Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-18
Success Only By-Product Of Art,
Says American Soul ptOr in Paris

I'VE have fine museums already"
stop there" he cut in. Museums
should be consequence of over
production. Fill museums after you
have filled your homes. Museums are
splendid as reference libraries for
students who know what they want
Aren't they good to awake inter
est?" I said.
YES, yes; but I think it almost our
great art trouble in America Art
is meant to be lived with, not stuck
away in museums. If you had 10 60
to library to read your newspaper
you would not read much.
That's what wo do with art" he
continued. We put it away in mu-
seums. miles of il. We get an indi-
gestion. or it is like looking at the
outside covers OF books and saying,
1 have read it Go an hour 10 the
Louvre. What do you get? The only
right way is to sit an hour, looking
at one thing"
Art has nothing to do with guam
tity.''
With his second wind Davidson
came strong.
This idea of trying to industrialize
art-how many artists you are going
TO produce-has nothing to do with
art"
artists SO that each rich American
can have that one picture TO look at"
Supply and demand will fix it. II
you want art, you'll get artists. They
will not produce just for themselves.
Artists want an audience"
rs our art-hungry audience in
creasing? Is not the hunger for your
own productions a sign of it?" I
asked.
Il cannot gauge it." he answered.
/ Naturally, I am tempted to think So"
is there more art-hunger in
France"
! Yes, l think so. 1t is the attitude OF
| the man in the street that counts, you
see-toward the art student. do not
| mean toward a successful artist I
] fear YOU are taking it for granted
/ that because YOU think I am a success
L must be a great artist, while, as a
| TACT. II has nothing to do with 1t.
Success proves nothing. A man striv-
| ing unsuccessfully may be a great
| artist,'
| Ahead of his timer"
| Yes, or otherwise History is fun
of it. Rembrandt is a god today. but
| 1t did not stop him from dying in a
garnet. I do not think 1t fair to Judge
! art by success. y man can paint and
| sculpt. and yet say nothing. lie may
| have the greatest technique, yet be
| just a good workman-not an artist
| at all! And a man can be scarcely
! able to express himself, yet still be an
artist. Cezanna, There was an
| artist! While Bouguereau, who did
| drawing and painting perfectly and
was grand technician, was simply
| nothing as an artist-merely a man
| of talent"
s.
OMAN OF talents" muttered.
A'A "A man OF talent can do
| whatever he wants to do-because he
does not want much. A man of genius
| does what he can-because he always
tries moro than is possible, and mere
ly succeeds in doing what he can OF
| itr
Thank goodness" said. there's
progress!
There is no such thing as prog
resin art" replied Davidson, calm
ly. otherwise. you could begin
where Shakespeare left of, and make
him look like 80 centsl
You have progress in science and
industry" said Davidson, steam.
| electricity! Progress means addition
But look at a Greek masterpiece of
sculpture. You cannot add to il, you
cannot beat it, 1t is a complete ex-
| ~ SSSioh VI
1T is a fallacy to set out with the
assumption that there is a scale Of
values in art, bad to good All
artists work expresses them and
those of us who like their art. My
sculpture Is neither good nor bad !:
it is mine; 1t may be yours.
l TT is mine because I made Il. I
did so because j could not do eSIer-
wise; it. expressed something 80 RAG
If it Expresses something in you, you
will like 1t; and then-in an art
| sense-it is yours.
1T is yours and mine. And If It IS
ours, let us say so. Don't cali II
good and don't let any one else cali
| it bad Art is beyond good ana
bad"
1t comes gracefully from successful
men to say these things From the
very successful, they sound modest
and almost rea&on@b2sl