The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-03-13

Oriental and American art at Ann
Arbor, Michigan, with in average
daily attendance of over 1900 for
three weeks. This established vital
relations between the older art of the
Orient and the American art of today.
Many artists of the great japanese
school were represented. Perhaps
the breach between the centuries of
ancient Japan to modern American
art was mentally spanned by the ORR
entail scenes by Whistler, who saw
Japan through Amerlcan-English
eyes, though he had never studied
their art, and would adopt the met
hod of no school.
Our art should be spontaneous in
it's development, a root-bound, hide
bound nation could never develop an
interesting expression of art. neither
should we initiate for that is un-
thinking. Formerly the creative
quality of art furnished among
our aborigines only, the indians and
negroes; they are original and natural
and at ease among themselves, and
with their own ideas developed
through native individuality, and Or
iginal imagination, looking to beauty
as they saw it. Whatever of art they
possessed was born of their own
mind. The rest of us as Americans
are heterogeneous combination Of
citizenship, amalgamated from the
ends of the world, initiative of all
the ideas and qualities our various
forefathers experienced. And what
ever success we have met with has
been accomplished in spite of this
inclination to stultify individuality.
We are too apt to be insulted by or
iginality, by natural creative spirit
and product. If rug, for instance,
is presented to our view as antique,
1t must be beautiful because it bears
the antique label. 1t 1t comes from
the hills of Vermont or plains O.
Texas, we are asked to call 1t beap
tiful without the accepted label anc
and pottery and pictures, we are oe
wildered and afraid of OR own p"
4 NH nd M n
label is in view. that disabuses ou-
minds of the unpleasant suggestion
of originality.
so with cur music, fascinating
with a kind of catch me If you
can" accent, on the Whole very re-
sponsive with it's originality Ind ryt;.-
matte impulsiyen IS that compels re-
Spouse. A happy contraction of the
tom-tom and S. arply ac"entuateG
rythm of the indian song and dan>c
and the cakewalk, religious and laboi:
melodies of the negro, really capable
of some fine interpreting. But no,
it did not bear the foreign label; 50
we ridiculed it by calling 1t ragtime
to catch the popular fancy, and COM
mercialize it until some of our towns
must needs enact laws against raS
ging.
1t has been told repeatedly that Il
noted Russian conductor of music,
Safonoff by name, when visiting this
country was listening with scant at
tention to serious music that was
played in his honor, when guest
sent up a request for something more
lively. With the first notes of rag
time, Safonoff listened with curiosity
that developed into such enthusiasm;
that he Immediately rushed to the
leader to ask what the wonderful
music was. 1t was so original and
interesting. But the leader smiled
doubtfully and alphabetically (for he
was an American) when he replied
that it was "real American music.
Safonoff however, replied with genu-
inc appreciation that he would Score
1t for his orchestra and play it in
st. Petersburg"
It also remained for Bohemian
named Devorak to create the present
impetus to an earnest appreciation
of negro music.
But our painters, musicians and
sculptors are growing holder and
have less fear of our public as we
advance along these lines. Accepted
music is echoing from the New Eng
land hills, inspired literature Is
coming from the middle west, and
California is startling the world with
pictures. There is no finer beauty
to protray on canvas than the canyons
of the west. Titan had no more
vivid coloring in the Dolomites which
inspired his brush, than we have
in our own Yellowstone park.
Our ocean inlets, towering. rugged
strength of sculptured rocks, our
squalid towns, beautiful avenues,
wonderful sunsets, our fresh, sincere