Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-25
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sBy KATHRyn RUCKERg

One of the most important sculpture
commissions to be executed here is the
work of A. Stirling Calder and is the
decorative feature for the entrance of
the Throop Polytechnic institute, Pas
adena, and symbolical of the aims
and purpose of the school, The small
model for the entire entrance (Which
comprises three archways extending
sixty feet) and one of the completed
full size spandrels with its heroic t1g-
ures may be seen in the artists studio,
South Figueroa street.
The work is executed with mastery
understanding of the requirements of
such decoration and its relation to
surroundings, and its conception is
broad and replete with meaning. ma
ture," Art" Energy" Science"
Imagination" and Law are the
themes set forth in a most comprehen-
sive form of symbolism, the treatment
being in Spanish renaissance. Deep
study and strong imagination are both
manifest, coupled with a perfect
knowledge of the principle of texture,
the essential for faultless architectural
sculptural decoration in relief work
Mr.. Calder is exceptionally well quail
fled for carrying out work of this kind
in which will be observed his strong
and bold technique. The rhythm OF
line and Importance of size are well
understood, and the depth and softness
of shadows we'll modulated. Mr.. Calder
says in an induction which he has writ
ten concerning his work. 1.-THE desire
for outward manifestations in the arts
of our cherished and hidden hopes is
inherently and healthily human. The
great expressions that this has had in
the past have formed a happy middle
ground between the slavish contine-
~. toto r,estr
of wealth. For true art is not ostenta-
tious, it is not for the merely wealthy
any more than it is for the merely
poor 1t is eternally true the fruit of our
expression in subject and the accumuia-
lions OF our longing for a fuller exist
ence in expression. 1t is with this
confident belief in the dignity and pur-
pose of sculpture that the author
would protest against the tendency II
regard such work as merely ornamental
not useful 1t is as supremely useful
as the bread you eat, or else all the
great art of the world has been in
vain. But it has not been so; it has
gladdened inspired, expanded and en-
riched the world. Without it, we would
not now exist. Such hopeless toilers
in the endless, sodden maze of life,
without one vision of the irrepressible
optimism of Art, humanity must have
persisted from the earth"
The public should be thankful to Mr..
Calder for the quality of architectural
sculpture he introduces both from a
standpoint of decoration and it's sig
nificant usefulness in influencing the
aspirations of man. That public taste
needs to be educated and elevated
4 above the commonplace in architec-
tural decoration is almost constantly
before us, and architects have been too
easily satisfied with bad ornament
which in reality bore no relation to the
building to which it was applied. We
are encouraged to believe that new
era with reference to such work is
dawning with us, and that our archi-
| tects will avail themselves of the tai
ent of our best sculptors, who are able
to achieve results impossible to any
but the artist craftsman. When once
the public comes into a realization OF
what is the highest and best then they
will insist upon having it, and the in
huence of high standards is quickly
| felt.
! An exhibition of arts and crafts work