The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-15
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Among other polite missives that
have found their way through the
Post Office this week have been invita-
tions to the opening of the Art Leagues
Spring Exhibition of drawing. paint
ing and sculpture The cards are for
Monday evening, Members Night"
and are sent to members of the League
only, but carry TO each recipient a du-
plicate ticket for a guest. After the
opening night, however, the public is
free TO visit the room any afternoon
for three weeks, and surely the pub
lie will not fail to come in large num-
bers and show it's approval of the do
ing away with the entrance fee hither
to demanded at the door.
The pictures have been very careful
ly chosen by the jury of selection.
Consequently, fewer pictures are hung,
but these represent better work, as a
whole, than any previous exhibition.
rejoice that the standard of admission
is higher, and 1 hope it will be raised
each year Only in this way can the
League stimulate it's members to their
best efforts. 1t is only by insisting on
better work that the League can, first
of all elevate the taste of Hawaii.
Then | would have the artists go
further and search for the severest
criticism possible, not content with the
APPRECIATION of their friends at home.
wish there might be a supreme jury,
which should judge what pictures are
worthy of being sent abroad, and then
I would have these pictures, relying on
their own merits only, seek to gain ad-
mission into the exhibition rooms of
New York, London and Paris. There
would result a finding of level which
would be most salutary to the artists.
The test is severe, but it would secure
the verdict of the art world, and that
is the nearest approach to the only true
test of merit-the perspective of the
centuries.
In the meantime, those who come to
look at the pictures have their share
of responsibility The fiippancy of So
ciety when it visits art collections is
proverbial. 1t is easy to pick up the
catch-words of atmosphere" tone"
texture values and technique"
1t is easy to detect flaws in drawing, or
coloring, or composition, but construc-
tive criticism comes only with long
years of study. If we, the uninitiated,
are so foolish as to think we know
something. let us, at all events, be
wise enough to keep it to ourselves. 1t
might, however, be in order to hope
that the Art League will consider the
state of those outside the pale of art
lists and arrange for a series Of lectures
to tell us how to look at pictures. 1t
seems to me that we need talks Of this
kind fully as much as the pictures.
Did l but dream it, or is Mr.. Hitch
cock really to inaugurate such a series
of art talks?
What of those whose pictures are not
hung? That strenuous effort should
not always be crowned is hard, but
failure shows pitilessly some faulty
training or lack of experience, or mis-
taken conception, if not actual inabil-
ity. or the wrong estimate of self. In
music and literature, as well as art,
there are few compositions that main
tain a uniform character throughout.
So many qualities go to make up
masterpiece that the same creation
may nave one DdII tldI 10 SACCflcIC
and another that is eXecrable. Art is
so high and so subtle, its visits so
fleeing and unexpected. that any rec
ord of an inspiration is likely to be
fawed, rather than perfect. A rejected
picture, then, may not be utterly bad.
and happy is the artist who can take
the lesson to heart and, all undaunted,
strive anew TO give some true message
to the world that needs must be ap-
preciated. In building up reputation.
failure at the outset is firmer scat
folding than premature success. No
sympathy of doting friends, or consid-
Grafton for brothers-in-law or great
uncles will avail. Work must endure
on it's own merits. An unwillingness
to stand a test indicates incompetence
of some sort We must be warned
against self-love. which prefers false
but favorable estimate to a true val
uation that is displeasing. Repeated
failure. of course, would indicate a
mistaken vocation, and in that case
even infinite patience can never Gre
ate genius. Even if work wins no lau-
rel crown. the deepened insight into
art. the quickened love of nature, and
the joy of the inspiration have been
recomDense enough for the toll of the
painter SIBYL.