New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-24

pressing my profound happiness in the reveal
tons that America has afforded me-.
Francis Picsbia, one of the three or tour
most prominent "nodernsts" Of France, served
eight months in the French army, after which
he was recalled, and he arrived in New York
four months ago, and will remain at least as
long as a secret mission continues to demand
his presence .here-perhaps all the rest Of his
lite If this can be arranged
This visit to America" the painter enthusi-
astically maintained. has brought about com
pete revolution in my methods OF work.
began as landscape painter, was later classed
as a cubist and gradually came into my own
which is a state ! cannot otherwise classify
than entirely individual But prior to leaving
Europe ! was engrossed in presenting psyche
logical studies through the mediumship OF
forms which l created Almost Immediately
upon coming to America it flashed on me that
the genius of the modern world is machinery,
and that through machinery art ought to find
a most vivid expression.
MACHINERY THE SOUL OF HUMAN
LIFE.
Il have been profoundly impressed by the
vast mechanical development in America. The
machine has become more than mere adjunct
Of human life 1t is really part OF human
life-perhaps the very SOUL In seeking forms
through which to interpret ideas or by which
to expose human characteristics / have come
at length upon the form which appears most
brilliantly plastic and fraught with symbolism
A. oft he
world. and introduced it into my studio.
Naturally, form has come to take prece-
dence over color with me, though when be
gar painting color prcdominated. Slowly my
artistic evolution carried me from color TO
form. and while still employ color, of course,
It is the drawing which assumes the place OF
hrst importance in my pictures
"Of course, l have only begun to work out
this newest stage of evolution. l don't know
what possibilities may be in store | mean to
simply work On and on until | attain the pin
nacle Of mechanical symbolism. Since coming
to America | have painted a great deal. Ny
brush has been very busy. And tor two
reasons. First and foremost, naturally, is the
fact that have a whole new scheme to evolve.
But a very important item is the fact that in
America work OF an artistic nature is possible
where it is utterly impossible in Europe to-day
The war has killed the art of the Continent
utterly Even those who miserably try to Sc
clude themselves and find little nook where
work may be carried on undisturbed find that
distractions creep in. The horror of war is
everywhere. Itpenetrates to the furthest out
posts In America work is possible. am
making the most OF my time.
Since machinery is the soul of the modern
world, and since the genius of machinery at
tains its highest expression in America, why is
it not reasonable to believe that in America
the art of the future will flower most brill
iantly?"
M. De Zayas, founder OF the Modern Gal
lery,' has said America waits. incrtly for its
own potentiality to be expressed in art" Which
seems quite in line with the sentiment
pressed by the man who has painted him.
in all times" De Zayas goes on to say, "art
has been the synthesis of the beliefs Of peoples.
In America this synthesis is an impossbility
because all beliefs exist here together. One
lives here in a continuous change, which
makes impossible the perpetuation and the uni
versatility Of an idea History in the United
States is impossible and meaningless. One
lives here in the present in a continuous strug-
gle to adapt ones self TO the milieu. There are
innumersbl- social groups which work to OBJ
tain general laws. But no one observes them.
Each individual remains isolated, struggling
FOR his own physical and intellectual existence.
In the United States there is no general SEN
tment in any sphere Of thought. America has
the same complex mentality as the modern