'Magiciens De La Terre'

EXHIBITION REVIEWS Paris and Cologne is founded upon the observation that the a meaning which, in another context, it 'Bilderstreit' and 'Magiciens de la western 'civilised' world is introspective in might not have; but it is much the stronger Terre' its insistence on the primacy of western for it. Indeed Long is one of the few western art and that all so-called international artists to survive with credit, for many of Bilderstreit (at the Rheinhallen der exhibitions have hitherto been limited by his colleagues emerge as too calculating K61lner Messe, Cologne, 8th April to this perspective. Furthermore westerners and too reliant on strategy to withstand 28th June) 1 has been justifiably criticised regard any art which lies outside the the freshness, the directness and depth of as one of the worst conceived exhibitions western tradition as either ethnographic, meaning of the 'third world' art. Where of the decade. Taking up where Westkunst and therefore not art, or as craft. Magiciens religion, sex, death and functionalism seem left off, the organisers, Siegfried Gohr and sets out to show that contemporary art is to be the basis for the creation of most Johannes Gachnang, set out to chart the also produced within less developed coun- forms of 'ethnic' art, art itself is often the course of art in Europe and America from tries and that in the same way as western only reason for the making of western art. 1960 onwards, on the premise that Euro- artists work within, develop and deviate Although an artist such as Kiefer tackles pean art has principally been figurative from a tradition, so too do their 'third important issues, his work appears gran- while American art has been almost en- world' counterparts (Fig.103). diose next to the beautiful tantric drawings tirely non-figurative (either conceptual or The basis of the selection of the 'third of Raja Babu Sharma from Jaipur, whose minimal). They bravely sought to juxtapose world' artists lay in the quality and interest simple forms and sense of balance recall within the same room works from entirely of their work from a western point of view. the work of the late Peter Kinley. In the different persuasions; thus one found The organisers fully admit that it was im- context of the sand and earth paintings, Baselitz and Penck together with Judd possible and even undesirable for them to however, one begins to wonder whether and LeWitt, or late Guston (poorly chosen) select from any standpoint other than the the encrusted, earthy nature of the surface with Gilbert and George, Andre, Richter one with which they are familiar. In spite of Kiefer's paintings has an affinity with and Buren. While this might indicate in of extensive consultation with many dif- such 'primitive' religious or voodoo rit- the most banal way the different options ferent people from a multitude of countries, uals. Indeed viewing western art in such open to artists at any given moment, it they lay themselves open to the accusation company allows us to re-evaluate its im- uses the art itself in an illustrative manner. that they have plundered 'third world' portance. Polke (in this context only, and For every European figurative artist one art as colonisers, imposing their values and maybe deliberately) seems cynically triv- might put forward a counterpart working judgments on cultures to which these may ial, Alberola empty and Kawara sterile. in a conceptual mode. That is not to say be irrelevant. Baldessari's photographic story-book seems that there were no European conceptual Broadly, the western artists were chosen tired and knowing when juxtaposed with artists on view but simply that they were for their affinity with ethnographic or the innocence of Frederic Bruly-Bouabre, selected with narrow-minded partiality 'primitive' art (Houshiary, Long, Alberola, whose own imaginative tales deal with the and some, such as Toroni, given too much Tony Cragg and Bourgeois; Fig.104) or for language of animals, stones and trees and space. One of the problems with this exhi- their interest in issues relating to the third illustrate the evolution of the nuclear miss- bition was its simplistic view of art history. world (Haacke, Baldessari), so that a fruit- ile from the chicken-bone by way of the Another major problem was more pol- ful dialogue would ensue. This resulted in arrow, and whose view of history (Caesar itical. While a range of western European whole sections of contemporary art being and Ulysses, for example), previously countries were represented, one was meant overlooked in the interests of a coherent known to westerners in a European form, to leave this exhibition with the feeling show. seems equally plausible as African history. that Germany had made the single most The purpose of the exhibition, therefore, It would be wrong, however, to suggest important contribution to European art is to supply 'third world' art with a context that only artists of the 'third world' are since 1960. The works of Baselitz and Penck and a framework in which it may be under- capable of maintaining such innocence, cropped up repeatedly as though acting stood by the western visitor. The choice of for the contribution of Ilya Kabakov is as some kind of standard which all against artists in both camps seems relatively hap- magical in its naivety and folkloric nature other artists must measure themselves. hazard since for every one chosen there (some might argue here that in terms of Baselitz, for example, was shown in five must have been many omitted for reasons contemporary art the USSR is a 'third separate galleries in the company of differ- of space as much as anything else. For world' nation). Houshiary contributes a ent artists on each occasion. Penck, a less im- example, Shirazeh Houshiary is included work of dignity, poise and intensity dealing portant artist, was found in three different but not Anish Kapoor, Rasheed Araeen with the elements of earth, water and fire contexts, as also was Polke. Undoubtedly and not Sonia Boyce. In addition, for suggesting ritual and religion, a sacred the works of Baselitz and Polke are of con- whatever reason, it was decided to exclude altar and an eternal monument, a place siderable quality but there is something those western artists, such as Stephen Cox, for enacting magic ceremonies. sinister about this Germanocentric view, who actually employ 'native' craftsmen and Another of the exhibition's functions is which one had hoped had disappeared work within native traditions, an omission to show how similar ideas can develop in- over the last forty years. which seems particularly odd in view of dependently of each other, in both western A distinguished British artist recently the interest this exhibition generates in and 'third world' countries. For example, suggested to me that power in the art world the crossover of cultures (Clemente is in- Esther Mahlangu's painted house (Fig.105) resided with museum curators. My retort cluded but is represented only by strictly is highly reminiscent of Matt Mullican's was that it resided with dealers and, regret- autograph works). cosmologies (not included in the show) Bilderstreit tably, proved the point. This The cross-currents are one of the most while the imaginative and powerfully rich exhibition was dominated by the artists of fascinating aspects of the exhibition which panel paintings of Twins Seven Seven com- one particular Cologne gallery and as a is particularly beautifully installed at La bine a Klee-like demonism with Nigerian result the organisers' intelligence and in- Villette. For example, how is it that Navajo primitive imagery. Even his titles are remi- were tegrity called into question. Criticisms Indians, Haitians, Aborigines and South niscent of Klee's (for example The mother aside, however, there were some notable Africans all make paintings in the sand or of the world reptile) and it may be no coinci- works on show, although few were un- earth? To what extent did the traditions dence that he is collected in Germany. known. There were also some important within which they work ever come into Although the influence on western art artists who were poorly represented and contact? Similarly the exhibition makes of primitive culture has been treated at inadequately displayed. a point of underlining interests shared length in recent years (for example Primitive The of Bilderstreit to inter- between these pretensions artists and their western Art in the Twentieth Century,held in 1984 at nationality have been brought into focus counterparts, no more markedly than in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, by Magiciens de la Terre (at the Centre the juxtaposition of Richard Long's Red and the surrounding debate, to which the Georges Pompidou and the Grande earth circle with the Yuendumu Aborigine present exhibition is in part a counter- Halle La Villette, Paris, 18th May to earth painting employing sacred herbs. punch), little interest has been aroused, 14th August)2 which claims to be the first The ritualistic and religious nature of the except among ethnographers and anthro- truly international exhibition. The show Aborigine work endows Long's circle with pologists, in the extent to which 'third Burlington Magazine585 is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to The Burlington Magazine ® www.jstor.org EXHIBITION REVIEWS world' art has been touched by the western world. This is another theme underlying the choice of exhibitors, although at times one feels that artists have been selected to illustrate the point rather than because the resulting art is good. Nevertheless there are some interesting observations to be made. For example, Chief Mark Unya exhibits a head-dress whose principal motif is an aeroplane, whereas all his other head- dresses are depictions of fish.

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