Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-14
CHARLES CRAFTY
On American Sculpture

On american oSu'PsoTS
THE interest in sculpture of the American
i public and those younger persons VINO
have predictions toward the hnc arts mus
years. according to Charles Crafty, instruc.
tor at the Pennsylvania Academy OF tne
Fine Arts and one of Americas foremost
sculptOrs. -,
"Sculpturc has at least kept pace with
the advance In interest shown by an oi 'nt
fine arts" said Mr.. Crafty. III 'hGSeH, Thts is s
has not gone beyond the others. ms n. -
shown by the increased interest taken IN
the sculpture exhibits at the various ar!
exhibitions held throughout the country anu
by the number of young artists VINO urc
making it their life work. One disadvantage
in some of these exhibitions is the difficulty
found in properly placing large pieces ana
this is a real disadvantage, because nearly
all of the best American sculptors are no"
engaged in making large works.
"Thcrc is little of what may be termed
the national spirit possible IN sculpture;
Tbero might be in the subject matter and
20 a certain extent in the thought, but httle
in the technique. Line is line all over the
world and, for that matter, art Is art all
over the world as well.
Finer Sense Of Thought
"Not only Is there q larger number OF
students taking up sculpture, but the minds
of the persons doing it seem to be better
than formerly. There is Il finer sense 10, or
thought and rhythm to their work. This
in itself makes for q vast improvement IN
tho quality Of the work both from the TECH
meal and from the intellectual point OF view.
ii, is impossible to tell what student
will achieve. judging alone from his earliest
efforts There are some, rs there are IN all
| the arts, who develop early and others who
in the first stages appear to have little or no
real ability. But sometimes the latter, IN
the course Of two or three years, VIII de-
| yelop so as to far excel the apparently more
| talented one who made a brilliant beginning
The progress Of the student Is like an cVolu-
! ton ia most OF the cases:
| ..Sculp,urc is an art of at least two tech
nioucs that Of the hand and that of the
| mind. HENCE 1t requires more craftsman
! shin thnu the other arts. The sculptor works
! with more dimension than the painter be-
! cause he works from all sides, whereas the
| ,uin,er has but the fiat surfncc. The real
| ,,ujutor works in not only three dimensions,
but also in the fourth, which is the spirit.
Aided by Great EXpositions
| "The exhibits If sculpture ut the great
| international exhibitions are of the greatest
| value TO the furthcrancc of the npprccia-
| tinn OF sculpture both among the people at
| lnrp, and among the artists as we'll And
| with thot appreciation of values in the art
| comes tho student who takes 1t up as his
| life work. The exhibitions give the young
! men a chance that they might otherwise
!
| Give them an opportunity ut once to show
| what they can do.
| I'VE nl know whnt tho Centennial held
| in PHILADELPHIA IN 1876 did for the United
| states commercially. and it acted ia exactly
| the same way for sculpture. The art IN this
| country has rurncd immensely sine" that
duy, and it was largely helped to do 50
| through the subsequent great cXpOsit ions
! held in other of our great cities.
"The outlook for the art is better than
u has ever been before in our own country.
| II nppeurs to be passing rapidly from he
realistic stage into forms showing some g..
| ,hIng Of II more stable spirit, combined with
| n more solid technique and n better npprr-
| riotion Of what II means. This clange takes
| I'm SCULPTURE the form both Of execution and
, uf the choice Of subject matter.
Fewer Portrait Statues
"There nrc constantly fewer and lew,
nortrpit stutucs being made in the UniteJ
| states Something finer has taken the place
! nf these works The portrait Statue might
lr snid to represent renlism. but the newer
and better work. which shows the vhurac.
teristics Of the person being portrayed. is
symbolism and is far better art ilun m
exuct replica Of physical liurs. lMe shows
the body and the other the spirit.
ut takes a greater mentality and A
higher art to do This last kind of SCULPTURE