Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-03
"UHimdte Art"
William A. Meoauy in Philsdslphis Lsdssr)
Reaction OF Philadelphia cnue
Confronted by Modern Exhibit.

| NViitsth ~ 1Soauy VI FtheoePuo A<u8etJ
4 new title ioF all the modsfnis,s and .
brand new school Of the same came 10 light the
ether day in Philadelphia a. . result Of the Ae-
sotsnodaiing spirit shown by those responsible
/ Tor passing on the shop window exhibits ot
Artists week" The nsms ior all the so.ealled
outrageous groups IS "ul,imates," The new
4 school Is HeaTstian.
That information Was obtained IN an
exclusive interview With . man recognized
| as leading authority on advanced art. His name
/ can not be used. ior personal reasons. But
| proof may be addueed that he has inspiration As
well as knowledge OF paint psitef. which, he con-
tends. Is the sole equipment OF most critics
Il need say only that am q can OF paint
he remarked ~ tha, connection. "My associates
al the institution for the treatment OF mental dis
| turbanees which ! lett via the wall were AZ 4
loss 10 discern the truth; 10 them ! seemed TO be
but an ordinary human being. Their vision Is
obseured. They have no perspective. What do
| they know OF linear yaluess
Il can chatter OF poy-impressionism because
lines that arc meaningless TO the populace pene-
trate TO my inner consciousness. Each complex
| OF the many is simplex 10 me. Vortieists.
| eubists. impressonisis-t understand them all.
even 10 the most tremendous OF their hidden
! meanings"
When the expert was located he was standing
| IN iron, OF one OF the Chestnut street shop win
dows in the back OF which had been set up =
large "tuinrist study" Various ordinary citizens
and women voters were gazing at the painting
| as though desperately determined to make some
| thing ont OF il. Two friends almost came to
blows over the effort to identify the large mauve
object in the right-hand corner OF the painting.
One said il was cabbage. the other thought it
was a coal Scuttle.
Both happened to be wrong. The object
was motif. Any artist worthy OF his salt is
familiar with motifs. Some artists have them as
pets. The little creatures run hither and yon in
the studies OH sunny days, but on dark and foggy
days they run TO and fro. Anon they, cayort
abou, in the corners. and every once in while
one falls into a bucket Of paint and is drowned.
The heart of the artist is then touched and he
immortalizes the motif by pastering It on
canvas.
The expert. of course. knew all about that.
but he said nothing. Even when an earnest look
ing collector OF old masters mistook some
Chiaroscuro for an attempt TO depict the leg OF a
lady whose head was lost in a sickly green
splurge OF paint, he said nothing. 1t was not
until somebody suggested that the painter was
weak OH form that his silence burst its bonds and
he revealed himself as can OF paint.
Form" he snccrcd What has form to do
with the infinite? Docs Einstein speak Of form?
Does he speak OF anything that can be UNDER
stood? OF course not. Then why should the
futurist do so? As matter OF fact, there is
plenty of form in that study but it means moth
ing Nothing means anything 1t is beyond
comprehension"
Cowcd and Inundated the spectators melted
away and the expert was induced to walk to an
other window containing felike reproduction
OF the wife and family Of an inebriated pugilist
Apparently the latter lost six-round bout with
another fighter and then attacked the wrath of
John Barleycorn, losing again. Whereat. with =
perseverance worthy of better cause, he went
home and started third fight
Hudded in one corner was broken skillet
On its edge was small section of the pugst's
scalp. The fighter himself was in several Sec
tons scattered all the right of way, il that
is what artists call the whole scene Hoverinn
over each section was member of his family,
OF member OF a member, each brandishing some
large blunt instrument in threatening manner
That said the expert "is a faithful and life
like reproduction OF school of whales. You will
note that excitement is running high As 4
matter of fact l doubt if I have ever seen excite
ment depicted quite SO high as in this marvellous
work. Some persons may not even know that
excitement can run that high.
All of these works are of the ultimates,
which means the limit. That term is used be-
cause there is no limit. This particular painting
and several of the others are of the Hearstian
school, because they hit one in the eye The
whole idea of Hearstian art is to hit one in the
eye, or perhaps two. Occasionally the artist hits
three. Knocks 'em cold. so to speak.
Normal persons will not appreciate any Of
this art. But nobody cares They can never
know how glorious it is to be able to understand.
1t they knew the pleasure | get out of being can
of paint lot of them would knock their heads
forcibly against the sidewalk and join me-"