The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-12
ART VS.. SKILL.
By HENRY @. TRYoN.
people,

There IS 5GOEY LoLhlA'S@A w
neople of two rival artists, whose
relative merits were disputed by
THAR several admirers. To settle
the dispute they engaged IN
friendly contest. One painted some
fruit ana placed it in window: II
was so skilfuly execu .ed IlaG III, LIE
BIRDS tried TO get at tbs fruit. Inc
other then had his picture ready
and draped. His rival, attempting
tn raisa the curtain tna5 covered Inc
sn1nosed D cture, learned thai u was
q a. cIsyer deception, being a skili9lly
nairted representation o. clOGn me
frst arts exclaimed enthusiastic
ally. "YOu are the greater ARTIST
for. while deceived only DlrdS' you
have deceived an artist.
This story, like most OF those
written ABOUT artists, is the Vetles1
nonsenge. Two artists are not likely
tn enter into a ''g0- as-you please
contest az nor to pu5 on gloves to try
which is the better man for d Prlze
medal and the applause OF tAe puo-
Elic. That is and always has peeh
! left to public performers ana TO
monntebanks. But, assuming the
story to be true, it is ne proof that
either of them was an artist III a
real sense. 1t proves nothing what
ever. The popular idea of art IS
| that skill, imitation, prof 3ction anu
norsnectiye are the ends OF ali Efforts
in art; and that 8 work OF ART pId !I
ticaliy is TO be judged by the skul
shown in these directions, Win d
| kind of vague idea that sentiment,
color. tone, harmony, force, tender
ness and feeling are but means
intended FIR the connOls3eur 10
"rIno them mas one would pretty
talk which may be thrown IN
lndiscrimlnately.
An artist, for instance, paint3
street scene. 1t matters not NO"
inartistic and mechanical the scene
INV be. nor how harsh and crude
NAV be the color, if the perspective
and light and shadow be correct, th'
average observer will look upon tue
scene as a marvellous work, Tor IL
, anpaars to reach back for mule,
and his surprise and wonder az thi'
, success oyercomes any 0ther Ieel
ing. This misunderstanding u III
aim and object of true art proven
him from being critical or even IN
terested in anything beyond. e
ali this is a mechanical success
nnre and simpe. That Inca
peTenacriye has no art quality G
g Itself and is not even difficult 9
! attainment, all artists know WI
r know anything about it. IL IS III
|. same with projection, Draw d
object and cast shadow from
: and it viii apparently project trol
70 the paper. Anybody can do 1t. :
q, with imitation. -,
If Every portrait painter know
L the necessity of not painting lac
4 or Jewels or otner hippant accessO
1t ies with too much realism, else u
" General observer (who imagin
" Imitation to be the great achleV
. ment) will never see the face al a
~ A certain eminent artist i'll pair
tit inc a subject introduced in the p,
an tuTe a mat. After the attention Oh
- Jew people had been fastened
~ that mat and they had analysed
ey material, texture, and probable G.
to ner ward, in disgust he painted
70 over. so that nobody afterWa
80 would think of it except that lG W
" a mat, and pass on to the real p
nG, ture-the material which MADE
n the sentiment and the story he
.ar sired to express. Suppose a pers
~ in describing in writing the w
oil derfuI grandeur and beauty OF
ill Wasatch range, should pal
m lovingly in The description
eat some pig PEN MAKING MAXI ggo,,i =
On description SO vivid ana realis
90 that the total impression remain
ALI with the reader that 1T was a PCT
nts of a pig pen with an accessor!
, ie Wasstc6 mountains. What wo
- the reader think? assuming q
500 the purpose Of this piece OF lite
len ture was to convey q sentiment
ng. the grsnduer of the mountains }
~ ia exactly so with art: .nere lmi
10n ton. REQUIRES nothing but a Ii
EN- knowledge, more practice and M
the or less patience; but these guam
.bIe alone do not make an artist; t
+ho simply enable an artist TO expl
..i0 art feeling. The mere mechan
for ability to touch the right keys
We piano in the translation Of a
of steal composition, does not max
SD musician. 1t merely enables,
la0 to express musical thought and
lore ing if he has it; and
or a he has it not, he is not recogn
heir bv musicians as musical al
~ hit is considered a musical
'IteA cbanic. We all understand We
hear meant by machine poetry
but Thyme and the metre may be II
will less. but if it contains no gE
- beautiful or enrolling thought,
e OF recognised by all as mere "
liable and there IS all the difference II
.ity's world between verse and 20
,bt,o literature and the arts are prec
-: similar in their objects. The
ping paints with language, the mus.
we with harmonies Of sound, the pa
and uses color, the sculptor
no ~ dranghtsman forms. The art
- 40 ultimately blended that
sechnicaI phrases even are the
throughout. Who does not
mes what is meant by color 30 sp
~ 10 musical composition. and te