Ice Cubism

In the 18th century painted decoration was the order of the day on everything from royal carriages to commoners' chamber pots. Has the time come to revive the tradition? Suggesting that the answer is yes, Paris' swank Galerie Charpentier last week had on display ten brand-new refrigerators decorated by ten top Paris painters. The show, called "The Nobility of the Everyday Object," was billed by Poet-Painter Jean Cocteau as "a victory over the negative style of emptiness." Said Jours de France: "The most bizarre show of the year."

Working with special cellulose paints guaranteed not to rub off or chip, Artist Bernard Buffet turned out a typical still life complete with pink fish, got an offer of 2,000,000 francs ($5,000) for it. Cocteau drew a doodle, surrounded it with blue blobs. Tube-Squirter Georges Mathieu held himself down, produced only some wispy black lines and fuchsia smears. Oldtime Surrealist Leonor Fini turned her refrigerator into a Chinese lacquer box decorated with stalking cats.

The refrigerators will travel to New York and back as a floating art show on the S.S. Liberte, then will be auctioned off for charity. Whether the culture-in-the-kitchen movement would catch on, not even the cool heads at General Motors (France)--who supplied the Frigidaires--cared to predict. Pablo Picasso had an opinion on the subject. Asked to contribute to the show, Picasso had refused. He wouldn't want to use anything but white paint on a refrigerator, he said, "so why bother?"

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