Art Inc: American Paintings from Corporate Collections (review)

Books 167 On the history-making powers of successful dealers real or imagined, Karp says about Andy Warhol's work: 'It was good for three or fo~r years, but is diminishing.' It is a pity that Diarnondstein did not follow up on such fascinating assertions. Inside New York's Art World would best remain as a text for the public education course of the same title that Diamondstein teaches at the New School for Social Research in New York City-and it undoubtedly will. Art Inc: American Paintings from Corporate Collections. Introduction by Mitchell Douglas Kahan. Elsevier-Dutton, New York, 1979.298 pp., illus. Reviewed by Elena Canavier* At a time when corporations in the U.S.A. are being hailed as the 'new Medici', this book comes as a welcome primer for those seeking to acquire at least a nodding aquaintance with the taste of these new patrons. Ninety paintings, ranging from Hudson River school landscapes to Pop Art-and-after, culled from the collections of 30 major corporations, are reproduced in color. Biographies ofthe artists and short statements tracing the history of each participating corporation and its collection accompany the reproductions. Originally published as a catalogue for an exhibition organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in ~Iaba~a, thi~ book also contains an excellent bibliography which IS divided mto three sections: books and articles on general c?rporate support of the arts, catalogues of corporate collections , and catalogues of museum exhibitions on the theme of corporate collecting. The Introduction by Kahan traces the development of the rapprochement between business and art from its tentative beginnings at the turn of the century through the 1970s. Kahan writes with ease and lucidity on this complex subject. Although he foregoes airing any subjective views he might have on the subject of corporate patronage and maintains a coaly impersonal style, he nevertheless presents a lively text with a judicious sprinkling of specific examples and little-known facts. By selecting such stylistically diverse works Kahan seeks to make the point that there is no official or readily identifiable 'corporate art'-at least not in the better collections. The unifying factor, other than that the works are by USAmerican artists, is the quality of the art. All would be welcome in museum collections. Although most of the paintings are by well established artists (from Catlin to Warhol), the list is so comprehensive that the title of the book could well have been 'The History of American Art as Seen Through Corporate Collections'. Works by a number of younger artists, for example Tom Holland, Pat Steir and Tom Wudl, give the selection a sense of adventure and reflect the different attitudes and outlooks of corporations. The book could have been considerably improved as a source book for scholars by shortening the artists' biographies (which shed no light on the subject of corporate collections and are readily available elsewhere) and amplifying Kahan's knowledgeable , but pared down, text. Expanded information on the seminal role played in the development of corporate consciousness of the value of the arts by such pioneers as Herbert Bayer and Katherine Kuh, and more recently by the firm of Ruder and Finn, would have been an invaluable aid in understanding the recent growth in this field. Although they are mentioned in passing, the emphasis that would bring understanding of the behind-the-scenes forces at work is lacking. Though not purporting to be an exhaustive examination of the various aspects of corporate collections (the whole subject of curatorial responsibility, for example, is glossed over), it is nevertheless a valuable reference book. Not only should it be available in art libraries, but it should be required reading for corporation executive officers. The Drawings of Poussin. Anthony Blunt. Yale Univ. Press, London, 1979. 209 pp., ilIus. £18.50. Reviewed by Lionel Lambourne** *1504 Que St., NW, Washington DC 20005, U.S.A. **Dept. of Paintings. Victoria and Albert Museum. South Kensington, London SW7 2RL, England. Poussin's dra wings are not a spectacular tour de force of virtuoso draughtsmanship. They do not give up their secrets readily, nor lend themselves to presentation in the form of glossy colour reproductions. Yet, as...