The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-23

Among the Topeka artists who will
send pictures to the exhibition of the
work of Missouri, Kansas and Okla
horna artists, scR2ptOrs and craftsmen
10 be held at the Kansas CITY, Mo,
Art Institute. January to February
3. are Miss Marian Peers and Mrs. l.
= Miss Peers will enter two pastel
landscapes which she did in Colorado o
last summer. They are ''Manitou'
and The Pines, Mt. May"
Mrs Hodge Will enter two oil land
scapes. kansas Cornfield" and
Peace of the Hills" a Rocky noun
tain scene. and one oil marine, In
flowing Tide"
Inasmuch as the above mentioned
exhibit on is to be sent on tour OF
the middle west at the close OF its So
Journ at Kansas City, and viii hn-
doubtedly contain much work of sur
passing interest to all art lovers of
this part OF the country, it has been
suggested that the Topeka Art Guild
take steps to have Topeka included in
the. itinerary.
George NJ. stone has just finished
an oil portrait Of Mrs C 3. Hoffman
of Enterprise. Kan
Arts and Decoration for December
contains an article well worth read
ing by those who wish TO understand
the modefn trend in pictorial art. 1t
Is. entitled. What Is Modernism in
Faint-ng2' Some OF the Principles
Governing the Worldwide Movement
in Art" Its author. Percy Moore
Turner. asserts that much of the de-
nunciatory criticism or ultra modern
art is due to a popular misunder-
standing of the strongest underlying
principle Of art
Says he, art consists not in the
making of story telling pictures, all
great art is the result of an uncon-
scious yearning TO record an emot- on
al condition and an endeavor. again
Gnconsctously, by means of an in
strument. such as a picture. to evoke
in. or transmit emotion 10 responsive
persons"
Unless a nigh degree OF emotional
enthusiasm can be sustained. a paint
ing degenerates into a mere display of
craftsmansh- p when slaviSh attention
10 elaborate detail is insisted upon.
This is mainly because the artist cen
tertng his mind on the detail he is
a whole, and so eXaggerates the i'm
portance of the little things in the
general scheme
IN the slower life of past genera
tons, mems emotionaI states were
longer continued than they are now
thinks Mr. Turner. THIS gave the
o.d masters time TO PANT with more
the end Of the work. their pictures
thus in no way losing in power by
reason OF careful finish.
Because men of q lesser genius or
or different tenI@erament copied the
technical methods of the masters, their
art became cOrventionlized or dead
But as soon as an artist realized that
ne could not express himself in the
prevailing method, and boldly struck
out into new paths carefully remem-
beTinS at the same time, that his in
noNauons were for the purpose of
free expression and not for the sake
OF novelty, he esta blisled a new epoc
IN the progress OF art.
In
art, that has come down thru the ages
and that binds the genius of the most
advanced school to the great masters
Of the past. is the sincere desire to
reveal TO others what one sees and
.eels
As time went on there appears to
have been a constant shortening of
the period of the emotional state, and
this has led to a continued modifying
OF technical methods in order that the
artist might express himself while the
spell is on him Thus has been pro~
duced the impression-st. the post-im-
pressionist, the dadist, the cubist, the
futuriSt. etc.
1Ir. Turner. in his article. tells who
are the great men OF the advanced
schools in art, why they are great, and
uses the above mentioned arguments
m defense of the style each of these
men has chosen as his medium of ex-
preston.
He points out that no matter how
uuIeTent or unusual man style is,
that if il is founded on the secure
foundation. the public will eventually
learn to understand it. to like it, and
to accept it.
Another exceedingly attractive fea-
ture OF Arts and Decoration this month
is a group of reproductions of eleven
pen and pencil drawings by S. V.
a young architect Iiv-
ing in the the state of Washington. |
the pictures are those of medieval
houses. chateaux and churches in |
France Mr.. Chamberlain madeA the
drawings during a recent tour abroad |
In composition. economy OF the line, |