The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-09

nundo de OvieS ess, the members in store, and the 1acts WAS .,,,,,,,as.. hen MT. DeOvies presented his exquisite treatise. An Am alysis of Art.'' It was given in his usual delightfully informal manner, and pre- senting broad subject from the stand l point of keen student and one or the most graceful mentality. That others { who were not given the opportunity to hear him yesterday might enjoy his ad- dress 1t is reproduced in part here. AL the close of the afternoon Mrs. LenR served light refreshments.
 What is art? began MT. DeOvies' after a pleasant introduction.
 T The dictionaries define art as sKill III the crafts and industries. and then mar row the definition down to term that ap- plies to painting and sculpture However. dictionaries are unsatisfac- tory things at best, and our latest edi- lions seem to be planned to avoid blood she'd They make impossible any serious quarrel by admitting almost any and every definition and pronunciation. # Therefore, I shall ignore the dictionaries altogether and presume to give what Tn my poor vanity deem more philosophi- cal. and in my own opinion a truer definl- ton.
 M To the masses of people the word "art K conveys the idea of painting; and, very often, a drawing. And then, with the zk usual perversity of human kind, they eX- z tend to the word a width and breadth Of meaning that makes one positively shud- der. Hear the term 'tonsorial artist and remain unmoved who can!
 After this preface, let me make the plunge:
 Art Is the method of expressing human emotions beautifully.
 If this audience is willing to admit the definition q am sure that the lexcog- .raphers would), we can then do 1us- tice to number of people who would care to class their skillful work as art musicians for instance. Art then would include architecture, sculpture, dancing Poetry, painting, acting, and music; and these are the highest expressions of art the fine arts. The order is intentional and I shall repeat it for emphasis-arch- itecture, sculpture, dancing, poetry, paint ing, acting, and music.
 Every fine art found it's origin in utili- ". ITeSeTNdilUn Ol i1AC hibSh AofS oSS-@ the first care of primitive man. Food, shelter, and safety were his first needs; but, after these were supplied. there came the desire to express himself, and to express himself Love, hate, anger, sorrow, pain-all these were as real as hunger or any other physical discomfort.
 The first work of man was to provide shelter from the clements. His first abode
 might easily be the shelter of some over
 hanging rock, @ cave, or a hollow tree.
 But the time came when he found him self covering and shivering under the
 beating of rain, wind. or snow. If there were no natural shelter, instinct would lead him to erect some rude form of protection-some crude shed or tent, or to dig out for himself a cave in some sort clay hillside. Thus was architecture born. Later, he made tents from the skins of. animals slain in the chase dragged together boulders and slabs or rock into house-hke form; and later still, he would attempt to make his shelter comfortable and attractive. Beauty be came added to utility.
 & Man Is a social animal. He meets his M fellowman for pleasure as well as 10 H fight him; and when men meet there must be communication. The first language & was sign language. Man pointed to that 4 Y which he desired, beckoned, repulsed with k a gesture threatened with clenched fist, # #caressed with open palm, crouched in N fear. drew himself erect in defiance and pride, bowed in awe, stretched forth the arms to receive and In suppicafion, stamped the foot in anger, rocked ana swayed in pain, leaped suddenly when furprised or startled, crooked the arm to ward off attack, etc. etc. These ges- lures were all utilitarian. They were sfhe outcome of need. But gesture and posture are dancing, or. rather, the re- Verse is true. The first dance was, < probably, the war dance.
 SE% Some leader would wish to arouse tribal ,#patriotsm He stamped, and gesticu- leaped, threw back his head in N defiance struck imaginary blows. etc. It 8S was a crude dance, such as savage peo- M ples indulge in to this day Later on # ether things besides war sought express Al sion Beauty became added to utility. | An art was born.
 VI Almost at the same time as the birth of < sign language was born vocal expression. Pain drew forth cries, anger was voiced in shouts, fear in screams. Rve in soft and more liquid tones.
 The leader of a, community found it imperative to issue commands, orders must be given in battle to make leader ship effective. Love must be told. Thus speech superseded signs. Later, elo- ouence was achieved. beauty of diction and arrangement became poetry. Stories or ancestral heroism were retaied about the camp fire. The epic emerged rom the crude chaos of speech. Beauty was added to utility. Aas '
 Painting, acting and music developed at practically the same time.
 They were the outcome of leisure and prosperity I still maintain their order as arts, while admitting different order in their origin.
 In hunting the hunter would seek to initiate the cries of wild animals and birds in order to lure them' to his hiding place and to kill or capture them. Hol- low reeds and small bones. when blown through, emitted whistling souhds. So. the call of the turkey and goose, of the moose, are all initiated with us still. The Pipes of Pan became possible and music charmed the ear. Beauty became added . to utility.
 m deeper communications than ord- nary converse both speech and gesture : were employed; speech being emphasized hy gesture, and illustrated by it. Religious ceremonies and instructions were ex- pressed by the hummer. story of Z heroism or love. or faith, would be told not only in speech--it would be gestured. Acting is a combined art; 1t is poetry and
 p-<I Is