Page 85 - Studio International - May June 1975

goals, while diverse, were of his friends searching to go response to Western formal the net result of a few prescribed
nevertheless similar on a beyond the Zero in art? In the problems. parts?
philosophical ground : these race towards discovery, where It would certainly be unjust to Anthony Caro's sculpture is
artists did not wish to be every artist tried to astonish the deny any interest in the Cologne not just about formal invention,
technicians of textiles, others with invention, it seems exhibition and simply categorize and nor was David Smith's,
aeronautics or furniture, but impossible that Malevich would it as one more banal commercial although there is a big difference
being aware of form and material have permitted his art to be seen effort. On the contrary, the work in both positions. In Smith's
proposed another approach to next to that of his rival Tatlin accomplished, the desire to Helmholtzian Landscape, 1946,
that of 'professional (or, to include the work of minor concentrate on non-objective art, and other earlier works the
technicians'. Here we touch on artists in the exhibition). That the and certain little-known aspects framing device was born of
the depth of their artistic matiere title is significant is undeniable. of Constructivism in particular, necessity to house his subjective
and as artists (which they But it is hardly likely that its merit all our attention. What one fantasies and agonies. He carries
remained throughout their discovery is based on a regrets is that the good will and in Helmholtzian Landscape as
complex evolution) they proposed typographical error. Kovtun also the catalogue's obviously serious much charged energy, snaking
their own solutions, based on the jumbles two distinctly different intentions were betrayed by a lack through space, as do the
logic of form and of material. periods in Malevich's evolution: of solid criteria. The catalogue evocative inner shapes, which
Just as Malevich had refused the 1913 and 1920 (p. 40), and the poses questions of vital interest carry over their shape
supremacy of objects in 1915, so edition of 'From Cubism and for the history of modern art and characteristics into the frame
the productivists refused the Futurism to Suprematism' in these should not remain within itself.
supremacy of any logic of question concerns not the first a bibliographical context. With The apparent reduction in the
`specialists.' Must we refer but the third edition. This is such a respectable amount of quantity of internal to external
Bowlt to Tatlin's text on the vitally important, since in 1915 documentary material, the shapes in later works was not the
glider? For only a few years after Malevich and Matiushin, while in catalogue, 'From Surface to consequence of cold formal
the construction of the Letatlin, friendly correspondence, Space' is a not un-negligible decisions. The frame holds as
Soviet aeronautical engineers remained in different aesthetic source of information. much tension, in these late pieces,
perceived that 'aesthetic' forms camps leading to Matiushin's Andrei Boris Nakov as do the inner shapes of the
which Tatlin had found contained critical remark that the word earlier sculptures. Cubi XXVII,
a new functionality and were `suprematism has a strange 1965, for example. A mistake is in
superior to their own logical academic resonance,' hardly using reductionist techniques in
calculations (and recently flattering for such a total theorizing about Smith's work.
Miturich's submarine designs revolutionary as Kasimir On the occasion of What we can assert is the moving
have been likewise employed). Malevich (Matiushin's article Anthony Caro's way such sculptures transcend
Biotechnics have, in fact, been of 1916). It also surprises us to just the formal and retinal
developed since the first studies read Kovtun's observation that retrospective impingement of brain and eye to
of Paxton (upon which the `no one had analysed the disturb the primeval state buried
Crystal Palace was designed) and drawing' (from 'Victory over the exhibition within us.
no critic can reasonably challenge Sun'), when it appeared in at MOMA, New York, Smith refused to let his
its valid possibilities. Bowlt's Camilla Gray's book of 1962. 30 April - 6 July sculptures become objectified to
ideology reminds us of that of the It is unfortunate to admit, the extent of the communal-
director of the Petrograd factory finally, that Kovtun's arguments garden. Illusionism attributable
when Tatlin applied to work for take a sharp turn for the worse Anthony Caro uses material that to painting was an important
the creation of new models; when he broaches Malevich's is already tensed, in the sense that ingredient that had to be
rather, the director sent Tatlin to plastic work. The lack of visual originally it was made for a maintained since this allowed the
teach the technicians `to draw experience and the limited access purpose, a structural purpose in a sculptor to exercise his subjective
nicely'. Furious, Tatlin slammed to archival material (kept building or engine of sorts; by vision and emotional 'wrath'
the door. And Bowlt just kept on rigorously behind locked doors) dint of human nature it is made within the work. The sculpture
typing. as well as superficial knowledge redundant, either thrown out could be made from within and
The only text which draws of Western material (and the before or after.use or by the artist not from without. Sculpture has,
the attention of art historians infrequent visits of Soviet acquiring the material as new more than painting perhaps,
is 'The Beginning of historians to Western museums from the stockist. Either way, the provided a clearer mechanism for
Suprematism' by Evgenii Kovtun, in general) are responsible for an metal is charged with the paradox complexity.
Curator of Graphics, Russian erroneous conception of plastic of having the look of artifact, In the introduction to the
Museum, Leningrad. For the problems. The six works from the specific to a purpose, and shows Smith retrospective at the
first time, the details of the Russian Museum (reproduced an inability, when placed in the Guggenheim, New York, it says
correspondence between p. 39) bear dates from 1910 to art work to pursue that purpose. of his third period (1952 until his
Malevich and Matiushin permit 1913, yet they clearly belong to In this sense we can say that the death in 1965) that he was
us finally to establish the exact Malevich's last period. They material is 'emotionally' charged discarding and sublimating ...
chronology of the birth of certainly refer to earlier subject for us from the outset. his previous symbolic interests in
Suprematism, as well as the matter, but at the most are later The introduction in the favour of formal plastic
significance of Malevich's echoes of his painting of 1910-13. catalogue for the major innovation'.
enigmatic statement of 1919 in In comparing these works retrospective exhibition of the The term 'discarding' is the
which he placed the beginning of to Andersen's careful artist's work, which opened at key: although his forms changed
Suprematism in 1913. The documentation (published 1970) the Museum of Modern Art, New from 1939 in absolute appearance
appearance of the Black Square in it is impossible to accept Kovtun's York, on April 30 to July 6, they did not disguise the latent
Matiushin's opera 'Victory over dating. Simple formal analysis written by the museum's director psychic power stored within.
the Sun' is commented upon by contradicts his position: a ground William Rubin, is intended to be There is a parallel with Caro,
Malevich as the unconscious of horizontal stripes, frontal, comprehensive in its aims and but with one fundamental
beginning of Suprematism, static figures, the contrast of informative on both the sculptor's difference: the lack of symbolic
whereas the first suprematist colours, and the very descriptive art and the history of the translation in the latter's oeuvre
paintings were done during the aspect of the personnages in development of constructed art in from 1949 to 1959. Attention is
summer of 1915. Until now Girls in the Field and Sportsmen pre-Caro days. Its persuasive focussed on human action as
completely inaccessible to contrast to the dynamic and second part is the most succinct attitude within the sculpture. This
Western art historians, this asymmetric structure of the appraisal to date, although its is combined with a facility for
document is of capital importance works of 1912-13. As for the omissions of contemporary handling the material, an
to research on art of the Head of Peasant, there are several European influences are as expressive surface style that
twentieth century. preparatory drawings which date noticeable as the overstatements supports the tension set within
Kovtun's explanatory text is 1927-30 (and have been studied asserting American leads. the forms. Most of the titles of
composed with great subtlety and and published). We must The introduction follows the this period denote a human action
merits our attention, but note that, during the twenties, well-tried historical and formalist trapped in time, for example,
nevertheless raises some Malevich was in permanent path. If Caro's art triggers in us Man Taking Off His Shirt, or Man
questions. When he proposes an contact with Western art and was meanings that cannot be Holding His Foot, 1954. These
argument for the title of the not insensitive to the Purism of explained in formal terms, should works were still 'observed' facts
exhibition, '0.10', we would Léger or the painting of we dismiss these as unnecessary though, however distorted and
challenge his ideas as based on Schlemmer, whose work he and subjective and not the Dubuffet-like they might seem.
too many suppositions. If would have seen in 1927 at the intentions proper to the This is a difference between Smith
Malevich was so absolutely Bauhaus. The canvases at the sculpture? and Caro; the latter's predilection
opposed to Tatlin, how could he Russian Museum appear to be a What is it that allows a to find shape is shown to assume
have included him among those new pictorial and spiritual sculpture to transcend being just growing importance within his
233