Evening star., 1960-01-10
REPORT ON The GUGGENHEM
An Art Gallery Puts Out the S.R.O. Sian

But the Director Is q bit skep-
tical Of this since, he points out,
no one has actually been III In the
building. Some people, he sus-
poets, have received advance no:
tice Of the Guggenheim's peculiar
malady and arrive with pre-con-
ceived notions of getting dizzy.
People Adjust
Most people are not bothered
any more, he says by either the
ramp or the incline Of the pic
lures.
Other problems, however, have
not been so easily solved. The
building is noisy when crowded
since there are no interior walls
to absorb the sound. And for its
size, the museum contains COM
paratively little usable exhibition
space. Almost all of it is being
used for the present exhibit, yet
there are only 134 works on dis
play.
These works are taken from the
museums collection and repre-
sent contemporary art and its
precursors. This includes almost
all the major painters Of the
Twentieth century and a few Of
the Nineteenth.
They represent a revolution in
art as radical as the revolution
in architecture displayed by the
building. From the multi-colored
confusion Of VASTLY Kandinsky to
the exploding Eiffel Towers Of
Robert Delaunay, from Marc
ChagallS Green Violinist Tin pur-
pie clothing) to jackson Pollock's
frenzied spatterings they run the
gamut of modern artistic thought.
And the visitors reactions to
them soon separate those who
visited the museum out Of archi-
tectural curiosity from the more
art-minded.
The Variety of Art
Down below at a Jean DuBuffet
trompe roeil painting Door. With
Couch Grass" and at Alberto
Burri'S collage of scorched wood
on canvas Wood and White I"
the division became more appar-
ent. Those less experienced in art
techniques peered intently, then
put out a finger to see If the
door" was really there or II
Burri had actually pasted wood on
canvas.
That's not the real art public"
Mr.. Sweeney says, noting that
the real art public would not have
been deceived. "You can tell those
are tourists-I mean explorers"
Tourists or explorer, he is glad
to have them there. why they
come" he says, "is one thing.
What they look at is another
when go out Of my Office into
the main gallery" says the direc-
tor. Il notice that about 80 per
cent Of them are looking at the
pictures on the walls: about 20
per cent are looking at the in
terror architecture.
That's an advantage" he adds,
many Of those people have never
been exposed to that type Of
painting and sculpture before"
For, as he explains, you can't
learn to swim without getting wet.
And for many Of these people this
may be their first dip in the world
Of modern art.
Those Guggenheim visitors who
want to pursue their interest in
the museums works further by
buying reproductions of them
have to be content with black and
white copies. The director will not
permit the sale Of color reproduce
tions as he feels they are not true
enough to the original to be sold
publicly.
The museum guards think most
Of the visitors are pleased by what
they see. There may be one out
Of 5000 that says the building is
no good" said one guard. "I talk
to people from all over the world
they say it's the best in the
world"
Another was more reserved.
Some do like it," he said, some
don't"