painters TUBES magazine...issue number One...“in the studio...with Ian Norris.” Our featured painter has an informal chat with the Editor. Exhibition and Book Launch at Gateway Gallery, Hale, Cheshire...Full Review. New move for the Contemporary Six Gallery in Manchester. Art Education...”what about the kids.” What age should Art be taught? Spike on Tretchikoff...Our resident culture critic has a dig at art snobs. Exclusive...Art History Editorial “Affirmation Art in a Disaffirmative Climate”
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3 TpUainteBrsE S magazine for Art, Artists and Art Galleriescontentsp4 Editors pages p29 Review Pagesthe Editor introduces hinself, and says Martin Regan, Gateway Gallery, Hale,welcome this the first issue of plugs his new book and the Gallery putspainters Tubes. And gives an opinion of on an anniversay exhibition at the samethe business side of Art in the Manchester time with the same title and the samearea of the NW of Englnd. paintings as in the book... “the Northern School- a reappraisal”p6 “in the studio with...” p36. Historical Art Essaya regular feature page of a painter that is exclusive essay in two parts...especially selected by the editorial staff - written in 2002 by (the late) Professor of#1 issue...an informal chat with Ian Norris, Art, renown author and art historian Nigela painter from Preston in Lancashire. He Whiteley phd, FRSA.talks about his work process, his life and “Affirmation art in a disaffirmative climate”future work at his new & bigger studio... Published for the first time - within an Art Magazine...a must readp17 ’Spike’ p40 “What about the kids?”our resident culture critic takes a swing atthe bias of art instutions in the past. Case Art & Education...in point - Vladimir Tretchikoff... is it time to create a state run Art school for exceptionally talented children? On-p25 Big move for Contemporary Six going series of articles on the future of aAlex Reuben of Contemporary Six up- new generation. Casepoint: Manchestersticks and moves to a cool new space in High School of ArtManchester... painters Tubes magazine produced by Studio 5 Sweden. registered office: Ekerodsvagen 253, 266 95 Munka Ljungby. +46431441050bi-Monthly publication. Available to the public free on line. Single copy or annual subscribtion available as a printed magazine. email:[email protected] ptmag- #1 - 2017- 02- 23
4 Editors pages Hello, and welcome ... ...in this first issue the focus is pointed to the North of England. It’s the ground that I know best and intrinsically. It will come as no surprise, to those who have known me as an artist over these last 30 years, that my decision to seek out editorial and interesting art stories have been sourced and found in that part of England. Over the last few decades the dominance of intellectualised art, in the UK, has resulted in a sort of renaissance in the popularity of painting in general. No doubt fuelled by social media and a public hungry for ‘understandable’ visual Art. We have also witnessed the distinct move towards owning a piece of original art rather than a reproduction of it. Without having to travel very far or wide, a quick Google and a click of the mouse, anyone can discover a multitude of very talented artists work to choose from. Denis Taylor. Artist. Editor of Painters Tubes. Photograph. ©Marianne Arnberg 2016
5way back in 1981, when I was setting up a showcase in Manchester, a wise man told me...“...customers will only like what You show them, so show more.”Today all creatives have the So it’s not that surprising that a younger generation. Ofadvantage of utilising these commercial galleries course this is all outside ofon-line software which makes tend to go for a ‘safe sell’ with the world of the Art collector,creating interactive and cool proven subjects. Things are who measures, what is termedlooking websites extremely changing as alternative spaces ‘Northern Art,’ perhaps as riskysimple. If there is one problem for art are populated by the long term financial investment.with Art on-line, it is the total artists that are unrepresented Particularly if the work is notlack of the real life experience on the high street. Which is signed by any of the acclaimedof it. This is particularly true good to see. Artists from the North.of visual Art and specifically, Hopefully these new spaces willpaintings. The full appreciation open a door or two for unknown Maybe a wider strategy mayand true value of a good artists, and the high street result in an even bigger &painting only comes from the galleries will begin to take booming creative visual artsthe interactions that the viewer notice and take a risk on some sector? Perhaps exhibiting artgets from the real thing. new contemporary subject that is still regionally aware, yet matter in due course. experimental, even risk taking,To stand in front of an original or exciting, rather than the safework of art is a totally different For now, the physical spaces traditional Northern subjectexperience than viewing it as left over from the industrial matter, is the way forward fora jpeg reproduction on screen, North are being utilised artists and galleries into middlein as much as a reproduced by these artists or groups. to early years of the 21stprint never captures the magic Affordable rents are quantified century. Let’s hope so.of an original work of art. by the physical effort the leaseholder has to put in In keeping with the words ofThe high street Galleries, at to make them presentable. advise from that wise manleast in the Manchester area, There is so much diversity and from way back in 1981.seem to promote, exhibit, or talent to choose from at the 2017 will see this magazinehold in stock, similar or more moment that the gallery single bringing you much more......accurately the same genre genre concept, to many outside we’ll be taking a look at allof art as each other. It is not of the area, are confused by it. points of the compass.uncommon to see the same And thus developing theartist with various examples The dynamic change of the editorial pages to bring theof work on the walls at almost architectural environment and reader paintings and art storiesevery one of the established the life style of people is evident from much further afield, withhigh street galleries. in the northern conurbation something new or different artTo be fair to these galleries, and this is slowly resulting in by authentic artists who areit is not easy to finance and a broader taste of the general in our opinion, exceptionallymaintain an art business today, public. As the nostalgia subject gifted in painting.let alone make a profit. quickly loses its appeal to Denis Taylor Editor.
6 in the studio with... ...Ian Norris
7“...the local train from Manchester to Preston arrived on time, it was 10.30 am and withina few minutes Ian Norris appeared in front of me. Although we had only spoken via email,Face Book profiles enable easy face recognition with real life meet ups. Ian had kindlyoffered to pick me up in what he called his mobile studio (a medium sized van).”Before too long we approached his home same wavelength, especially when ithaving first drove past a wonderful old comes to creating real Art. And so, withbuilding next to a church, which Ian had little time was wasted in ‘getting to knowpointed to the bay window on the top floor each other’ with normal polite discourseas being his ‘next’ studio. could get right down to the important stuff, which we did, even as the kettle was“It’s larger than the one I have at boiling for a welcomed cup of tea.present, that will enable me to ‘up thesize’ of canvas.” I’d noticed that Ian has a number of other artists work that he admires dotted aboutHe said in response to our tentative on the walls of his home...driving-chat about ‘size’ of workand how a larger canvas enables a “...I tend not to put my own work upgreater physical and perhaps deeper on the walls at home, just in case I’mpsychological involvement whilst painting. tempted to take them down again toThe advantage of being a painter, when change them.”interviewing another painter is that itdoesn’t take any time at all to be on the (a feeling that most panters would recognise as something that we can be tempted to do).
8 “You can destroy original vitality of a that covered the last few years of Ian’s work by post-mortem changes and work which began with maybe the record of how you were as a brave decision to give up his ‘day an artist, of when you created it.” job’ and paint on a full time basis. I said to him to justify his reasoning. A decision that his partner wasn’t He suggested we walk down the totally convinced was such a good garden path to his studio and I took my idea. “It takes courage to be an Artist”. cup of tea with me. Knowledge of that famous artist The studio is a converted out house, statement must have been forefront from a size point of view it was in mind as Ian courageously gave up reasonable. The light was good and a lucrative guaranteed income and he had organised the space efficiently pitched his lot into creating Art. into areas of working, viewing his own Thus began his own personal journey work and being able to read and seek into what may be called the “agony of answers from his large collection of Art creative enjoyment” It’s perverse how books. These covered the era of Art creating something wonderful can be, and Artists, that he much admires. at times agonising, like giving birth to I commented on the ‘tidiness’ of the a child I imagine. space to which he smiled and told me he had ‘a tidy up’ before I arrived, Ian is almost a classicist in the way he at which point we both gave a long and prepares his subject matter. knowing laugh... Study, then more study with exacting . sketches, made (usually) in charcoal. These first paragraphs set the tone for Perhaps this is his ‘getting to know the three hour interesting discussion the subject’ period in intimate detail, “the spring, the summer, the chlding autumn, the angy winter.”
9“what is the main reasonbehind the last series ofpainting?”which to me is obviously the objective.A practice that, theoretically at least,allows the painter the freedom to makesomething that goes beyond reality andenters the realm of a new vision. And bywhich transcribes the subject, inwardlyand using only pigments on a flat surface,Ian creates works of Art rather thansimple representations of an existingenvironment. (Why do that when we havesuperb digital cameras to do that job quiteadequately for us).Ian paints in oil, a choice and feels is “Never so weary, never so in woe”the medium that fully satisfies the inner‘need of the Artist’, more so than doessay acrylic or polymer paints. Perhaps it’sa fluidity or rather flexibility of the colourthat certain painters prefer oil over othermediums, it is certainly takes far moretime to fully master (and dry) than acrylicsor polymers.A mastery of oil paint that Ian’s workshows he has in abundance.Ian has worked diligently to becomea painter of note and that combinedwith his natural talent has gainedrecognition from organisations such asthe Manchester Art Academy. He alsore-educated himself in formal art andgained a degree from University. Evenso, he is grounded enough to understandthat institutionalised recognition and ArtDegree’s do not make one a great painteror indeed are even necessary to becomeone. It’s the work that counts and thepainters own personal measurement ofa paintings visual success that mattersmost.Like many of the excellent artists, ones “Why do they run away, this is a knavery of themthat I know or have met in the past, Ian to make me afeard”is his own most vocal, visceral and artcritic, which is why I think his work is sointeresting and authentic.It’s a critical state of mind that becomesclearer to understand in one a particularseries of work, a series we talked about insome detail and for quite some time.
10 “through the house give gathering light, by the dead and drowsy fire.”Not only of the work itself but what lay The shock took the form of a diagnosisbehind them in their conception. of an illness that came from nowhere.Initially, the prologue to these particular It involved a procedure or a program ofpaintings were other banks of work that treatment that leaves a person in statewas exhibited at the Castlegate House of unbalance both psychologically andGallery in Cumbria, “Tracing the Derwent.” physically. And it was a treatment thatwas one series. This was his second solo would take time to become successful.show, at that gallery that sold out. The As is so often in circumstances like this,subject matter was landscape. And, even Artists tends to retreat into themselves andafter many hundreds of years, landscapes try desperately to alleviate their mentalare still the most bought paintings by the stress through their Art.art loving public. So it’s not a complete It’s a sort of self-help treatment, onesurprise why Ian’s wonderfully rendered which only recently is being recognisedauthentic canvas’s of landscapes were by medical experts as a sure fire way toso quickly snapped up by the Galleries help people deal with dramatic healthclient list of art collectors. The Gallery did problems. And having gone through aa great job of both the catalogue and the similar life changing circumstance myself,marketing of those particular exhibitions, I understood Ian’s position, his reaction toprobably knowing that the ‘nature’ series it and the triumph of overcoming it.of work was collectable and therefore verysellable. Ian created a series of paintings that would, in some way, bring him from theIt was after the ‘sold-out-shows’ that Ian brink of sort of self-reproachment, evenexperienced a shock related to his health. though he knew he was blameless. And
11so he relied on one of the giants of Shakespeare, certainly not as much asliterature, William Shakespeare that obviously the Artist did. Even though itgave him solace. He took the story of was the 400th year anniversary of the‘a Midsummers Night Dream’ which bard during the exhibition, Ian still felthad stayed in his mind since watching a the show fell flat despite the efforts ofperformance of the stage drama of many himself [and the Gallery] had put into it.years ago. He chose certain parts of theplay to set down in oil on canvas, his own Most likely the artists intimatevision of what the words represented. reasonsing at the time for doingIt could be that particular drama these works were not fully shared norhighlights for us ordinary mortals, that, understood. Having created works“real life really is but a dream”. Perhaps on similiar very personal lines, I canIan saw in it the escape from reality, or at sympathise with Ian and perhapsleast a deflection, that he sorely needed suggest to him that ‘painters important’at that time? Whatever the reasoning, works like these, are not always met withthe paintings were important to him and an immediate positive public outcome.probably more important than any he hadever created previously. More often than not, meditative art takes time to ferment and grow in the eyesThese works encompassed his whole and the hearts of the viewer of it. It’sbeing at a time when he must have a steady pace which our high speedfelt that fate had dealt him a cruel consumer world invariably has little timeand fatal blow. It was after the series to allow that invisible artistic quality towas completed that his personal gain a foothold. Intially the result beingdisappointment to their public showing a preference to view only the surface offollowed. Ian felt the exhibition was short the ‘image’ without the truer and deeper[on reaction] of what he had expected. It meaningful value of the art work, thatcould be that the simple answer is that resides within it to be accepted by thethe Galleries clientele did not appreciate viewer.“are you sure that we are awake. It seems to me that yet we sleep, we dream.”
12 in a way which is deliberate and stylistically recognisable, or even above: “Good Hermia, do not be so bitter purposefully over stylized. with me. I evermore did love you, Hermia.” For me the whole bank of work certainly Some of the midsummers night isn’t a failure in any dimension at all. dream paintings have now been These paintings hold a original reality, acquired by astute buyers, and they are authentic, and are something far I suspect for the very reasons more than decoration on a wall. Don’t get already stated; that it is their me wrong, decorative Art is all well and originality, authenticity and good, but great Art has sustainability far emotional content, that is beyond that of a painting that may be a appreciated, but only after a slow pleasing image. burn. And it is only then that the More than say one painted in a specific paintings connect, perhaps faster contemporary style, or perhaps even for those who know the hidden more common these days, one painted story behind them, that the work truly comes into it own. The latest studio work is a series, which for convenience sake, you could call urban. It was one of these series that I was first attracted by and gave me the impetus to want to visit Ian in his studio. Not so much for the subject itself, but the way in which it was painted. The preparation methodology of how these paintings have been created is much the same as the previous series, but here we see him pushing himself to almost carve out the very essence of an urban existence and pushing himself beyond the visual effects of multi-layered coats of oil paint. They are more aggressive, just as Cities are, compared with the imagined paradise of an untainted nature and a rural existence. Ian told me a story of how, during his preparatory sketch work, he would position himself on the roof top of a multiple storey car park and begin to capture the overall shapes and feel of the City. One particular day he was ‘scolded vehemently’ by a car park attendant who suggested ...
13 city scapes #2“You shouldn’t be up here’” [on the roof]It begs the question of ‘why not’? or “where better to view the City of Manchester?”I thumbed through his sketchbooks of this ‘urban’ series which were recognisable asManchester City centre and was privy to view some of the ‘beginnings,’ as Ian may refer tothem. He had lined them next to each other on a support bar fixed to the studio wall whichmade it interesting to see the progression of each one in turn.One bigger canvas was positioned on the easel and was perhaps the first of what youcould say was a painting that stemmed from the former smaller experiments. The heavytexture was evident as he had laid on layer upon layer of paint. In some parts the oil hadbeen scraped off and in other parts dribbles or runs of oil cascaded down the canvas.Under all that oil paint the image still remained, not hidden but absorbed by the processof the continual layers and scape off’s. I realised that I was viewing a painting that wouldprobably change considerably as Ian would relentlessly pursue obtaining a vision that fittedhis sensibilities, yet, for me I found this work perfectly finished as it was. It is a position Ihave faced many times, when someone views my work, what I would consider unfinished,others do believe is totally complete.
14 ”no one artist has successfully integrated reality and abstract into one painting.” One of the privileges of being a creator of Art, is that it is he and not others to decide when a work is finished or not.Abstract Expressionism, an artmovement now many decades old,is still practised by many painterstoday, as is impressionism, anart style older than abstractexpressionism. Some painterstoday find those two styles still suitthem well, but does holding ontoa style encourage progress aspainters? From a personal view, Ithink not.How could they when the city scapes #3possibilities (and limitations) ofboth those art styles must havesurely been fully explored by now.The work of Ian Norris shouldnot be misinterpreted as a formof abstract expressionism eventhough many, non-artists, usethat word because they lack theintimate knowledge of them thatdo paint. It’s an annoying tendencyof the self elected art experts topervert words from Art Historybooks and to label artists to justifytheir own narrative.The Story of Modern Art, the title of citcyitsycsacpaepse#s4#4a book written by the art historianNorbert Lynton (first published1980 with updated reprints in‘82,’86, ‘89, & ‘92) is one of thosebooks that artists tend to read overand over and discover, betweenthe lines, something new each timeon reading it. In this bookLynton, suggests, ina one liner, that “no one artist hassuccessful integrated reality andabstract into one painting.”but that was written in 1989.I saw that statement as challengeand I feel that same artisticchallenge is central to Ian’s work.Perhaps Ian’s ‘absorbing reality’does result in abstraction and
15 In the 21st century all art be regarded as non- regional & non-national, shouldn’t it?reality integrated onto one plane?At the very least it seems hiswork is on the way to meetingNorbert Lynton’s challenge.We discussed Lynton’s book andothers and Ian readily agrees that‘reading’ unbiased analysis ofpast Art is a definite contributorto the creation of future artworksthat are dynamic, new andsubstantial.So far Ian has explored nature, city scapes #5he has delved into combiningemotional and literature into or as being a this, or a that sort of Artist . It remains to behis work and moved on into the seen what direction Ian will take in the future. A dramaticurban City subject, a subject that change may well occur as he moves into his new space inseems, at present, to dominate that bay windowed building, the one that he pointed out tothe walls of the high streets me.commercial galleries and the And as he said, in his ‘mobile’ studio (the van), he canwebsites of independent artists now ‘increase the size of the canvas,’ because he has theand on-line art galleries alike. space that will handle them comfortably.They all come under, what some It is perhaps natural that subject, method of working andpeople refer to as, ‘Northern Art’ style or application of paint will change. Perhaps, not ator ‘Northern School’, a title that first, but slowly and surely and in Ian’s case, it will beis both contagious to an art the result of much thinking, reading and having inwardloving public and to many of frank discussions with himself, of that I am sure. It will betodays artists, contentious, if not interesting to witness as 2017 rolls by as to exactly whatvacuous and despised. those possible changes will be visualized like. Perhaps it would be a good idea for me to go back to his home townIn the 21st century shouldn’t all in a year or so and partake in another cup of tea?art be regarded as non-regional & I do hope I have the opportunity to do exactly that.non-national?Above all, Art should not be Denis Taylor was in the studio with...given any form of label, which Ian Norris, Preston Studio (16th November 2016).narrows its audience down to aspecific type of person, but ratherbe variable and choose subjectmatters for the many tastes.Art cannot be created as if it werea can of tomato soup, same,same, but in 57 different flavours.But hey, that’s a whole differentartists debate, one that I am suremy fellow artists will present inconvincing and separate logicalarguments, both for and againstthe idea of labelling paintings orartists as a member of a school
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17in this issue ‘Spike’ ourresident culture critic,is talking about the mostdetested (and the wealthiest)painter of the 20th Century.The one and only, theincredible Mr Tretchikoff... a painter, who was attacked, derided and admonished for most of his life. An artist who proved them all wrong right up to his death at 92 years old. It’s an odd thing that when the art critics decide to rubbish an artist, they really do go for the throat. Like a pack of dogs hunting a fox. Egged on by their own superiority complex and the metaphorical whistles of their masters, the art institutions. In this particular case the Fox fooled them completely by his mastery and knowing the complex map of humanity. And he was cock sure what direction he should take. Meanwhile the dogs followed the well trodden road marked by the artistic sign posts on a path of a self proclaimed superior cultural knowledge. The Artist in question is Vladimir Tretchikoff and you will be forgiven for not knowing his name, but perhaps you will know of one of his paintings the Green Lady, also known as the Chinese Girl. This painting hypereal, (almost surreal) portrait was the highest selling reproduction in the world, bar none and the most hated by the art elite’s and art critics alike. If not now, then most certainly from 1953 to the early 1980’s. I am getting a clear vision of a bunch of culture journalists, huddled in a dark corner of a pub in Islington (London), groaning over the fact that the original ‘Green Lady’ just sold to a South African art collector for closing in on a million quid.
18 “Chinese Girl” 1951 Tretchikoff once said that the only thing different between him and Vincent Van Gogh, was that... “..he was poor, and I am rich.”
19The artist once said the only thing differentbetween him and Vincent van Gogh was thatVincent was poor and he was rich.A statement that did nothing to endear him tothe Art Museums or public Art Galleries in theUK, who never bought any of his art work.His story as an Artist is perhaps unique, hisstory as a human being is certainly differentenough from the rest of us to wonder how hesurvived at all.Born in a community (sect) of spiritualchristians known as Molokans, whose mainphilosophy is best summed up by an oldproverb they abided by, “Work hard as if youwere to live forever, do good as if you wereto die tomorrow.” Conservative in outlook thereligious group frowned on drinking boozeand smoking. The crux of their faith wasthat they believed all humans were equal asbrothers and sisters through Christ. Freedomof will was of prime importance to theMolokans. Apart from the non- smoking anddrinking clauses, they don’t sound too bad abunch to me. But to the Russian authoritiestheir preaching that ‘war was a deadly sin’sort of pissed them off and the Molokans fledfrom the fighting that ensued with the Russianrevolution.They landed in Manchuria (China). Tretchikoff pictured above: Monika Pon-su-san, the modeltook his natural gift for art and used it to earn for the Chinese girl seen here in 2016 - reuniteda living, drawing cartoons for newspapers with the painting the first time since 1951.and later he gained a position as an illustratorfor an advertising agency. But it was because all images ©artbookspublishing 2013of his work for British propaganda departmentthat got him in trouble.When the Japanese Empire invadedSingapore in 1941 he was evacuated.His evacuation ship was torpedoed and sunk.He managed to survive by scrambling aboarda life raft. The raft drifted for weeks beforelanding in Java. The Japanese had by thenovertook that country too and Tretchikoffbecame a prisoner of War. His family, whohad escaped safely weeks before Vladimirhad done, presumed him dead.After he was released from the prison camp,he found himself in the safe haven of SouthAfrica and it was here that he producedportraits which, one presumes, he was prettygood at, as this became his mainstay for
20 “Balinese Girl.” -1959 “Ndebele Woman.” -1959income. With a back story like this you loathing that some of these art journalistwould of thought the Art World would must have gone through, especiallyhave opened their arms to him, as a when faced with an Art which railedsort of artistic hero. And in Cape Town, against the trend of the time. Modern,they kinda did (if no where else). His [the new art], which had by then becomefirst major exhibition was in 1948 and for accepted and which dominated thetwenty or so years his reputation as a contemporary art world was the globalfine artist grew exponentially. In the very movement ‘Pop Art’ spearheaded byearly 1960’s he had a show mounted in Andy Warhol.the shop for the well off middle class ofLondon, Harrods. This drew thousands It’s ironic that Vladimir actuallyof visitors. It was at this point the art succeeded in the early ambitions ofcritics began their attacks, calling him the Warhol to bring Art into the realm of the“master of suburban kitsch” - compared common people (and out of the handsto other verbal abuses he endured that of the elitists). Warhol failed miserablywas quite mild. with this self same appointed mission, because he allowed himself to beTretchikoff though, shrugged them all off absorbed by the ‘cool’ set of NYC andwith typical Russian bravado, an attitude the culture media of the Art Institutionsthat only a person who has experienced of Europe.encounters with the real threat of actualdeath could possibly do. “I eat critics They must have saw in Andy an answerfor breakfast,” he’d say and retaliate for their own agenda. One of creatingby pronouncing all his critics as “failed an homogenous cultural world theyartists.” controlled, in preparation perhaps for a New World Political Order.The distance of history gives us the Which, in our own century we have seenpleasure of imaging the envy and the to have totally failed (for humankind)
21“Zulu Girl.”-1959 “Miss Wong.” 1959with a dogma that has begun to “...I eat critics for breakfast. Theyunravel slowly as ordinary people have are, he said, “failed artists”woken up to the fact that they havenot benefitted from it, in fact quite the Even inside the down trodden North ofreverse has happened. England, with their vast council home estates built by enthusiastic SocialistIt was the commonality of the Chinese local politicians, were decorated proudlygirl image that cemented Tretchikoff as by the Green Lady.the world most sold and most hated of It became a sort of symbol of modernityall painters (and the richest) and global awareness of the exotic lifeof the 20th century. When he visited the outside of Great Britain.USA he mounted an exhibition to showhis stuff, he sold the Chinese girl to a The more that the ‘ordinary’ people likedprivate collector. Tretchikoff, paintings the more the ArtBeing a street wise guy he had carefully snobs hated him.taken a copy of it. It was this paintings We see a similar situation today withthat was reproduced by the millions the bizarre Turner Prize - which J.M.Wand sold in high street shop empires Turner could never win, even if he was(such as: Woolworths in the UK) for alive today. And yet it was the ‘Post-a quid a print. That green face, and Modernists’ belief in resurrecting andother Tretchikoff’s ladies would soon copying past artists work, that sort ofbe looking down on middle class gave Tretchikoff an extended artistic life.households as the backdrop to a ‘Kitsch’ had become the new cool.suburban new life of supper parties,smart functional designed furniture and all images ©artbookspublishing 2013the painted white walls of the 1950’sand all through to the 1980’s.
22 all images ©artb For example Artists such as Odd Nedrum To a lesser extent the negative attitude Art who painted, what Nedrum himself named Institutions still have to ‘natural born’ non- the ‘Kitsch’ style, has sold his paintings for art educated artists such as Tretchikoff, who astonishing amounts of money in NYC. In haven’t taken the predetermined road map of the UK the London new designer in crowd artistic qualification, are still, usually, ignored. decorated their million pound apartments These unfairly ignored artists fall into the trap, with colour prints of many of Tretchikoff’s as Tretchikoff did, of measuring their own portraits. success [as an Artist] by Money. He gained a whole new trendy fan base. The untrained naturally gifted Russian A mind set that many unscrupulous Vanity Artist from the middle of nowhere in Galleries take advantage of. Siberia, was once again, for the second Vladimir would have disapproved of the time, the King of Kings Road and London practise. I am sure and suspect his advise SW1. to many of the ‘ignored’ talented painters of Even Tretchikoff himself was completely today, would simply to say to them...don’t ask dumbfounded by his sustained popularity. for help...get working, do it yourself !
23left: photograph of: Wayne Hemmingway, a renowndesigner, reads a newspaper below the large reproduc-tion of “Lady from the Orient.” installed at his home inLondon, UK.Wayne has been a life long fan of Tretchikoff ever sincehis grandmother had a print of this artist in her home inPreston, Lancashire.bookspublishing2013 Vladimir Tretchikoff c.1913 to 2016 If you would like to discover more about the life and work of this painter then we can recommend the book: “Incredible Tretchikoff” - Life of an Artist and Adventurer. Written by Boris Gorelik and published by:www.artbookspublishing.co.uk ISBN:978-1-908970-08-4 Art Book Publishing.co.uk - ISBN 978-1-908970-08-4
24 Wright Marshall Fine Art Auctioneers Forthcoming sale Saturday 11th February 2017 Northern Art and Modern & Contemporary Art (entry deadline 16th January)L.S.Lowry RA (British, 1887-1976. ‘A country landscape Theodore Major (British 1908-1999) ‘Snow in thewith buildings’ pencil drawing. Estimate £5,000-8000 wood’ oil on canvas. £8,000 -10,000Harold Riley (British .b.1934) ‘Empire’ pastel. Brian Shields “Braaq” FBA (British 1951-1997) ‘The Boat Lake’ oilEstimate £1.500 -2,000 on board £2000 -3,000For further information contact Nick [email protected] Salesroom 01565 653284
25 photograph of Alex Reuben outside his new gallery space.©2016 Lee HarrisonAlex Reuben up sticks and moves to a cool new space in Central Manchester.....the 30 something year old, Alex Reuben, has moved to a new space from the first gallery he opened in 2010 in central Manchester...
26 ...When we dropped by to visit Alex guided him into the paths of artists who he was stressing about the road works created work that he not only admired, but outside of his new premises. The workers had proven to be winners, certainly as far were placing tracks for the expanding tram as sales were concerned. system that services central and all parts of Greater Manchester. “They think it will Rearmed and rethought the Gallery started be done in a week or two.” He said with his to become known with the buying pub- fingers crossed. Contemporary Six had its lic. The position of this first Gallery gave grand opening exhibition on the15th De- him ‘passing-traffic’ and the glass fronted cember 2016. The proud owner of the new double windows provided an enticement space explained that the reason for the for the passers by to walk in. Alex also move was partly due to the success that made a point of understanding his artists he had experienced at his former space in depth, by having regular social meetings (the parade between Cross Street and St and being sympathetic to the ‘production’ Annes Square) had given him the encour- rate of quality work rather than pressing agement to spread his wings, metaphori- them for paintings in quantity. cally speaking. A mistake many Galleries in the past, have been very guilty of. “I still think of myself as a sort of a newbie as a gallerist..” It was with this balanced approach that he began planning his next big move, which Alex said, in his typical modest manner, became a reality this year. but make no mistake, he is fully aware of what is what, in the very small world of the Manchester contemporary commercial gallery scene. He was educated at Handsworth School (in the midlands) and went on to achieve a BA degree at Leeds Metro University. He then worked for Moss Bros for a couple of years and saved every penny he could to realise his dream of opening his very own Art Gallery, which he did in 2010. His other ambition, as a Artist himself, took second place to showing other artists work. He discovered that he had not only a gift for doing precisiely that, but also loved doing it. His first shot at being a modern gallerist however, fell a little flat. “I showed more advanced art, from all over Europe, and it didn’t go down too well with the visitors who came into the Gallery.” He was wise enough to seek words of Alex inside the new gallery. advise from two of the legendary Gallery Photograph: ©painterstubes 11/2016 owners in the North of England, (Wendy Levy of Levy Gallery in Didsbury and Dave Gunning of Todmorden Gallery). Both of whom were more than happy to provide him with pearls of wisdom and maybe
The new Gallery is represents 27the continuing story of success photograph of the opening night, ©2016 Lee Harrison photos.for Alex. He told us of his plan touse the ‘extra’ space downstairsin the cellar after he had com-pleted theextensive make over for ‘specialexhibitions. We visited the gal-lery when it was partly finished.This is specifically for specialexhibitions. It would be a re-freshing change to see somestrong contemporary work, beit figurative or abstract. Workwhich would reflect the dynamicforce that is showing the seismicchanges from a dour industriallandscapes and decaying ar-chitecture of the 20th centuryto the new exiciting structuresthat are sprouting up all over theCity, not to mention the culturalchange and sophistication of theinhabitants. photograph of the opening night, ©2016 Lee Harrison photos.
28 Alex with a client at the opening exhibition.Photo ©2016 Lee Harrison Photography For now, Alex Reuben and Contemporary Six Gallery seem destined to become one of the leading Art venues in Manchester. And from what we hear through the grapevine, the opening exhibition of the 15th December, was a great success and even the Lord Mayor of Manchester turned up in support to wish the business all the best for 2017.....Andy Burnham take please take note. Contemporary Six Gallery, 37 Princess Street, Manchester. www.contemporaysix.co.uk email: [email protected] telephone +44 (0)161 835 2666
29 New Exhibition & Book Review Gateway Hale, Cheshire, 17th November 2016“the Northern School a reappraisal”
30The anniversary of the opening of Gateway Martin, who at 54, is also well versed in theGallery in Hale, Cheshire, was celebrated with publishing business, not only from his timea large Exhibition entitled “the Northern School when he was a founder Director of the Excela re-appraisal” - The show took the name Publishing Company in Manchester, but hefor the launch of the book, written by Martin also keeps his finger on the cultural pulse withRegan, a Director of the Gallery. the Cheshire Today magazine which he is theMartin is responsible for choosing and advising Director and Editor for. He originally openedon the style of Art shown with his co-Director a private Art Gallery, with the same nameSusan Eyres, looking after the running of the (Gateway), in Macclesfield in 2011.Gallery and handling adminstration. Both have It was here he exhibited a variety of work thata passion for Art and both have been avid col- he had collected over a period of time, mostlylectors of paintings, generally inspired from the by well known artists, like Peter HowsonNorthern art genre. The Gallery premises is agood space which has two floors, whilst the topfloor is not perfect for showing perhaps largerpaintings, it is utilised for ‘special’ shows whichare mounted regularly for the new intake ofgallery artists giving them a solo exhibition.It’s a well appointed modern gallery and as you above: Sue Eyres in the gallery admiring the work ofwould expect from experienced Theordore Major. painting entitled: “the kebs”.entrepreneurs, the gallery is professional in itsoutlook. It prides itself on giving Art collectorshonest and up to date information on invest-ments in the Galleries chosen genre of Art.Although they also keep one eye open for newwork that they feel is in keeping with their ownprofile. Susan Eyres is a delightful person, whoreally feels for art in a genuine and sincere way. photo:©painterstubes
31for example and then introduced new localartists, with the likes of Ben Kelly and DeanEntwistle.As you might anticipate from theintroduction of the Directors above, the exhi-bition was curated as a mixture of art gleanedfrom the Directors private collection and theGalleries stable of Artists. In the mix wereworks selected from Valette, Theodore Ma-jor, W.R.Turner and living established artist,(Geoffrey Key and Steve Capper).I was very pleased to have had theopportunity to engage with a quick chat withthe latter, as they both attended the sameart school as myself. Although our conversa-tion was more about the personality of the “pennie road.” ©stevecapperheadmaster and some of the teachers at theschool, than it was about the Art on that wasbeing exhibited.Many of the (younger) artists who’s work “guitarists with Arches.” ©geoffreykeywere on show in the gallery were stylistically,an eclectic mix too. A few stood out from therest, Steve Bewsher was one painter who’swork is based on the currently ‘ubiquitousviews’ of the changing urban landscape inManchester. Although I felt he could wellcreate some really interesting contemporaryabstraction paintings in the future.I was also intrigued by some naive, semi-abstracted canvas’s by Ben Kelly. “Rubble with Visqueen”©stevebewsher
32 And of course I took full advantage of being able to get really close (within 6mm) to one or two paintings by Theodore Major, in the hope of examining his brush work, was a rare chance to ‘feel’ how Major worked and in detail. Steve Capper, with his unmistakeable style, had a few larger works up on the wall as did Geoff Key, who’s examples of work seems to be in every single gallery in the North West of England at the moment. Another unfamiliar artist to me, who’s work was dotted around the gallery, was Helen Clapcott. She paints in muted hues, bordering on mono-coloured, mainly with detailed compositions of terraced houses or industrial buildings. And who is no doubt one of Martin’s favourite painters, as one of her works was chosen as the front cover and featured many full pages of her work in his book. The show was very well attended, this how- “doing deals (Spinnigfields)” ©BenKelly ever, rarely gives space for viewing art, most opening nights in private galleries are like that. They are not about looking at the work on show per se. Generally, it’s about meet- ing the artists or enjoying a glass (or three) of wine and snacking on the goodies. Which in this case, were quite wonderfully served and prepared by Susan Eyres sister and her crew. (btw, the mini Bakalava’s were deli- cious). Of course this opening was slightly different to normal art exhibitions, as it was clear that the evening was all about the launch of Martin Regan’s book. I had placed an advanced order for a copy of it, which Susan had reserved for me. Although to be honest there was more than enough of them for the exhibitions visitors to go around, so I needn’t have worried. All in all, it was a very good exhibition, yet Gateway Gallery 116 Ashley Road, Hale. when a Gallery does try and mix the dead +44 (0) 161 928 7884. with iving (artists), there is always something www.gateway-gallery.co.uk in the air, something for me that is inexplica- bly saddening - for the want of another more suitable description of it. Perhaps you could call it an invisible melancholy that overcomes me. That’s the trouble with Artists - many are not only temperamental, but sentimental, simultaneously - well, some of us are.
33Book Review the Northern School - A Reappraisal by Martin Regan Published by Gateway Gallery Hale. 195 pages with 131 colour illustrations /photographs - 90 being full pages book size: 17cm x 23cm Martin Regan, known for his lively polemic style of debate in the small world of the contemporary art community in the greater Manchester area, passionately attempts to tackle a new appraisal of what many call ‘the Northern School’ and to what many others prefer to use the generic tag, of Northern Art -
34 “I’m an Artist, that just Many international minded artists arehappens to live and paint bewilded by the fact that Art labels for contemporary art still exist in the 21st century, in the North” but it’s not that surprising in the North of England. Especially when one considers thatL.S.lowry painted by W. R.Turner the business side of the commercial galleries©privatecollection depend on a ‘special’ status for painters from the North of England, ones that is bestowed on by Gallerists. Perhaps this is to convey this ‘specialness’ to a wider public? Maybe it’s also to encourage art collectors to believe in a long term advantage in owning a painting by one or more of the artists that are seemingly grouped randomly within this ‘school’ or genre? Qualification for membership of being given this label that many artists neither seek, nor want any association with (from brief discussions the reviewer has had with a few artists currently working in the area today), “typically they’ll say...”I’m an Artist that just happens to live and paint in the North” However, Martin Regan seems incredibly passionate about ‘Northern’ art - especially his hero, L.S Lowry, whom he always refers to as ‘the great Man’ - And which may give the impression, that his opinion on Art could almost border on Northern Art myopia. One which may well override any wider discussion about Art that one could hold with him on a wider platform. Yet the dubious subject of ‘questioning’ the historical existence of a Northern School of Artists today. or at all, he questions himself in the introduction. Of course this is not the first, nor probably will it be the last, that goes out of its way to promote or highlight ‘Northern Art’ and ‘Northern Artists’. Another Gallery, literally a stones throw away from the authors own Gallery, has also recently sponsored an artist and writer (Peter Davies) to ‘re-write’ a book on Northern Art, from one that was first published and written by him in 1989. This new version is entitled ‘Northern Art Revisited’ and is also published by Clark Art Limited. ‘the Norther School - a reappraisal- the author says, attempts to fill the gaps that, that book and other books on the same subject have missed out on.
35To fans of the Northern Art scene, Martin help to create new and different work. IRegan’s book has been long in the waiting for. began to ask myself if this book, or indeedThe author spells out in the ackowledgements the Peter Davies ‘revisited’ book, could everpage how, five years of numerous false starts, be put alongside others on my prized artcontributed to his lapse of completing it. And book shelf.one can understand that delay. Taking on If there was one thing against that positioninga subject matter like this relies heavily on it was the over riding feeling that both theseones own opinions and maybe even personal books are part of an overall marketingexperiences. Experience that can be then strategy of the respective galleries whowoven around historical facts in justification of published them. A cynical viewpoint maybe,those opinions, which a tricky but one reinforced by the frequent quotingtask to say the least. of names of Artists that the galleries alreadyThe history part of that conundrum is handled have in their stable. It was this re-occurringdiligently by the author in three general thought that made this book hard to enjoychapters (Valette and the Post Impressionists, and a bit of a slog to read. Because once youSickert and the Expressionists, St Ives and identify that undercurrentthe North) and four specific chapters of named as a possible reason for the books creation,artists. (Edgar Rowley Smart, Harry Rutherford, it’s difficult to dismiss it as unfounded, theTheodore Major and William Ralph Turner). further you read. Overall, I believe the author has workedIt was in those chapters that I started to feel hard to realise this book. It’s a fact thatdistinctly uneasy about the tone of the book. writing any book on Art is extremely difficultThe author highlights personality flaws in Major and something of a personal challenge.and Turner without any mention of the human It is fraught with the danger of subjectivepersonality flaws that L.S. Lowry undoubtably judgement and populated by barriers tohad. It’s as if the author wants to elevate his overcome concerning fighting yourself to‘hero’ above all ‘others’ - Yet, there are people be as unbiased as you can. And to keep anwho hold the opinion, that these two artists open mind on other artists work.(Major and W.R.Turner) are just as ‘important’ Art that one may not personally thinkif not, indeed more progressive artists, than are either viable or contributory to theLowry ever was. A subjective opinion perhaps, contemporary art world, or even in sympathythat once again raises it’s head in the ‘who with the kaleidoscope of current taste. It iswas the better artist’ debate of which there are also difficult to overcome pushing preferredseveral reasonable and well formed arguments artists work, that is if you set out to writefor and against all three of them. Alas that a comprehensive cover of any specificdiscussion is not to be found in this book as it movement or genre of Art, and keep theis more of one man documentary than it is to reader engaged. - the Northern School - astimulate any group discussion. reappraisal - falls somewhere between ‘the twixt and the twain’ of that description. AtWhich brings me onto the reasoning for art around twenty quid per copy, it remainsbooks and their publication. I’m not unlike many incumbent on the individual reader toindependent painters, that have a library of art make the decision wether or not the authorbooks. It’s as you grow as a person and as an has actually succeeded with an unbiasedartist, that you do tend to read and absorb a reappraisal of this over talked-about 20thwhole variety of authors viewpoints who have century genre of painting.written about art and artists, some books aboutartists work that are not really favoured or “the Norther School- A reappraisal”even liked. It is one way ‘painters’ can inwardly by Martin Reganchange and discover the underlying processof their own artistic thinking and consequently available from Gateway Gallery, Amazon & the book shop at the Lowry Centre, Salford.
36 Published for the first time in an art magazine, painters Tubes Magazine is delighted to bring you a fascinating essay about Contemporary Art as it appeared at the turn of the millennium. Written by the late renown art professor and author, Nigel Whiteley for the Heart 2 Art Exhibition in Stockholm (2002). The essay is published in two partsPart OneThe mass media thrive on spectacle types of art which may be termed either and controversy; artists create art disaffirmative or affirmative. with those characteristics; the mediareports it. At times it seems as if the more By disaffirmative, I mean work thatthat artists coolly deny responsibility for undercuts and undermines any notions ofany content that involves rigour or talent, pleasure, enjoyment, aesthetic emotion,or clear moral position, or humanist spirituality or feeling of communion orconcern beyond the narcissistic self, or community. Disaffirmative artists want toany visual quality or interest, the more scupper your belief, spoil your enjoyment,the work is hailed as ‘creative’ ‘thought- shatter your dreams or sabotage yourprovoking’ ‘subversive’ or, most ironically illusions. In this article, I want to exploreof all, ‘intelligent’. some of the underlying disaffirmative assumptions about dominant contemporary What is at stake here is not one style or art, then show that fundamentalanother, one passing fashion as opposed alternatives, epitomized by the affirmativeto a self-congratulatory fad, but a whole thinking is not anachronistic or irrelevant tosystem of values about art, a whole set of society today, but deeply, indeed, urgentlybeliefs. Broadly, I am thinking in terms of necessary.
37To give an idea about what I mean by it, I feel a lot more comfortable if I can make itcontemporary disaffirmative art, I’ll focus and sort of unmake it at the same time. Thison the rising British star, short-listed for the presumably explains the inspiration behindTurner Prize, Martin Creed. The inaugural Work no.88 which consists of a sheet of A4exhibition of the revamped Tate Britain in 2000 paper crumpled into a ball, and exhibited, andwas entitled Intelligence and it featured ‘New a small blob of Blutak placed in the middle of aBritish Art’, including some pieces by Creed gallery wall.such as Work no.74: as many 1” squaresas are necessary cut from 1” masking tape The notion that art in general and the artist’sand piled up, adhesive side down, to form work in particular ‘has no impact whatsoevera 1” cubic stack (1992). Creed’s title was on the world’, or that the artists are sodescriptive of what the viewer encountered, a uncertain about their work that they feel moreone-inch cube comprising layer upon layer of comfortable negating it, is a deeply depressingmasking tape. Another Creed piece was Work one. It may, of course, be intended ironicallyno.220: DON’T WORRY (1992) in which neon like so much art nowadays. More likely it iswriting announcing that cliché turned on/off having it both ways – denying the sense ofevery second or so. The catalogue explained responsibility that comes with optimism; buthow ‘The calming influence of this oft-repeated soaking up any applause or controversy thatphrase is undermined by the fact that every comes from media coverage or public interest.other second the neon lights go off. Such For example, in a brochure that has arrivedwords of reassurance are often used when we as I am writing this, an announcement for afeel most anxious. Seen in the context of the lecture by Creed at the Tate describes howgallery, they suggest the kind of utopian role he is ‘known for the rigour and purity of histhat artists might wish for, while puncturing work which often pushes the boundaries ofany such ambition.’ A further example is Work Conceptual Art to their limits..’ This seemsno.143 (1996), a neon banner of text across a bold claim for the self-indulgent and tritethe pediment of the Tate, proclaiming ‘the gestures I have outlined above.whole world + the work = the whole world.’ What is the relationship of Creed’s type ofAgain, the catalogue explains that, ‘Reading work to Heart2Art? The answer: very little,like a mission statement or artist’s manifesto, but a lot. Very little in that the concerns ofthis dictum suggests that the work of art, and artists in this exhibition, and their vehicles forCreed’s work in particular, has no impact expressing them, bear almost no relationshipwhatsoever on the world.’ Creed himself to ‘New British Art’ or ‘New Swedish Art’,states that ‘I find it a lot easier if [the art] or new art from the majority of countriesnegates itself at the same time as pushing dominated by the values of ‘global media art’.itself forward. Given that I don’t feel sure about A lot, in that an exhibition like IntelligenceMona Sahlin of the Swedish Governments Estonian Trust Fundopened the ‘invitation only preview’ of the exhibitionon the 11th January 2002
38 is representative of many of the things that bourgeois ‘art lovers’, while the ‘ready-mades’ artists in Heart2Art decry as a selling short such as Fountain (1917) – a urinal placed in a of the possibilities of art; even a denial of gallery – may also enrage but more effectively the probability of art as an affirmative and raise questions about the institutions of art, the optimistic force in life. Of course, it is easy to nature of creativity, fetishism of uniqueness misrepresent artworks as well as intentions, and the very role and function of art. by being highly selective, and by disguising prejudice as argument. I am willing to be Duchamp declared that he was seeking to convinced otherwise about the work of Creed, avoid as much as possible ‘“pleasing” and but that is not really the point. The point is “attractive”’ attributes because he ‘wanted that his work is typical of a lot of art you find in to put art once more again at the service of major galleries and it is broadly representative the mind.’ His reputation gained ascendancy of a value system that frequently dominates in the 1960s when Conceptual Art shifted what is perceived to be important and art away from a concern with the visual, interesting in contemporary practice. Seldom toward the philosophical, often using text does that value system get seen for what it directly to interrogate the viewer about her is a particular, optional set of assumptions or his assumptions. Artists such as Joseph which are themselves open to question and Kosuth exhibited textual definitions in scrutiny; more often the values are assumed place of paintings, confounding our normal to be inevitable, and thus beyond challenge, expectations. John Baldessari parodied especially given the (media) conditions of the Greenbergian ideals about essential formal post-modern age. properties and flatness by exhibiting a canvas on which was painted the sentence The values of this type of art derive from ‘A Work With Only One Property’ (1966-68). Marcel Duchamp, the high priest of subversive Baldessari was more uncompromisingly art. However much the complexities of disaffirmative in a work of 1972 in which he Duchamp’s gestures and practices have been arranged for students to write repeatedly “I reduced to a simplistic attitude of negation by will not make any more boring art” on the recent generations of artists and writers, the walls of a gallery. Conceptual artists used idea that art should be disaffirmative can be disaffirmative strategies to try mortally to traced back to that highly influential artist. Why wound art. was Duchamp disaffirmative? The moustache drawn on the Mona Lisa and entitled Conceptual Art had a major influence on a L.H.O.O.Q (1919) was calculated to outrage generation of students in the late 1960s and Nigel Whiteley with Marianne Arnberg discussing a painting by Astri Edith Rygh.
1970s, a generation that was ‘politicized’ 39by the anti-Vietnam War protests andthe ferment around the upheavals of above: Denis Taylor with Nigel Whiteley at the1968. Cultural radicalism followed the “heart 2 art” exhibition, just prior to opening.political and social radicalism, andestablished itself as a central ingredient and consumer. The cultural theorist Janetin late twentieth century art. An aspect Wolff has called for a post-modern practiceof this broad tendency was summed in the visual arts, which ‘...self-consciouslyup by the British artist Terry Atkinson in deconstructs tradition, by a variety of formal1987. Atkinson had been involved with and other techniques (parody, juxtaposition, re-the Conceptual group ‘Art & Language’, appropriation of images, irony, repetition, and soand their thinking had led him to the on).’ Cindy Sheridan’s ‘film still’ photographsconclusion that:-“The possibility of making are examples of work which questionan affirmative culture today seems to me assumptions about narrative and personae into be... absurd”. The world’s dominant relation to gender. Her stated intention is ‘...topolitical systems are prurient, self- put the viewer on the spot and make them feelregarding and barbarously repressive. uncomfortable, perhaps in recognition of theirAny cultural work that celebrates such expectations.’ In a series of pictures based ona world - intentionally or not - that holds ‘centre-folds’, she deals with the male gaze anduncritically to the status quo of the its connotations of voyeurship and ownership.relations of production and relations The male viewer is, she writes, often a ‘violator’of distribution can be seen to have, with the photographs, ‘I’m trying to makeon rudimentary historical reflection, a someone feel bad.’carefree charlatanism or - in harsher Part Two - Affirmation Art in a Diusaffirmativejudgement - a grotesque negligence. Climate will be published March-April issue.Atkinson was not only articulating hisview, but formulating his version ofa disaffirmative art which, borrowingfrom the ideas of the art historian T.J.Clark, might make use of 14 ‘negatingpractices’ which included ‘Deliberatedisplays of painterly awkwardness...The use of degenerate or trivial“unartistic” materials... [and] The parodyof previously powerful styles.’ If hisart lacks quality (intentionally so, ofcourse), it certainly does not lack clarityof purpose, underpinned, as it is, by histotally uncompromising belief that ‘a life-affirming art is ridiculous’ because it ispart of the same values and system thatproduced Auschwitz and Hiroshima. Atkinson represents a fundamentalistposition about the need fordisaffirmation. More widespreadsince the 1980s has been art shapedby post-structuralist thinking aboutdisaffirmation.Post-structuralist artworksattempt to expose art’s assumptionsabout such things as authorship andthe selfhood of the artist, authenticityand originality, gender and race, andthe relationship between the producer
40 “what about the kids?” There is a belief that: “You cannot teach anyone to become an artist.” And there is a great deal of substance to that view, that is if you believe Artists are born and not made. This debate has gone on for many decades if not centuries, but perhaps none more so than from the middle of the 20th century to present day. In many ways. the valid point, that every single human on the planet is an Artist. It’s is an argument that many Artists make often, and it is one that the Editor of this magazine has firmly believed in before today. Obviously the criteria for natural or made artists has opposite opinions and is centred on that ‘old bone’ we all chew over now then, i.e. “What is Art.” - Intellectual theories and academic definitions don’t really clarify the debate on that particular piece of well chewed bone, and it probably never will. Today, it seems that he only real option left open to us is to simply to say “everything is Art.” Or “as long as the object is shown in an Art Gallery, then it must be Art”, by the very fact that it is in a Gallery. This neo-liberal viewpoint has perhaps led to an Art that is more open, free and diverse, some people have said, although many will totally disagree.We live in a world today that is constantly updating itself on social media, especially on ‘likes’, but rarely on their ‘dislikes,’ as far as Art is concerned. Some see this as a way to encourage, rather than discourage any person who throws their lot into creating Art Personally, and as an painter, I do agree with that position, but I can add that, pointed criticism can be delivered in a strong yet positive way and not necessarily with negative criticism.
41“all my own work”What’s all that to do with Education and Art? probably everything. It’sclear that an academic dogma of what Art is and what Art is not,has pervaded in the UK’s Universities and Art colleges, if not now,then certainly over the last 30 years or so. For example, ‘painting’ hasnot only been taken off most of the University curriculums, but they haveactively discouraged students to submit paintings within their portfoliosfor consideration for a degree. Indeed, I have been told by at least oneparent (confidentially), that a professor told their child, categorically, thatby including ‘painting’ in their final year assessment portfolio, would leadto automatic failure. There may well be a change in that ‘unofficial’ academic policy soon, for it is clear that ‘commercial interests’ have realized that paintings are far better suited, as far as turnover and regular profit is concerned, than much of the other forms of art can generate. And like all things in this world, money always talks the loudest, unfortunateley. Case in Point: 1947/9 to 1984. Manchester High School of Art. Manchester UK. Here, I have to declare a conflict of interest . I went to an Art School from the age of eleven years old. And so I may be bias with my opinion in this article (I will try very hard to be even minded). However,I am hoping many other voices will present themselves to contribute to this series to either substantiate my thoughts or provide arguments that are diametrical in opposition to them.photograph: Freddie Taylor, aged 7 years old, first orginal painting ©studio5sweden 2016
42 Children that demonstrated more than the normal ‘interest’ in creating art, ones that continued to do so, on a year by year basis, from their first days at elementary school, was the basis for the creation of a specialised secondary school. This school (one of the few in the UK) was made into a sort of experiment by post world war two Governments. Perhaps it was the need to nurture the natural talent of children that would become a sort of creative backbone for the needs of a society that was rebuilding after the second world war that was the main motivation behind the concept of Art Schools for the very young.. A society that required designers and innovators in industries such as product manufacturers, textiles, construction and numerous new creative industries like advertising and marketing. The essential concept was to take selected children from various social, ethnic, religious and economic (classes) and provide a curriculum that was slowly graduated from the normal academic teaching (the 3 ‘R’s) to have a bias on creative skills as the child progressed through the School. The idea for the autonomous state funded MSoA the Manchester High School of sprang from the Manchester Art College who had, Art, Cheetham Hill, Manchester. maybe by foresight, created a junior department In the background the tower of around 1947. The first location being Byrom Street Strangeways Prison. in the City centre. By 1950 the junior school was renamed as the Manchester High School of Art with an open (curriculum) mandate issued to it’s first (and only) headmaster, Earnest. A. Goodman (OBE). 1955 saw the introduction of what is now the infamous, ‘eleven plus’ examination, which graded children in three main categories - Secondary, High and Grammar levels. The Secondary school level could well be seen as a ‘factory-labour’ supply chain, the High School stream, as middle management providers and the Grammar School stream as the management and industry leaders and decision makers. A system that clung onto the Victoria values of ‘class’ and ‘social status’ that ‘controlled’ how society functioned in the UK from the 1800’s and had proved itself (Governments and the ruling class) to be successful. The MSoA was graded as a High School because there wasn’t really an actual yard stick to measure how it would perform. The middle grade option, must have seemed a reasonable fair bet at the time. The School was
43 relocated to it’s own premises in a former Magistrates administration building opposite the City’s main prison, Strangeways, in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, a stones throw from the city Centre. The centralisation of location was important as the prospective pupils would be gleaned from all the extended Manchester City council borders that was within reach of the public transport system. Pupils were chosen, or recommended by the teachers from, multi- religious, specific-religious and official Church of England state funded or private Schools. One pupil (in general) from each school from each district of Manchester was the overall modus operandi that was used. This was a difficult choice for some right and left winged thinkers at the time. They saw conflict of culture in mixed relgious schooling, not integration of cultural thinking as a threat to a future society. More so than a beneficial contribution to it. A fear that was to be proved totally unfounded throughout the course of the Schools existence. In fact, the reverse happened, as the pupils became united by the School badge of ‘Exploramus’ and as being equal and fellow artists.the Art School badge with the motto which Mr Goodman and his staff were obviously inwas the School’s founding principle. advance of 21st century thinkers of even today, who only now are re-thinking the educationThe School was finally forced to close in system in the UK. His way of thinking is one that1984 by the local Government as it was Schools should perhaps seriously ponder on.viewed as ‘elitist’ and went against the And consider what kind of Schooling is the waygeneral comprehensive education dogma forward, one which will unite and encourage aof the time. better society where all citizens see each other as equal members. The MSoA proved that having grown together from a young age, to respect each others personal choice, through Art Education. This extends into respecting a belief in one God or another or not, as may be the case. From the evidence we see, especially today, I fear that is not the position in the UK or the rest of Europe. or indeed, most parts of the Western World and beyond, more’s the pity. Perhaps Art in education should not be seen as creating Artists, but as a vital ingrediant to nuture a more balanced and even mided indiviudal, one that will contribute to enrich our and develop the whole of society. Denis Taylor. Editor.
44 magazine for Art, Artists and Galleries March-April 2017. issue #2T U Bpainters E S *ISSUE #2 March April be the first to recieve your free on line copy. www.painterstubes.com register with your name & email Art inheritance from the Industrial Revolutioninside in the studio with.... unearthing a master painter in Wales. provincial Art Galleries, making a comeback on the Street +inside part two- Affirmation in a disaffirmative climate Spike. “is it all about the money in contemporary art?”alwoanyslinfreee painters Tubes art magazinesingle printed isues and annual subscriptions available www.painterstubes.com *register for previewnote: features: issue#2 front pages can differ from those advertised painters Tubes magazine is produced by studio 5 sweden article submissions are welcomed: contact the Editor. [email protected]