Books in the news; Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture, 1969

Robert or I bought books in the news a quick look at newly published material and books of common interest. Your host to Robert our director for public services at the University of Illinois Library and the listeners I'm going to talk about in our catalogue for an exhibition that began in March 2nd and ended on April 6 1969 particularly since the main body of the catalog is a reproduction of the paintings and sculpture shown. But since this is radio not television I cannot be rightfully concerned about these reproductions of the 14th exhibition of contemporary painting and sculpture at the current art museum in Champaign Illinois. The show was as it always is a fascinating irritating exhibition which is exactly what the originators of the credit wanted show chosen of course to be a cross-section of American Art. Some of the names are quite big code machete Kooning a Hartigan why Anthony O'Keefe some of them quite brand new to me and others were names that I had heard of and not seen paintings going back the catalogue of the last show in 1067. I realized how much better I liked that show than this one I suspect in 1971 I should return to 1969 to have the same feelings. I can only

reluctantly suspect that I am there for about two years behind in my thinking about art which is my purpose here today is to discuss this not the show but rather the catalogue itself which is called contemporary American painting and sculpture. 1069 published by the University of Illinois press two major reasons why I want to run this catalog of your attention. First because of the interesting introduction by Jean Ellen Weller of the College of Fine Arts here at all I was joined this year by Joseph James R. Shipley of the department of art. Second because the printed catalogue as a work of art in itself which is the catalogue is available from the press or from any self-respecting library will have the whole series of catalogs. I'm not going to delve deeply into the introduction which is after all a summation of the show and what the show reveals about American art. Let me merely say that doing well in Mr. Shipley note that this year there seem to be three major types of artist represented. First the self-expression is to react to life experiences in a highly individualistic manner. Second the artist who reacts with a certain personality but who uses traditional techniques and third the artist who reacts not only impersonal way but emptiness emphasizes the technological

aspects of art. Taking the last of these artist or as an example the authors note that relevance may be achieved through contemporary technological means by using acrylics polyester poxy vinyl stocking metal forms electronic lights and computers. The new artist has developed a language which breaks through the immediate past. They continue we may not agree that a group of neon tubes flashing on and off is art in any historic sense but no one argues that such examples are not of our time and this to some is the important point. I want to make one point here and just to show that my remarks are not favorable because of course it wouldn't be real. The authors mention that all of this and that which is to say that all of their previous discussion of how the show reflects what the new artist is doing art points out the fact that there is a certain kind of honesty about the work of the strongest young artist which is a different quality from the aesthetic honesty of the past. I have no time to argue this fine point of a study which is a statement so they could assess my teeth on edge. Exactly the kind of statement which artist used to write about themselves in earlier catalogs which

fortunately has largely been eliminated this year. Otherwise this introduction to catalogs a clear well stated some ation of the new artist represented in the show with the credit. My second reason is for recommending it for recommend his book is that it is a superb piece of contemporary book making one Franklin completely chauvinist about the most most publications and the worst of it when I press this catalogue for 969 is among the best of the series that they have published more elaborate and incorporating dramatic ideas such as the chipped in sheets of colored paper dividing the sections of the catalogue the press has always been fond of the double title pages or perhaps less so in recent years for this year. The title page is a single one simple with Britain information enclosed with concentric rings of green gray black and white on white All of which is reflected in the opposing tipping sheet of aluminum foil. Another shoe to foil has a printed design on it. And later there's a thin metal colored sheet to shew thin to offset I suppose the havingness of the foil. The end papers are solid black. The hardcover version has the same concentric circles and different colors on black and the book stands on