‘Artist-as-Carrier’ (Plus London Shows this week)

Tony Benn, first in the Ministry of Technology, later Secretary of State for Industry under the Labour government, was an enthusiastic advocate and supporter of APG from the early days of he industry placements, and approached other influential government departments and organisations on APG’s behalf. His department also made APG a modest grant to make early approaches to companies.

The APG Civil Service Whitehall Memorandum was in Dec 1988 – for The Incidental Person (approach to government.) It was forwarded to 10 government departments for action. I need to look at this again because it was important both in terms of APG validation and recognition, and it marked a new direction for APG energies. I think O+I came from this.

TGA 20042/1/2/45. Letter from Peter Parker, Director of Rockware Group, to John Latham 28th Jan 1974.

….”I am much stimulated by all you are trying to do. I think it has remarkable relevance.”

APG makes you ask the questions:-

What is art?
What is its role?
Who or what is art for?
Is art the same as thinking?
Is art the same as decision-making?

TGA 20042/1/4/33. From letter from BS to Dennis Stevenson, Tate Gallery, requesting support for the new

‘O+I’- Organisation + Imagination APG relaunch in 1989:-

….”The declaration is about the 20th Century convergence point, a case for the much-needed reenforcement for the artist-as-carrier of a comprehension not available within other disciplines and professions…”

In talks I’ve been to recently, Barbara Steveni has talked about the ‘artist as carrier from another discipline’ – Its quite clumsily put, but I know what she means -interesting and original ideas.

Interesting letter 11th July 1990 about O+I concept being adopted in London schools. Is this where C.A.P.E. (Creative Arts Partnerships in Education) , who I have worked with, emerged from?) It also mentions the newly-formed London Institute of art schools, introducing the theory and practice method of association which APG originated.

I wonder what happened to their ideas for introducing APG ideas into the London Institutes’ structure? Did it happen.?If so, how successful was it? If not, (which I suspect), why not?

Update on London shows I have visited this week.

Anthony Gormley, “Model” at White Cube Bermondsey

http://whitecube.com/exhibitions/antony_gormley_model_bermondsey_2012/

This is a show of his recent work abstracting the body to the lowest common denominator-a series of geometric cubes and rectangles.There’s a whole room full of maquettes – which generally I love, as they show real insight into the sculptor’s thinking and pure interests – (1 or 2 of these, especially a couple of small cast-iron maquettes, were more interesting,)- but the rest seemed bland and rather pointless , with a lack of sensitivity to material qualities. The large installation, tomb-like, which you can walk through  is impressive in scale and feat of  construction . I prefer his earlier work-I don’t understand where he is going with this recent sculpture.

Model - Antony Gormley - 2012 - 57244

I also visited Ceri Hand Gallery in Covent Garden, (soon to move to All Hallows Hall, Copperfield Street SE1).Ceri started out in Liverpool and shows a very exciting stable of artists. I went to see the work of Matthew Houlding, “Oceanic”, constructed sculpture/paintings.  http://www.cerihand.co.uk/  -I have admired Matt’s work for a while, and he also has a studio in Todmorden.He is currently showing a fabulous body of work nearer to home at Touchstones Rochdale.

http://www.link4life.org/images/downloads/touchstones/touchstones-brochure-october2012-march2013.pdf

Other Shows were Kate Davis at Drawing Room, (near White Cube Bermondsey) http://www.drawingroom.org.uk/

 

and William Kentridge’s superbly inventive animated films, “I am not me, the horse is not mine” at The Tanks,Tate Modern. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern-tanks/exhibition/william-kentridge-i-am-not-me-horse-not-mine

 

 

 

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