Page 87 - Studio International - November December 1975

because of the difference in the galleries' respective social Gerard Hemsworth both made installations in the upper
roles and he foresaw a compromising of the Museum's gallery. Two exhibitions, one with John Murphy and
exhibitions under a larger Council containing some Peter Waldron and the other from a private collection,
members, inherited from Bear Lane. Barry Lane had resulted in the idea of a drawing show. The exhibition,
emphasized the educational role of the gallery, and this a collection of over 200 drawings, opened in November
was a theme that Ibsen continued to support. The first 1972. It has often been referred to as the most
exhibition when Ibsen took over was Platform 1970, interesting mixed exhibition in recent years. Smiling self-
containing the work of post-graduate students at consciously at the thought, Ibsen said that it had cost a
London colleges. The museum was also frequently little over £200. 'The catalogue was less than £100, and
used by various University art societies and film clubs. there were some framing expenses. I hired a Godfrey
Oxfordshire education committee is the only major Davis Rent-a-van and drove to London to collect the
patron apart from the Arts Council. It has given £1,200 a work. Everyone was very helpful'. It was around this
year since 1966, and has recently increased this grant to time that the strain of directing MOMA made Ibsen
£1,950. In return MOMA holds yearly exhibitions of decide to resign.
school children's work and arranges lectures and The Drawing Show was followed by Fluxshoe, a
projects both at the museum and at schools in the area. touring show organized (also on a shoestring) by David
Mayor, which was unfortunately never allowed a London
venue. Several of the artists in the exhibition were
camping in the Ibsen family home and this brought
strain of a unique fluxus variety. David Mayor's
contribution to the exhibition was not to bath during the
tour. When he arrived in Oxford he had not bathed for six
months.
The Drawing Show brought Ibsen into more familiar
contact with some London galleries. Jack Wendler
helped to organize the Daniel Buren exhibition in March
1973. Buren used the architecture of the upper gallery
to hang six striped banners ceremoniously from the
vaulted ceiling. In the middle gallery was an exhibition
of early work by John Stezaker. Although the Lisson
Gallery initially hesitated about lending work for the'
drawing show, Nicholas Logsdail arranged an
exhibition of Sol LeWitt wall drawings with Ibsen in April
in the upper gallery. A small retrospective of work by
Douglas Huebler, based on an exhibition organized by
Klaus Honnef in Munster, opened in the middle gallery,
with an exhibition by Ed Herring in the lower gallery. Ibsen
wickedly suggested that this arrangement represented
Bruce McLean, Upper Gallery 1975
the politics of three commercial galleries. In a serious
vein he talked about the reasons why Ed Herring's work
By the middle of 1971, Ibsen had developed a strong was not better known. He had been very impressed by
programme that began to distinguish Oxford from other Herring's show at Gallery House and he could not
regional galleries. Philip Oakes gave extensive coverage understand why this artist's work was so frequently
in the Observer to the chaotic opening of POPA at overlooked by galleries and institutions.
MOMA. David Medalla and John Dugger had destroyed lbsen's final series of exhibitions opened in July 1973.
their work in protest against the drinking habits and The Arts Council Systems show opened in the upper
bourgeois attitudes of the audience at their opening. gallery, with an Israeli artist, Michael Druks, in the lower
In December 1971 the upper gallery contained a gallery. The exhibition in the middle gallery of two French
handsome maze by Richard Long. It was made by the artists, Christian Boltanski and Jean Le Gac, underlines
artist tramping footprints in a local red clay. Ibsen the continuing financial problems of MOMA. Jacques
invited Long, writing '. . . many people have told me you Caumont, who organized the French show, first met
are not likely to accept but ...'. He received a short Ibsen when he installed a Schöffer piece in the Denise
reply : 'Never believe what other people tell you'. When René exhibition. He had discussed a possible exhibition
the show was first planned it appeared that it would be on Travel Art, and when Ibsen invited him to organize the
Long's first exhibition in Britain, but it was slightly exhibition for Oxford he offered him a fee of £15. He
preceded and rather overshadowed by the Whitechapel received a reply from Caumont in Paris saying he
exhibition. would prefer to stay in bed for £15. But he organized the
Ibsen asked Long about the artists he respected and show, and went on to suggest this exhibition. Le Gac
the conversation resulted in a Hamish Fulton exhibition financed a small book as his contribution to the
in April 1972. Both Ends of the Road contained exhibition and Boltanski showed photographic work —
photographs of a 320 mile walk from his home in this exhibition cost £120. He was able to give Le Gac £50
Saltwood, Kent to the Welsh border in Shropshire. The to cover his travel, because of the cost of the publication,
photographs, documenting the view in front of him each but Boltanski only received a roof over his head when he
morning, and the view behind him each evening, were arrived in Oxford.
displayed on tables with 45 surfaces in the centre of the When Ibsen took over MOMA it was one of a network
middle gallery. Talking recently about this time, Ibsen of galleries in major English towns, comparable with the
said that there were many other artists with whom he Arnolfini in Bristol, the Ikon in Birmingham, the Midland
would have liked to make exhibitions. He mentioned Group in Nottingham, the Bluecoat in Liverpool and
Gilbert and George and Art and Language, but he was many others. When he left it had become the most
inhibited by a lack of confidence. interesting public gallery in England. Although he
The programme continued to develop with exhibitions thought the Council would renew his contract he
of artists whose work has only recently become better- decided to leave. He is now teaching at Banbury
known in London. The Tim Head exhibition, in June College of Art. The reasons were complex, representing a
1972, Ibsen feels was particularly interesting. He had a level of integrity and self-criticism few of us can
long correspondence with Head before the exhibition comprehend. He had struggled to get the wheels
was finally arranged. The careful consideration of the turning but became critical the moment they started
installation that resulted brought about basic changes in turning him. He mentions his administrative limitations
the artist's work. It is an observation that has been before he grudgingly accepts that many people feel he
confirmed by more recent exhibitions by Head at Garage did a remarkable job against apparently overwhelming
and the Whitechapel. Steve Willats produced a social odds. He says he was incapable of the politics involved in
project amongst Oxford households. John Blake and raising money from the Arts Council and private sources.
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