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Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art School 1969-1979

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Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art School 1969-1979 Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art School 1969-1979 Dennis, M. Submitted version deposited in Coventry University’s Institutional Repository Original citation: Dennis, M. () Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art School 1969-1979. Unpublished MSC by Research Thesis. Coventry: Coventry University Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Some materials have been removed from this thesis due to Third Party Copyright. Pages where material has been removed are clearly marked in the electronic version. The unabridged version of the thesis can be viewed at the Lanchester Library, Coventry University. Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the Art School 1969-1979 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mark Dennis ​ ​ A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University’s ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy/Master of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Research September 2016 ​ ​ Library Declaration and Deposit Agreement Title: Forename: Family Name: Mark Dennis Student ID: Faculty: Award: 4744519 Arts & Humanities PhD Thesis Title: Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art School 1969-1979 Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) ensures access to any information held by Coventry University, including theses, unless an exception or exceptional circumstances apply. In the interest of scholarship, theses of the University are normally made freely available online in the Institutions Repository, immediately on deposit. You may wish to restrict access to your thesis for a period of up to three years. Reasons for restricting access to the electronic thesis should be derived from exemptions under FOIA. (Please also refer to the University Regulations Section 8.12.5) Do you wish to restrict access to thesis/submission: NO Please note: If your thesis includes your publications in the appendix, please ensure you seek approval from the publisher first, and include their approval with this form. If they have not given approval, they will need to be removed from the version of your thesis made available in the Institutional Repository. If Yes please specify reason for restriction: Length of restriction: Does any organisation, other than Coventry University, have an interest in NO the Intellectual Property Rights to your work? If Yes please specify Organisation: Please specify the nature of their interest: Date: 11/09/17 Signature: For Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and Development use Date Final Thesis Submitted Date of Thesis release to Library Strategic Anomalies: Art & Language in the Art Schools 1969-1979 M. Dennis A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University’s requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 Coventry University 1 Abstract This thesis looks at the interventions of Art & Language into the art schools of England and Wales, from the proposal of the Art Theory Programme in 1969, through to the publication of The Politics of Art Education by Paul Wood and David Rushton in 1979. Between these two events a series of associated projects, cadres and agitations operated both as an alternative curriculum and a critical thorn in the side of various colleges of art. These events are set within the context of the Coldstream/Summerson Reforms, the arguments around polytechnics and the changing political, curricular and theoretical context of the art school during the 1970s, in addition to the wider political context of post-war Britain. It focuses on how the early formation of Art & Language, as editors of the journal Art- Language, attempted to produce a theoretically informed programme of learning around group discussion, extensive reading, essays, projects and presentations in order to instantiate a fuller, more directed curriculum for those on a Fine Art Dip.A.D., for which the new open curriculum was seen as severely lacking. It proposes that this initial effort, after various oppositions, obstacles and failures, necessarily developed into a strategy to disrupt, collectivise and incite protest among art students; a strategy which was played out by Art & Language once removed through the SUPPORT SCHOOL project of the 1970s. With this history in mind I consider the conditions of fine art higher education in terms of the cultural inheritance of the art school, broad structural change in the institution of fine art higher education, the life-world of the art student and the development of art pedagogy in the 1970s. I then go on to consider how the problems articulated by the interventions of A&L are still ongoing and developing, situating them within the discourse around 21st Century art education in Britain. 2 Guide to Archive References Tate Archive References are prefixed ‘TGA’ followed by their own classification number. For example (TGA:786/5/6/2) MACBA references use their classification system, using AL as the prefix. For example (AL0229). According to their archivist, this is a temporary reference so it may change in the not-too-distant future. The records were consulted in November 2015. The documents from the Modern Records Centre at Warwick University are given the prefix MRC followed by their classification system. For example (MRC: MSS.322/AD/5). The Documents from The National Archives, following their guidelines, uses the prefix TNA and then their internal reference. For example (TNA: DB 4). The British Library sound archive is denoted by the interviewee, the year and ‘BL18’ in which the number refers to the section of the interview from which the reference is taken. Private Collections or Archives used from David Rushton’s Collection (DRC), Michael Tovey’s Collection (MTC), Lynda Morris’ Collection (LMC), Paul Wood’s Collection (PWC), Terry Atkinson’s collection (TAC). Individual Documents used are itemised in the Bibliography. 3 Abbreviations for interviewees (transcripts to be found in appendix) MB – Michael Baldwin MR- Mel Ramsden Other correspondences which were either RvB – Rob Van Beek not recorded or transcribed, or email conversations (referenced as ‘pers.comm.’ MF- Mike Fyles in the text): PS - Peter Smith Terry Atkinson - 10/06/16; 12/07/16 RP – Robin Plummer Paul Tate – 18/07/2013 Mike Chiltern – 31/03/2016 DR – David Rushton Rosalind Billingham – 04/2016 PP – Philip Pilkington Janie Greville – 07-08/2015 DB – David Batchelor David Osborne – 03/2016 KJ – Kathy Jenkins Lynda Morris – 17/05/2016 SL- Simon Lewis AD- Alan Dyer GH – Graham Howard PW – Paul Wood DH – Dave Hirons Brackets indicate joint interview. 4 Abbreviations Used N.A.C.A.E. – National Advisory Council A.A. – Architectural Association On Art Education A&L – Art & Language N.A.C.E.I.C. – National Advisory A-L – Art-Language Council on Education for Industry and Commerce ALUK – Art & Language (United Kingdom) N.C.D.A.D. – National Council for Diplomas in Art & Design ALNY – Art & Language (New York) N.D.D. – National Diploma in Design CCA - Coventry College of Art N.S.C.A.D. – Nova Scotia College of Art CCCS – Centre for Contemporary & Design Cultural Studies PI – Philosophical Investigations C.N.A.A. – Council for National Academic Awards R.A. – Royal Academy Dip.A.D. – Diploma in Art & Design R.C.A. – Royal College of Art H&O – Harrison & Orton R&W – Rushton & Wood L.E.A. – Local Education Authority SGSL – The Sinking of the Good Ship Liberalism M&W – Madge & Weinberger 5 List of Illustrations Fig. 1 Mel Ramsden (1979) Illustration for Issue 3, Fig. 2 David Bainbridge/ Fine Artz (1963) Asteroid Action Seat, MACBA Archive (AL0262) Philippe Meaille Collection Fig. 3 David Bainbridge (1968) M1 (Mark II), Vat ’68, Herbert Gallery Catalogue Fig. 4a & b David Bainbridge (1966) Crane, MACBA Archive (AL0257) Fig. 5 Barbara Weinberger, Ron Rees, Harry Weinberger and Michael Baldwin at Coventry College of Art, c.1965. Photo collection of Jo Weinberger. Fig. 6 Philip Pilkington, Dave Rushton, Kevin Lole, Pete Smith We All Do Art Theory, Poster, Dave Hirons Collection. Fig. 7 Unknown Photographer, Congress “Art and Its Cultural Context”, La Cambre, Brussels. July 1973. Fig. 8 A&L (1977) Ils Donnent Leur Sang; Donnez votre Travail (236 x 474cm) Private Collection, Paris (reproduced in Harrison, 2001: 158). Fig. 9 A&L (1975) Des Warren is Political Prisoner. Exhibition Leaflet, MOMA Oxford. Fig. 10 A&L (1976) SCHOOL Poster (letterpress on newsprint) Fig. 11 SCHOOL Press (1976) SCHOOL Poster (letterpress on newsprint) Fig. 12 A&L (1975) SCHOOL Poster Fig. 13 Mel Ramsden (1979) Front Cover of Issue 3 Fig. 14 ISSUE Group (1977) BA Means Goodbye, photograph of degree show, Studio International, 1977 Fig. 15 Unknown Artist, (1977) Illustration for Issue 3 Fig. 16 Edwin Pouncey (1976) Illustration for Ostrich 2 Fig. 17 Wayne Minter & John Dennis (1976) Ostrich 2, p.11 Fig. 18 David Rushton (1978) Cover of The Politics of Art Education Fig. 19 Steve Lawton (1979) Cover of Noises Within… 6 Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisors Judith Mottram and Jill Journeaux. I would also like to thank Michael Baldwin, Mel Ramsden, Terry Atkinson, Philip Pilkington, Dave Rushton, Paul Wood, Pete Smith, Paul Tate, Graham Howard, Alan Dyer, Robin Plummer, Simon Lewis, Dave Hirons, Kathy Jenkins, David Batchelor, Rob Van Beek, Mike Fyles, Mike Chilton for letting me do such long- winded interviews and for their generosity and interest. Additionally I would like to thank Ros Billingham, Janie Greville, David Osborne, Chris Smith, David Phillips and Rob Brown for their briefer or more sporadic contributions, but which added even more perspectives to the research. Without all these contributions the whole project would have spluttered to a stop very early on, and anything that is interesting or good about this thesis is heavily indebted to their insight.
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