The New York herald., 1922-03-12
Laurent Exhibits
AIabaster Carvings

Robert Laurent provides an inter-
esting exhibition OF carvings IN the
Bourgeois Galleries. 1t is pleasant 10
see a young artist expanding In out
look and resolutely refusing to ac-
cent the easy. Mr.. Laurent began with
reliefs that were so little in relief that
tlev might we'll have been called in
cisings. The reliefs soon became pias-
tic and then gave way to heaas III .he
round and little statuettes.
The present exhibition Is notapie ioi
n group Of carvings in aiapaster III
which there is fine appreciation OF the
value of the material and also of beauty
of line. The progress has been steady.
From the beginning 1t was plain that
this artist had looked upon the work OF
Gaugun and other modernists' put
never with the idea of slavish imitation.
II ,yae merely that the idea of freedom
that the new masters seemed TO preach
annears TO have given him his initiai
courage to dare to attempt something
himself. and in borrowing courage ne
also borrowed a few little lines mere ana
there.
All along his work has been decofa-
tive. That has been his chief asset
that and a rather sly sense or humor.
The little statuettes OF dusky madonnas
that ne used to do-he worked In ma
hogany-were exactly the sort OF things
that a highly civilized modern would
like to place within eyeshot on top or
writing desk or upon a sparsely occu-
pied little mantelpiece. Whether they
ever sold very plenufully or not | have
not heard, but If they did not II Is re-
proach to the New York state of soul.
They should have. They would nave,
certainly in Paris.
In the new pieces the decorative quail
ity persists Alabaster Is not often used
bv American sculptors and Mr.. Lau-
rents heads and groups In this material
profit by being novel. lie manages to
work in It sympathetcally and the
transparency of the stone Is made TO
play its full part. From the various
points OF view the light plays upon and
through the alabaster in the most
charming way and gives It living
quality that. doubtless, collectors will
know how TO appreciate. This quite
aside from the fact that the artist has
not altogether been able to hide some of
difficulties with the carving in one
or two OF the more ambitious pieces.
Tho "Priestess," for instance. has a
charming profile. with noble SIMPLE
ity OF line that Is stylish, but from the
front view the expression Is tensed, due
to some uncertainties about the eyes.
From the point of view OF expression.
the head, called "L'Indifferentc," u broad
jawed young lady who turns away her
head-in another kind OF stone, pre-
sumably less xpcnsvc--ccllpses those
in alabaster. The artist In It does not
get the appealing soft textures OF the
alabaster. but he does reach n higher
kind OF freedom. IL puts too great a
strain, dare say, upon the modern
artist 10 compel him to show his skill
IN exploiting costly metals or stones.
The Orientals could do Il. but not we.
There used TO be an old proverb TO the
effect that "it took three people to make
a salad--a miser, to supply the vinegar
q spendthrift, to give the oil. and a fool.
TO mix the whole thing up"--and I fear
that It will require three sculptors IN
one TO contrive a statue so full of ex-
preston that the glance OF the sculp-
tured eye will prove more arresting than
the beauty OF the alabaster. ought to
add that / am just guessing alabastcr
70 be expensive don't know. But IL
was so In Bible times, and. like every
thing else, must have mounted In value
since then.
Alfeo Faggi has written an apprecla-
tion OF this work. and being sculptor
himself naturally concerns himself with
Mr.. Lalrent's formula.
For many centuries sculptors have
blindly followed the formula used by
the Greeks and later by the Romans.
Unto our modern world have come new
thoughts. new ideals from the Orient.