Evening star., 1915-01-09

4, q ONE of the most interesting photo
~ graphs in the exhibition relating to
the Panama-Pacifc exposition now at
| the Library of Congress are those of
sculptures produced as decorative fea-
lures and architectural ornament.
| These are almost exclusively by Calder
and Roth and Lentelli, eastern men who
have for some months been working
together in a large studio in San Fran
cisco.
| These three men have Jointly pro-
duced the great symbolic groups rep
| resenting the nations of the east ana
the nations of the west, which Will De
features Of the court of the universe.
Mr. Roth is a sculptor of animals, Mr.
Calder does figures and has speciaiIi;y.
keen sense of decoration, Mr. Lentel!i
Is the creator of ideal sculpture. sucn
as the figure of Christ and the angels
over the main altar in the Cathedral OF
St. John the Divine, New York, and he
has had practical experience In eonnec-
the fU' st. Louis fair. He is an italian by
birth He came to America twelve
years ago, when little more than lad,
and has gotten most of his 1nstruc-
tion here, learning while working. BY
| his co-workers he is said to have con-
tributed "a commanding share" OF the
labor and genius which have gone to
make the dream city on the Pacinc
coast a reality. 1t is such opportuni-
that bring forth those having the capa.
bility Evidently to have a great art
the United States must continually az
ford to artists such opportunities.
| TT HE art talk at the Corcoran School
| u Monday afternoon was given by
Mr. Messer, who took as his subject the
| pictures in the Corcofan GaHery's CO.
temporary exhibition, which may be
considered essentially radical. He con-
fessed at the outset that when he first
saw the collection, before the pictures
were hung. he was really shocked, and
asked himself where the new methods
were leading and to what end they
would go? But he said that as ne
studied the paintings he had been aoie
Ito discover the artists viewpoints, TO
enter more into their spirit. and in SO
doing his own viewpoint had changed.
Not that he liked those pictures which
lie had previously disliked. but that ne
understood their signihcance.
And herein, he pointed out, there was
a difference-the difference between
personal opinion and critical Judgment.
In the works of some of the modern
jistic still life painters he found deco
rative purpose-in the works Of some
of the figure painters deliberate m
tention to eliminate all save the essen
tials. That the works of all these ad-
venturers in the field Of art had ex-
ceptional decorative quality. vitality
and spirit he declared. stating, however
very frankly his preferences aud con-
demning unequivocably one much,
praised work. which, in his opinion nc land and
that of many others. had none OF these
qualities, but was simply vulgar and
poorly painted.
Jocosely, Mr.. Messer pointed out the
trend of the modernists in art, explain.
ing how an individuality creed would
obviate the necessity for study ana
place each painter on an equal footlng.
ii the public did not understand, so
much the worse for the public: the
painter cared not for that, merely seek
ing self-expression. On account of the
interest aroused. Mr.. Messer will con-
tinue this talk next Monday at the
same hour, 4:15. considering these mani
festations of so-called progress in the
light of past aceomplishmsntsehe eahgra art
and concerning which there is today
but one opinion.