The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-31
THE ART SECTION
OF THE STATE FAIR

desert air. On the other hand, If we con-
slider our scattered efforts as so many
beautiful and exquisite tissues. woven in
the looms of our splendid fancy, and
bring them together purposedly, though
humbly we will have rich presentation
of labor, to be taken in at a glance,
and the idea of system. harmony and re-
sponsibility Immediately is created. We
see before us something that Is educa-
tional and valuable. 1t becomes apparent
to all students, as well as lovers of art
that there Is, in the sweet aggregation,
not only an art sentiment at work, but
also an effort, as the practical man calls
it. towards winning outside sympathy,
admiration and encouragement. Art SEN
timent creates art effort, and these two
joining hands, so to speak, awaken art
taste, and these three in conjunction stir
in the student deep desire to form an
art association, without which there is
| small emulation and much careless effort.
Another view taken of our coming to-
gether is the view others take of their
| several fields of labor. On the theory
that we cannot learn by ourselves, that
We must mutually help each other, as we
| are mutually interdependent upon one an
other, all the great occupations and pro-
fessions of the civilized world have
formed organizations. The association is
both charming and improving. The bed
rock of all organization is unity of pur-
I pose. There can be no real school of art
outside of organization and association.
The next thought Is the necessity of
training. We can win no laurels without
well directed study and practice The
hand must be taught dizziness and cum
ming. 1t must learn to express though
and emotion by lines and tints. The real
4uf to11r Ill.
or chisel, as the finest orator can with
his musical lips and enchanting gestures
The eye, too, must be cultivated. 1t must
not only see, but see with discrimination;
ngh- and shadow must be to 1t almost
tangible an d voluble things Without a
certain quantity of schooling and train
ing, the greater the genius the more ran
dom the effort. Genius ever does its best
work under partial restriction 1t bears
Its best fruit, like a tree after pruning.
The necessary trammels put around ge-
MUS are not prison cage, but the bound
airy lines of a great arena, where its
greatest powers and skill are to be tested.
Another thought: Our work must be
set side by side, that it may undergo
| comparison and receive just criticism.
| Drawing, painting and sculpture are
mainly dependent on comparison; more
so than any other three agencies for the
expression OF beauty, grace and passion
More so than poetry, music or oratory
| The most poetic thought expressed in
the most exquisite rhetoric is partially
dead to effect till some gesture or COM
oination of gestures of the speaker lifts
| up the lid, as 1t were, and let's the birds
of his fancy fly right into your face.
| 1t is these life"giving, magical gest-
| ures that the artist deals with This Ia
his special study. The catching them up
on his canvass and fixing them there is
with him the contamination most de-
! voutly to be wished
| But the magic of the speaker is tenn
| porary; that of the artist is permanent.
The former thrills us with the music of
| his lips, the glorious glance of his eve,
and the enchantment of his gestures
| The latter catches that glance on his
canvass and makes it blaze there. He
causes the lips and head to speak to us
| We can almost see the forehead of his
Spartacus sweating. We can almost feel
the anguish expressed in the face and
form of his dying gladiator
| "All this is the result not only of great
genius but of great and well-directed
practice, so that genius cannot claim all
the credit for such great accomplish
ment; skill comes In and declares that
| immortal representations or aft are the
product of labor as well as Unborn fire
and chiefly on how both are directed
| Few great geniuses were ever born
| and bred in barren lands The greatest
| artists of the world are the children of
beautiful valleys, hills and seashores. No
| place on earth, then, should furnish more
charming poets and painters than our
| dear mother land-Alabama. She Is beam
| ty itself, in every feature. The Tennes-
see river forms about her neck a great
tie Of pearls. Around her waist is a elo-
| rious zone OF the most precious black dia-
| monds and her feet are in beds of ow-
ers and violet waves and to paraphrase
| Tom Moore:
Around them still glisten the loveliest
| amber
That ever the Borrowing sea bird has
! wept;
| With many a pearl In whose coral
| wreathed chamber,
The Peris of Ocean by moonlight have
slept.
I'VE have reason to believe then that
| there are hundreds of born artists In her
Deauti1ul nursery. Let us do everything
In our humble but earnest way to Gull
| tvate and encourage her children of ge-
MUS. Let us come together with our
sheaves in our hands. Let US organize
ana know each other, smile at each other
pat each other on the shoulder, give God
| speed to one another But let us demand
| genuine work-no pretense-no copying.
II you love moulding in clay or mud. let
| us see how you work Let us see your
| skill In charcoal work Give us q GLIMPSE
| of your dainty touch in water color and
miniature Show us your strong, passion
ate genius for portraiture. We have
| nook in our gallery for pastels, and
| place on our walls for pen and ink art.
| Above all, We have room and welcome
! for you.
'Now then, last but not least, prizes