The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-29

According to the art writer of the
New York Times, a competent French
authority estimates that there are So
900 professional artists living in Paris
at the present time, men and women
who think they have genius and hope
to earn their livelihood by means of
the brush"
This Frenchman throws a rather
pessimistic ray onto the hopes and
aspirations of these people and thou
sands of others like them in other
parts of the world, by asking II there
were so many as sixty out of a horde
of artists produced by the prolific
nineteenth century, whose names are
remembered by the connoisseur." And
he estimates that there are not more
than twenty out this possible sixty,
whose art regulations are secure for
the coming centuries.
The New York Times writer re-
marks that nothing lies like facts I'M
less it be figures, and that the declara-
tions of the Frenchman should not
dampen the spirits and quench the en-
thusiasm of the coming generation of
artists.
The French authority's assertion
that fads in art arise and then become
passe so quickly that before one
school has time to develop another
takes its place" and that consequently.
by the time painter has learned to
produce in the school of the day his
WOIh IS OUT OF style keallZlng this,
the modern artist, even when tall
ented, does not try to produce anything
more than clever conceits that will
catch the fleeting fancy of the fashion
chaser.
The American admits that what the
Frenchman says about passing fads
and fancies is in a measure true but
asserts that the handicap may be
overcome thru a quickening of the
artists faculties to corresDond with
Snnndincr not -
An artist to produce something new
yet something enduring must, today,
cultivate a young mind" develop
habits of quick perception and rapidity
and concentrated effort in his work.
The writer OF this column believes
that both of these men overlook the
main point about art and artists. That
is. about the kind of art that will sur
vive and the kind of artists that pro-
duce such art.
AS many of those $4,000 artists in
Paris and the other thousands else
where, as are in the game for the
purpose of making a living or getting
rich or to gain a big name among
their contemporaries. ought to fail.
and most CT them will. Few such
render any real service to art and
most of them do it harm. Strait is
the gate and narrow is the way that
leadeth to life. and few there be that
find it,
The true artist will not worry about
lnventing new or original viewpoint
from which to see nature, or a new
language with which to express him
self. If he has talent, that natural
something that makes every man diff
ferent from every other man will give
him all the originality that he needs.
What he should do is to work, to
think, to follow his best impulses, Dor
rowing only from the work and ex-
perience of others such technical lore
as have been proven good by the test
of time. or which his honest convic-
ton tells him are his best assistants
in expressing himself.
II person must earn living by
art, let him enter into some branch
of acknowledged commercial art, and
then devote his play time to the de-
velopment and qualification of higher
artistic aspirations.
A sincere, conscientious worker in
art may win recognition much more
slowly than the fad chaser. but what
ever he wins is his for all time, and
the fad chaser will one day be for
gotten