New-York tribune., 1921-08-14
Low Art Standards
Is What the People Want" the
Slogan of Producing Agents?

Sir: In your able editorial Honor
ing an Artist" in which mention is
made Of the reiterated charge that
American art is of a low order, you
call attention by way of refutation to
our appreciation of art as shown in the
headlines of the newspapers giving
great prominence to the passing of
Caruso. You say: "Our superior per-
sons understand and are in sympathy
with every land but their own. Why
is it?"
In our heterogeneous population are
elements that respond to and perpetu-
ate the cheapest substitutes for art
With knowledge Of peculiar advantages
to be derived from catering to these
classes of people, certain managers,
publishers and dealers have become
responsible for the Generalization of
the stage, popular music and even vari-
Gus forms of painting and illustration.
Worthy art standards have been sac
rihced for the sake of quick money
Art and pseudo-art have become the
plaything of gamblers, in other words,
and the effect produced upon the tenn
permanent, steadiness and ideals of
Americans has been insidious and dis
astrous beyond measure The results
have been felt in every corner of pub
lie and private life. "Our superior
persons" writhe under the stigma at
tached to such a condition as seems to
label American taste as the lowest to
be found in civilized countries.
That which is accepted and popular
lied in New York is advertised most
widely throughout the United States
and abroad. 1t purports to be repre-
sentative Of American preference, and
managers and publishers are glad to
have it so, because as long as present
standards continue they are required
to pay only for a cheap output from
host of competing, mediocre artists
and writer's.
The reactions upon American ar.
and American artists are obvious. Not
e-thousandth part of our artistic
genius ever sees the light Our tai
ented young men and women are forced
into business channels and there is a
general hue and cry that the day of
genius has long since passed The
fact is that there was never more
talent than now aud that the obstacles
to success are acknowledged to be
almost insurerable except for persons
Of considerable means and contingent
staying ability.
The writer has viewed the "inside"
of the theatrical and popular song pub
fishing business (whose influence upon
popular thought is unparalleled) for
many years from different angles.
"What the people want" is the slogan
of producing agents all along the line,
yet these. agents cater almost exclu-
sively to really small element of the
total population. This constitutes a
genuinely inartistic, sensation loving
class, but sufficiently large to guaran-
tee patronage. Other classes of patrons
fall in line with the same spirit that
man backs a twenty to one shot--in
the fond hope that perhaps by mere
chance it will win. If the managers,
for instance, who prate SO continually
cf their lofty conception and intimate
knowledge of popular taste could
really know the patient tolerance of
the much abused majority of theater
patrons, if they could even approx
mately calculate the percentage Of ap-
rroval and disapproval, they would be
treated to a rude awakening.
Now and then hardy pioneer
breaks through the ring, some clean,
interesting play wins out, some origi-
nal song goes over, and occasionally
comes a revival of an oldtme comedy
or ballad of twenty years ago It's
like a perfumed breeze from clover
fields and it warns the heart. Still
we want to progress. The scanty best
of the new is preferable to the best of
the old. DEAN ARMITAGE.
New York, Aug. 9, 1921