ART CHRONICLE
with its lofty ideas and noble images." Although Mr. Kemenov does
not name a single Soviet painter or sculptor, he also writes: "Young
Soviet art has already created works of world-wide significance. . . .
Soviet art is advancing along the true path indicated by the genius of
Stalin." Since it would
be
hard to say that Mr. Kemenov is irresponsible,
we have to conclude that he, too, is irrelevant.
The truly new horror of our times is not, perhaps, totalitarianism as
such, but the vulgarity it is able to install in places of power-the of–
ficial vulgarity, the certified vulgarity:
"From low to high doth dissolution climb,
And sink from high to low.... "
Clement Greenberg
579
