Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-20

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to the board in charge.
Later the large clay model was pre-
pared in his studio, inspected by govern
ment representatives, and when found
satisfactory the plaster duplicates were
again inspected in the artists studio. The
| bronze figure was then cast and reported
| to be a satisfactory piece of work, It
seems incredible that there could be any
opportunity for any misplaced credit in
| this instance, and all others are very SINH
| lar to this
TT seems, therefore, that any statement
that many Of our statues are spurious
must be received with much doubt"
| -.
| Henry Bush-Brown. in his studio on
north G street, admitted that he had been
thinking seriously Of writing an answer to
Gutzon Borglum's attack on the fellow
members Of his craft. but had decided he
would not He thinks there are two
sides to the question.
"Pretense in apprentices of seven
months or less wanting credit for training
of years. and hailing themselves sculp-
| tors. thinking they do the real work of
the master when they heave to and build
| the Washington sculptor.
4 have had students acting as assist
ants here In my own studio, who, after a
very short time, believed they were MAX
| ing my reputation by their labor. II they
had stuck it out would have recognized
their perseverance,. as did my uncle Hen
ry kfrk Brown, In the case Of the monu-
ment to Gen. Washington in Union
| Square. New York, where J. Q. A. Clark
worked with him for seven whole years
and was rewarded by having his name
| side by side with the designer of the
! work.
inefficient training results in educating
from the top down. A man comes into
my studio. young man. and he can
possibly tell me what is wrong with a
certain statue being constructed, but
can he right this with his own hands?
No. He is a theorist, an educated mental
sort OF artist. An artist must live with
his work, spend years at it, be able to
do every inch Of the mechanical end Of
1t, to finally understand the possibilities
Of its full expression.
I'm country where the stratas of So
ciety are formed by possession Of wealth
there is constant strife for the top, with
out any basis for the climb. The basis
lies in work, work, work. No artist ever
lived and trfumphed who laid all his
stress on examining theories and pro-
cesses. He must grow into 1t by the
labor Of his hands, and through them de-
velop the desire to create, and then Gre
ate by the very force of this mechanical
experience reaching out and clamping
into shape the spirit Of his conception.
TT Is this that the majority of artists
in any profession fail to fight to do. Cir
cumstances which may include material
responsibilities, Of course. smother &C.
MUS sometimes. but not often. The man
and having the fire of it in him will
grapple. think that there may be some
who will not do this, who are numbered
among Mr.. Borglum's army Of the dis
appointed
I'VE have no class of men who work
toward the top for the joy Of the hope
of q goal. II we had, a great majority
of Borglum's 60 per cent would vanish
out of the group OF the pitied. The new
rich and their desire to glitter is much
of the cause Of the discomfort In art for
arts sake. They don't appreciate the
glory Of working because one wants to
work, or digging out Of plaster or mar
BILE some golden dream of the soul which
clamors for expression. Instead, they
buy paintings thousand years old. pay
fortunes for them and point to them with
pride. Pride of what? Mere possession.
And So as riches rule, youth has no ex-
ton in art.
II think Borglum is in very poor bust
ness when he attacks his fellow artists.
I think that his statement that 60 per
cent Of the statuary in the United States
Is made by ether than those whose names
are signed to ii is entirely out OF proper
ton. even as a guess. But 1t Is true,
much Of it can be laid at the door Of
what have Just said-the manner of 60
ing about securing the right to be called
a master sculptor. and which comes from
wealth being the supreme sesame to
every treasure house the modern world
holds"
The editor of the Journal of the Ameri- |
can Institute of Architects. Mr.. Whit |
taker. who has his Office in the old Oc-
tagon house, smiled rather ironically |
when asked his opinion OF the subject in |
hand. He said:
THAT 1t isn't true. that 1t can't be !
true. is about all I could say concerning
it. unless I repeat what other men you
have asked have said. That Borglum's |
revolt however, is probably the outcome |
Of his anxiety to see America have a real |
art of her own I do not doubt. 1t Is the
despair of architects. as well. to see not |
only the usurpation of recognition by |
fellow artists but the slow progress of a |
native style in painting. sculpture, archi-
lecture and music. II we ever have an /
American style Of art 1t is going to be on |
the Pacific coast. Over there they are far
enough away from Europe not to ape, I
and the wide freedom of their lives and |
environment leads to creative field |
hope to see exemplifed In architecture, II
no other field of art" !