The Contemporary Art Society Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 1988 The Annual General Meeting of The Contemporary Art Society will be held on Wednesday, 12 July 1989, at Christie's Education, 63b Old Brampton Road, London SW7. at 6.30pm. 1. To receive and adopt the report of the committee and the accounts for the year ended 31 December, 1988, together with the auditors' report. 2. To reappoint Nevilie Russell as auditors of the Society in accordance with section 14 of the Companies Act, 1976, and to authorise the committee to determine their remuneration for the coming year. 3. To elect to the committee the following who have been duly nominated: John Keatiey and Sebastian Walker. The retinng members are Mary Rose Beaumont and Ronnie Duncan. 4. Any other business. By order of the committee Petronilla Silver Company Secretary 1 May, 1989 Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in London No. 255486 Chanties Registration No. 208178 Cover: Painting February 1982 oil on canvas by Christopher Le Brun (purchased 1988 with a bequest from George Mitchell Esq. CBE! Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen 1988 was a busy year in the best sense, and I am happy to report that 1989 is continuing in the same vein. iancy Baifour OBE The two major events for 1988 were the Distribution Exhibition and the CAS Market. Both were very successful, and each reflects one side of the CAS's activities and personality on which we plan to build in the future. These plans for our development The Lord Croft, Edward Dawe, Caryl Hubbard CBE, are already in hand, but before commenting on them it is appropriate to report on the The Lord McAlpine of West Green, The Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover Distribution and the Market, and on the other activities of the Society during the last Pauline Vogeipoel MBE year. The triennial Distributor! Exhibition was held at the Camden Arts Centre between 20 srt Cumming Chairman (from July and 28 July 1988. There were some 171 works of fine art available for distribution to Adrian Ward-Jackson Vice-Chairman our 90 member galleries, and some 58 craft purchases. The Distribution Exhibition is in Woodhead Honorary Treasurer the only moment when all the purchases by the individual buyers can be seen Vaizey Honorary Secretary together and assessed as a whole. Hanging the exhibition so that it forms a coherent Caryl Hubbard (until July and pleasing unity is a formidable task, for each buyer is encouraged to follow his or Muriel Wilson (until July her eye and conviction without regard to a preconceived set of rules or Society Mary Rose Beaumont (until July policy; diversity is therefore one of the resulting qualities. Fortunately the galleries at Ronnie Duncan (until July the Camden Arts Centre are highly sympathetic to a show of this sort, with well lit Jeremy Rees spaces, and it is a tribute to them, and to the sensitivity and skill of Caryl Hubbard and Alan Roger Petronilla Silver that the show looked superb as a whole, and that many of the Edward Lucie-Smith individual works were allowed to speak with their best and most convincing voices. Stephen Tumim The lunch for member museum directors and curators on 19 July was fully attended, Philip Poilock and with one or two exceptions we had a very enthusiastic response from them on Tom Bendhem the range and quality of work in the exhibition, and on the artists selected by our The Marquess of Douro buyers, indeed their range of requests was as varied as the show itself. We always Sir Michael Cuime-Seymour have a fear that all the member galleries will want the same work. I am sure a Richard Morphet statistician would explain why, in practice this situation does not arise, but it is still a Rupert Gavin (from July relief to find that it does not I 75% of the member galleries received works which Penelope Govett (from July were their first or second choice. The only real disappointment was that more Christina Smith (from July members did not come to see this stimulating show; the excuse from members of the press as well as the public that the Camden Arts Centre was too difficult to get Petronilla Silver Organisinc to, or too far away was poor recompense for those who had worked so hard for the Nicola Shane Assistant Se show. The list of works presented to public galleries as a result of the Distribution appears on page 12. T, W. Paterson The 5th CAS Market was held at Smith's Galleries Covent Garden, between 9 and 12 November. First and foremost we must thank our sponsors, Sainsbury's, who for the fourth year covered the Market costs. Thank you Sainsbury's. Sincere thanks also to During the year Caryl Hubbard and Muriel Wilson retired from the committee. Robert Christina Smith who is a constant source of advice and moral support, and the Cumming became Chairman, Adrian Ward-Jackson Vice-Chairman, and Lady Vaizey hostess of the artists' lunch which is one of the rare occasions when they meet Honorary Secretary. Robert Cumming, Rupert Gavin, Penelope Govett, Christina together, and one of the best lunch parties of the year. The results of the Market Smith, and Adrian Ward-Jackson were elected to the committee. exceeded all our expectations. Works were priced between £70 and £700. In four The principal activities of the Society continued to be the promotion of contemporary days we sold 767 works for a total of £250,035 to 410 buyers. The remarkable art and the acquisition of works by living artists for presentation to public collections growth and success of the Market is shown by the following figures: 1984 — 288 in Great Britain and elsewhere. Both the level of activities and the year end financial works sold for £50,000, 1985 — 375 works sold for £80,000, 1986 — 482 works sold position were satisfactory and the committee expect that the present level of activity for £130,496, 1987 — 597 works sold for £174,120. will be sustained for the foreseeable future. However, I think it is important that the figures, impressive as they are, do not The results of the Society for the year ended 31 December, 1988 are set out in the obscure the underlying purpose and benefits of the Market. The Market has a financial statements on pages 19 to 23. commercial 'buzz' about it, and this is certainly one of its excitements. Works of art The auditors, Neville Russell, have signified their willingness to continue in office and are for sale and can be taken away there and then. There is the possibility of buying a resolution proposing their reappointment will be put to the forthcoming Annual works by artists who are well known names, and the attraction of supporting a new General Meeting. star. Every work sold puts money into the pocket of an artist, and gives implied encouragement to continue working. But there the purely commercial element ends, ROBERT CUMMING for all the 'profits' go immediately to the CAS as a charity to be spent on works of art Chairman by living artists for gift to public galleries. 1 May, 1989 Preparation for the Market now goes on in the offices almost ail the year around, but Events undertaken by the Society in 1988 are listed on page 7. 1 would like to thank there are also people who for the period of the Market abandon their lives as all the individuals and organisations who helped make these possible. In particular students, tutors, chefs, and artists to work from dawn until dusk: Clive Garland and we would like to thank Sir Eduardo Paolozzi for giving the Annual Lecture in his team of hangers, all the packing team, all those who sell with such enthusiasm, November. His title was 'Foundations of Modern Art Revisited', in this lecture Sir Nicola Clark who last year dealt with over 750 invoices. Susie Allen did sterling work Eduardo showed slides and discussed a range of images which continue to influence during the run up to the Market and must be congratulated on attracting more him as well as some of his own work including some major 'social sculpture' publicity than ever before. Thanks are also due to Petronilla and Nicola for all they put commissioned abroad and not seen before in England. into this important event, as well as for all their other contributions to the Society during the year. We have also continued our popular Courses for Collectors. There was a course of eight talks and visits on Collecting on a Budget, and another course of three talks on In last year's annua! report Caryl Hubbard said that 'many people find it hard to Abstract Art which included a memorable evening at the Mayor Rowan Gallery when believe that the Society has until very recently been run by only two full time staff. Alex Gregory-Hood gave a slide talk on his gaiiery artists. These courses were The staffing, and indeed the future direction of the CAS has been very fully debated organised by Sally Delafield Cook, and we thank her for inspiring such enthusiasm in by the Executive Committee and the Committee since last July, for both have the course participants. become urgent priorities. We were conscious that many people had only a vague idea about what the CAS was or did, and so we have restated our aims and functions As you will see from the accounts the disposable income of the Society has been in the form of a series of questions and answers.