New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-05-13
Pennell Lashes
Cuff and Bluff
Taught as Art
schools Full of Everything
Except Technique, Which
Is Vital to Craftsman.
Veteran Tells Directors
Must Learn From Europe
reproduction and Printing
Decadent; New Training
Method Called Essential

Joseph Penncll, chief overseer O,
American Art, cracked the rawhide
around the legs of the art directors
yesterday and babe them to get uu
and at it.
Not only did Mr.. Pennell criticize
American methods Of art reproduction
and printing, but he told $50 members
OF the Art Directors Club and friends
at luncheon at the Hotel Martinique
Just where and how American meth ode
are behind those Of other countries
ana he ended by declaring it to be the
DUTY OF the directors to exert their
'hnuence for national school OF
graphic arts in order to keep up with
the systems being developed by othe,
countries: "Unlcss you do this" he
told the directors, "you will have them
coming over here to do your work fo1
you"
Art Must Be Taken Seriously
Mr.. Pennell was down to speak or
Art Editing, AS | Have Experienced
It. he told how he received his first
experiences twenty five years ago or
"Scribner's." with such artists as How.
ard Pyle and Robert Blum--men, who
ne said, made illustration a great and
living art. Then there was no play.
time art or any other except art. Un.
less we take 1t like that our art will
sink lower, If it is possible to get any
lower, he said.
Go into an art school to-day" Mr.
Pennell said, land all you get is mes.
sage, uplift, CUFF and bluff--everythinp
but technique. In those days we did
try. II an infantile genius came to ar
art editor and said 4 can do just as
we'll for half the price he was told tc
60 elsewhere and do it. But there is
none of you but would have taken
him.
The older illustrators developed q
most amazing system of reproduction, ;
Mr.. Pennell went on, that none of you
to-day would dare attempt. Those
methods are the same as now used
throughout Europe, but you directors
haven't the CUTS to use them because
the advertiser is principally the boss
Then Mr.. Pencil remarked that if we
could only muster the intelligence and
courage to start real magazine anc
enlist the bigger artists and writers
as did the old Century" and "Har.
per's" we would quickly find there is
place for it, even at 4 dollar copy
He said there are still enough Ameri
cans who know good reproduction in
place of the damnable threc-color rot
in analine dyes that we have to-day
He added to this what were some OF
the possibilities of the rotogravure
process of modern printing had not
played down to the advertiser"
Would Learn From Leipzig
Properly trained craftsmen are wha,
we need most hero, the artist con.
tinued. He told of the progress made
in art printing by the Leipzig Insti.
tute and said it is duty for directors
to go over and learn how it is done
1t was the German craftsman who best
understood tho rotogravure process
and when the war began, he said, these
men departed and we haven't any one
VINO knows how to conduct it.
ave have got to get together an(
work for national art school for the
study Of graphic arts" Mr.. Pennel
said in closing. "There is no sector
devoted to this in the American
Academy and if we don't abandon
sentiment and such rot in art for 6
better understanding of essentiale
others are going to do our work fol
u.s."
The speaker was introduced By
Joseph II. Chaplin, art editor Of Serb
ner's and president Of the directors
club. who said the occasion would be E
farewell to the artist who would sal
to-day for Europe to attend the 150th
anniversary meeting of the Belgium
Royal Academy.