Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-02
ART INFLUENCED
BY CLIMATE AND
BY ENVIRONMENT
Situation in Southwest Amos
Identical With That in
Countries Where Finest De-
velopment Has Taken Place

ESPECIAL coWsssrohpkscs TO soSsisa JOURNAL
Santa Fe. Dec. 1.-Climaie and en-
vronment appear to have far-reach-
ing influence upon the development
of art In sunny and mountainous
Greece and Italy, in the arid and
semi-arid countries bordering on the
Mediterranean stood not only the
cradle of fine arts but there art also
reached its highest development
1t is quite natural therefore, That
in a similar climate and environment,
IN the southwest of the United states
art should have appeared at q very
early date and that even among the
most ancient of cave and cliff dwell
ings there have been dicovered lately
the work of primitive artists that
compares favorably with that of Irim-
tive men in the caves C1 southern
France. Spirited action in the draw
ing close observation of nature,
nice sense of proportion and SYM
metry and poetic symbolism char7
acterizes even the earliest decorations
of cave walls of prehistoric pottery
and textiles
Coming down to historic times. the
Spanish pioneers cut off from the
mother country, completely Isolated
from the world, instinctively reached
for brush and palette and painted the
figures of saints and archangels ON
wood and leather, carved images from
wood ana embellished their homes as
best they could with meager tools and
under adverse circumstances
1t is no wonder, therefore, that at
the present day, colonies of artists
have established themselves at TAOS
and Santa Fe and are creating a dis
tinct school Of painting that deals
with the great out of-doors with
holiness that at first startles the
eastern artist, a school that tinds
models among the Indians who SIM
ply cry out to be immortalized upon
canvas, that senses something of the
mystery of the desert and its people
and revels in the picturesqueness OF
pueblos and hogans set into land
scapes that are the despair of the
colorist.
An Artist as Forester.
At Taos, q dozen or so of artists
from east and west have built them
selves studios or moke their periodl-
cal abode Bert Phillips is one of
those .who have .heen there for wears
although still young man. Some
years ago, when his eyesght gave
way he entered the forest service
and lived close to nature recovering
strength and health. His paintings
reveal that he is on intimate terms
with forest. lake and mountains, that
he knows the heart Of the Indian. one
of his most notable productions is the
great mural painting in the Polk
county court house at Des MONIES,
Iowa. Phillips is married, his Iowa
Bile children and has built himself a
studio at Taos from which magnili-
cent view is had Of the Taos noun
tains and all the country that lies be-
tween.
J. II. sharp, originally of Cincin-
natl, has built himself an attractive
studio at Taos where he spends his
summers. In winter, he occupies a
studio on the Grow agency in Mon
tana. He studied in Antwerp under
Charles Ncriat, at Munich under Carl
MARI at Paris with Jean Paul Lau-
rens and BENJAMIN Constant. The
national government purchased elev-
en- of his Indian portraits which are
now n the Smithsonian institution
while eighty portraits were purchas-
ed by Mrs Phoebe Hearts, for the
University of California, with com
mission Of fifteen more each year for
five years. He is an associate mem
Der of the National academy and n
inenbcr of the Society for Western
Artists. His Montana studio is on
the Custer battlefield. and his Taos
studio opposite the historic home of
Kit Carson. Mr.. Sharp recently mar
ried the second time, his wife being
q sister of his first wife who died a