Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-18
HUGER ELLIOTT
On Art and the Average Person

THE general standard Of public taste In
L the United States Is rising. according
TO Huger Elliott. principal Of the School "t
the Pennsylvania Museum and School OF
Industrial Art.
EVERY man. woman and child in the
United States IS continually exercising MS or
her artistic Judgment" said Mr.. Elliott
twhOse first name Is pronounced U-gce).
Selecting a necKtie. n nnir ribbon or hat
requires in its degree the same feeling for
form. color and suitability as the selection
OF mural painting. public monument.
cot age or a cathedral. The judgments are
different in doCrcc-it is not n public
calamity if Mrs Micawbers hat is unbccon,-
ing: whereas. il Is when an unbcautiful
statue IL erected-but the same kind OF
appreciation Is needed in the various cases.
Public Taste Improving
1.-THE general level Of taste is rising. Our
china. glass and silverwarc. our furniture.
carpe;S and other textiles. in the main. are
far better than they were twenty years ago;
keeping pace. in measure. with the i'm.
provcment In architecture. The magazines.
the stores md the museums Of art nre tran-
ing the public In taste. and Mrs. Micawhcr's
perception Of suitability In hats Is II step
In the direction of her appreciation Of s'lita-
biity In house furnishings. in public build-
ings and the objects of beauty shown in onr
museums. The difficulty Is in bringing the
continually making selections in clothing or
in objects Of household use. he is exercising
artistic Judgment.
'"The phrase. 'Of course. I don't know
anything about art IL Immediately used
when you nsk the opinion of the average
man concerning a picture. statue or an
important building. These, particularly the
two former. he regards rs art. and. there
fore. out Of his line: he apparently does NOT
zee that il he can select this chair rs
being more pleasing to him than that lie
Is equally able to decide which Of two pic
lures he prefers.
''It Is the result of this unfortunate
modern tendency to think of. works of art as
something dissocinted with everyday life
something for the so-called high. brow
whereas. the average man has much
right 20 his opinion as the trained expert
When he can be persuaded to Ms" his eyes
and exercise his critical pcrccption. his
also increase the enjoyment which comes
from the contemplation of things of beauty
Art Part Of Daily Life
1--WE must rid ourselves of the habit ~
thinking OF art as something which has
nothing TO do with our workadny world; it
Is Of necessity a part Of the life of every
civilized human being. The feeling that art
is different and unusual Is seen in our in.
defensihle Use OF the word as an adjective;
we rehu OF ART lamps, urt BlhsS ana art
lace curtains. and (nlthough this is some.
what beside the point) we even have those IN
high places who speak Of art museums.
II feel that tho newspapers can do more
than they are doing. For one thing, when
building or monument or Il memorial
window Is dedicated, the name Of the arrhi-
tect, sculptor or designer IL rarely mentioned
and surely he IL as important a. the man
who presides at the ceremonies.
furthermore. these productions are never
criticized adversely: the building. statue
or window may be beneath contempt as a
work Of art, but the public Is not assisted
in its Judgment by frank statement of the
merits or the failings Of tho piece. Feelings
would, Of course, be hurt BY any hint of
condemnation, but the artistic qualities Of
future structures would be improved were
there intelligent public criticism.
"In this connection ! am reminded of
the procedure In Florence IN the fourteenth
century. The Standardization q matter of
civic as we'll as Of religious interest-was
building. One pier Of the nave was built.
and the citizens were asked to approve or
disapprove it before the others were erected.
There Is No Commercial Art
"There Is no such thing as commercial
art'--art cannot be commercialized. 1t IL
fortunately true that artistic principles are
aDplied to many objects produced by
machines; that commerce uses the taste and
skill Of the artist In advertisements and
Dosters; but product Of artistic worth
remains n work of art no matter how used
The term is extensively employed by those
who profess to teach or desire to study the
art Of making advertising drawings; such