from noon till 6 pm.
attempt the scattered texts compatible with it, at least to that the history of marxist Activities there for the coming
themselves are not very Morawski's satisfaction. It is writing about the arts must deal months include: exhibition by
illuminating. In fact, their very therefore a marxist interpretation, less with the 'classics' themselves painters Stephen Pusey, Pauline
collection and selection reads but not necessarily, or even than with their successors. That is Seaton and David Dennison
something into Marx which may probably, Marx's own. The only why the series edited by Morawski (April); exhibition by Jonathan
well be there, but is certainly not firm thing about it is Marx's and Lee Baxandall is to be Miles, Ife Orr, Christine Halsall,
explicit and formulated. undoubted view that man evolves, welcomed not only for this book, Adrienne Lee Poster Group:
So a review of Marx's and or ought to evolve towards a state which forms its first volume, and `Propaganda v. Reality'.
Engels's texts on the arts must be where his physical and mental Morawski's introduction, but for exhibition with films, events and
primarily one of the compiler/ capacities are in free creative the eleven volumes planned to discussions (May). Also poetry-
editors and their interpretation. play, that as it were 'homo Faber' complete it. Among these one readings, music, film shows,
Fortunately one of the co-editors, is on the way to becoming 'homo looks forward with interest to discussions with artists about
Prof. Stefan Morawski of the ludens' (p 13). Morawski's own forthcoming their work, etc.
Polish Academy of Sciences, has The other aspect of Marx's `Marxist Thought after Marx and In June AFD is organizing a
written an excellent introduction aesthetics which lies outside the Engels' and to volume III which show devoted to Vietnam,
of some forty pages. Not the least conventional impressions is to consider, among others, the integrating information and
part of its value is that it contains concerns the persistent appeal of contribution of William Morris. artistic work as imaginatively as
one of the rare accounts of the art in societies other than those E. J. Hobsbawm possible to show the Vietnamese
background to Marx/Engels which have given it birth (eg people's 25-year struggle for
aesthetics, apparently based ancient Greek art) or in more freedom and independence against
largely on a Polish doctoral general terms 'the unequal imperialism, and their present
thesis of 1967 on 'Marx and relation between the development efforts to rebuild their land `ten
classical German aesthetics'; of material production and times more beautiful.'
possibly for this reason it may not eg artistic production'. The Postscript: John Hoyland and
pay sufficient attention to the unfinished passage at the end of Jeffrey Steele both had works
ideas of the French left in the the 'Introduction' to `Grundrisse' brought from the show by the
period 1830-48, which developed is perhaps the most important Ateneum Museum, Helsinki. The
theories not dissimilar to text of Marx in aesthetic matters. exhibition will be available for
socialist realism. Unfortunately it is brief, bookings in this country from
The conventional marxist view unsystematic and fragmentary. It June. Interested parties should
of the arts is that they are, above denies that 'progress' in the usual contact Norma Binnie at AIR,
all, socially determined, that the sense applies to the arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly,
most desirable art is 'realist', and discusses the social roots of 'great Wl.
that socialist art should be art' in specific historical
committed art (though Morawski conditions — with an unexpected `Britaniasta 75', Taidehalli,
correctly points out that this did stress on the importance of Helsinki (and now touring
not imply Lenin's `party-spirit' — mythology and breaks off with Finland)
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