The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-04
A TALK ON ART
An Address With Something to
Interest All.
WAS BY D. HOWARD HITCHCOCK
Mission Of Pleasing and Entertain
ing-In the Beginning-Life of
Student In Europe.
WAS BY D. HOWARD HITCHCOCK

There was fair audience in pretty
kilohapa hall last evening for D. How
ard Hitchcock's Talk on Art" He
said: =
Again l appear before you in the
guise of the talker. There is much
in the field before us from which to
choose, and the ground has been so
thoroughly delved that the task of
gathering enough fresh material for an
entertaining talk about art is not an
easy one. [ use the term entertaining,
for it is my desire thus to show appre-
citation of your kind presence here and
with absolutely no wish to instruct
| would that l could artfully enter
tain. l do not aim to instruct. Instruc-
ton and art are not truly convertible
terms.
Unfortunately the disciples of art
are hard working students Art is so
difficult of access her would-be vota-
ries perforce are seekers, workers. But
1t is not as such that | would infiict
myself upon you on this occasion.
Were such the case, l would point to
the wall behind you and say-behold
there the efforts of the seeker. Look
deep below the surface and find-if
you may-the thought-the struggle
after the higher in are that some of
those canvases stand for, but do not
look to me for instruction. That would
be the fly on the locomotive attempting
to move the train.
Art-by this l mean my conception
nf hn +, Srh 0c% -,
called Art-simply is and comes but
to him upon whom the mantle may
happen to fall. Not without effort on
his part it is true-but still upon The
One-while the fellow worker at his
side may be left to eat of stone. But
who is there to judge of this Many
who have been touched with this 'Holy
Fire" have died in utter neglect, and
their work has only after years been
appreciated in part for it's true worth.
So | say, the beginning and end of
art is to please, and the part of the
artist, be he Tyro or Master. to en-
tertain.
In the beginning, our simple ances-
tors were perfoce satisfied with primi-
tive surroundings. Then one day the
1dler, while the others were away,
fashioned his drinking gourd into a
more beautiful shape than mere utility
demanded, and Art had asserted itself.
His companions drank from the beau
tiful cup and were satisfied, not be-
cause of its beauty, but because there
was no other and it's usefulness was not
impaired. For they saw not the cum
ming Art that had made of their COM
mon utensil a thing of beauty. Not
so the Idler, after they had departed,
some to the chase, others to their sim
pie pursuits. He looked upon the gourd
and to him it was new joy-an ex-
preston of the soul within him, at
which his companions were wont to
make sport. Alas in these days also
the Idler is but barely understood.
His companions admire the skill with
which some juggle with a brush and
pot OF paints upon bit of canvas or
card board, and look in wonder at the
presentment of some familiar scene
or object and know not whether true
Art has aught in common with such.
There are earnest seekers after Art,
too many ill-advised, impelled by a
power they have not the faculty to
grasp, for Art is elusive and shows her
self to but the few, and these few are
not to instruct, they can but point the
way to the seeker, by which they pos
sibly may have touched the hem OF
her garment. Into these vast fields
some of us have strayed. In the mad
pursuit of Art many go to the centers
where are gathered great collections OF
objects done in her name and where are
| found numbers of her votaries. Great
| ing sO-called 'art-atmosphere," a
| something as underlined as it is un-
| stable.
There can be as strong an ''art-at-
mosphere' here in Hawaii in its owr
| individual way, as there is in any ar
| center in the world. That is to say
here can be found that longing aftel
the unattainable as strongly developed
as in wider fields, and | believe tn,
showing on these walls confirms th'
statement that here are touches of thu
Holy Fire we are seeking for. Rus
kin, | believe it was, said that Genius
was an enormous capacity for work
In art matters this is largely true bu
not ALL There are other things neces
sary, as [ have already pointed out
But there is much hard drudging worl
before him who would make Art hi
mistress. Naturally the art studen
seeks where best may be found tn
elementary knowledge necessary to hi