Jill Randall – Tate Project

 

Today, I finally got to meet APG Founder and driving force, artist Barbara Steveni, still glamorous and charismatic after all these years! I attended an event, “The Report” at the UAL (University of the Arts London-CCW- Chelsea, Camberwell, Wimbledon Graduate School at Chelsea College of Art and Design) at its campus a stone’s throw from Tate Britain, Barbara Steveni in conversation with Jo Melvin about the APG.

I got to chat to Barbara, and told her about my own industry placements and what I have done and hope to do with our Salford students.Thought it would be great to write an APG module as part of our course and get all students to learn about their ideas and their massive influence on artists practice today. Barbara talked about APG having been ‘suppressed’- I know what she means-Very few artists I have mentioned APG to have heard of them-yet its hard to underestimate their influence in every sphere of current practice-from the whole notion of artists residencies and a socially-engaged practice to the structure and wording of artists commission contracts.

I’m really keen to work on a possible link/Exchange for our students between Chelsea and Salford, particularly the chance to test the APG “Open Brief/Not Knowing” idea now!!! Watch this space!!…..

I said how important a role she had which was instrumental in negotiating and securing the industry placements- a bridge between the world of the fine artist and the world of the powerful directors of industry and business -the fact she was able to achieve this is amazing and a real tribute to her unique communication skills , confidence and tenacity, and above all, a belief in the importance of APG ideals.

Barbara talked about the importance of the APG “DNA” and how this was going to be taken forward by today’s art students and artists. She also talked about “context” being not just about place, but interface – ie the “situation” rather than”site”.

Tate Archive Research Highlights today:-

I studied some of the early pamphlets and statements (which are very few) of the APG as it was defining what it should be and do, and what its name should be. Looked at the earliest, from 1966, titled ‘Art Placement Group’.

“…The role of the artist redefined.”art is dead : long live the artist?” From APG Outline. TGA 20042/4/ 1-5 APG.

A New Kind of Artist.   Amongst other things the history of Art demonstrates the Art is never what it was or what people expect it to be.The time has arrived for the person usually known by the term ‘artist’ to take up a new relationship with the activities of the community and in particular with industry:The young artist is different from his predecessors:Artists and students we have talked to are interested in spectator – involvement or participation, as part of the work – a new emphasis. Techniques, processes and materials available in Industry, present a fabulous mine of opportunity for Art-situations waiting to be developed, and require only courage and imagination……”

This is key and very relevant information.Their ideas didn’t really manifest themselves in the art schools for many years, despite the close connections with St Martins and Royal College of Art from outset. They always seemed to be trying to get their ideas adopted by the Art schools-need to research some specific documentation from the Archive about this-I know there is a lot of correspondence between Barbara Steveni and art schools all over country-will need to be selective.

Wonder what might have happened to the future of art education if John Latham hadn’t got sacked from St Martin’s?

Amongst other things the history of Art demonstrates the Art is never what it was or what people expect it to be.The time has arrived for the person usually known by the term ‘artist’ to take up a new relationship with the activities of the community and in particular with industry:The young artist is different from his predecessors:Artists and students we have talked to are interested in spectator – involvement or participation, as part of the work – a new emphasis. Techniques, processes and materials available in Industry, present a fabulous mine of opportunity for Art-situations waiting to be developed, and require only courage and imagination……”

Great quote from Professor Carel Weight, then Head of the Fine Art Dept at the Royal College of Art:

..”All the other departments are very anxious to see what we are up to….You cant have a lively school of design without a virile school of art in the same place…” Observer magazine, May 8th 1966.

From a later brochure (undated)…. The artist goes into an organisation to carry out far-reaching dialogue with the organisation’s staff and research into its resources, and in the end, to realise works that demonstrate this strong level of interaction between art and organisation…..This placement of the artist with organisations is suggested by past observation of the artists ability to prefigure tastes and priorities of the period that is coming….” TGA 20042/4/ 1-5 APG.

I also saw the Franz West sculpture show at the Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Street. in its last week. This is the link:-

http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/franz-west–october-09-2012