Evening star., 1926-10-10

scum, tnaugurateS It's season
i Of print exhibitions lpy an ex
ceptionally interesting one
man show, the work OF Gustave Bau
mann. one Of our foremost color WOOD
block printers-one who. as Mr.. Tol
man. head of the division OF graphic
arts. aptly Says, is an exceptional COL
orist and fine technician.
Mr.. Baumann was born In Ger
many, at Magdeburg. in 1881, but ne
has long resided In this country. OF
which he is now an adopted son. he
is a member of the Chicago Society
of Artists, also one Of the Chicago
Cliff Dwellers, IA member Of the TAOS
Society and of the California Print
Makers Society. For a numoer OF
years he has resided in Santa Fe, n
Mex, and the majority OF his prints
are of life and landscape in that re
gion.
Color block prints are those which
are printed in color from hand-cut
blocks. The design is drawn on Key
block in black lines and masses ana
- then the spaces are cut away with &
knife gouge or a V.shaped tool. 81
that these lines and masses stand up
in high relief. One block is cut b.!
the artist for each color in his design.
The blocks are linked. each with {;
different color, and then printed on
sheet OF paper. one block after an
other. The artists employing this
method work in two different ways
Some make use OF strong outline or.
their key blocks and print it in blacl
or some dark tint. The color blocks
are then used to fill In the spaces be
tween the lines. Others, however.
they use a key block at all, print Il in
such light color that 1t is not observ
able, or superimpose upon 1t a color
block so that the outline is invisible
Gustave Bauman employs the sec.
ond method, with the result that his
color prints have little or no kinshir
to the color prints Of Japan. but in
stead present the appearance
pastels or paintings in gouache. A.
one of his fellow block printers has
said. "he paints on paper. through thu
medium Of his blocks. a print Of which
any wielder Of the brush might ht
proud
Perhaps the loveliest of all the
prints in the current exhibition in the
Smithsonian Institution are those "
which colorful foliage is a leading fac.
tor. Trees turned gold by autmnal
frosts. fruit trees blossoming in Spring
ankle AFFORD him welcome opportunity
for poetic and beautiful interpreta.
ZION. He Is an excellent dra aftsman.
but he is still better colorist. anS his
color combinations. while brilliant. as
oet1fs his subjects. are invariably har
moniouS
In some of his pictures he has intro.
duced. as an additional element Of in.
terest. animals. One which is delight.
ful as pure landscape Is entitled
Punch Hunting Chipmunks." and
close inspection reveals to the OBJ.
server the hunter and the hunted.
each taking its place in the compost.
flon As decorative element, suggest.
ing. in fact. that for their drama the
scene has heen set. but as inconspicu.
Gus as wild creatures invariably are
in the wilderness.
IT should be remembered that a
color print Of this sort is quite diff.
ferent from a photographic print re.
producing a painting-quite as much
an original work is the So.called art
lists proof etching. But a wood block
print. as a we'll known authority has
ssid, must be designed in terms of
the medium" and is essentially deco.
ratire.
The Japanese prints made by the
wood block process have exerted a.
potent influence on the art Of the Oc.
cident. 1t was from Japanese wood
that Whistler received much inspira.
tton. One of the first Americans 10
take up wood block printing in the jap.
aneSe method was Helen Hyde, who
went to Japan and studied under Jap.
snese masters, later winning awards
In competition with japanese students.
In recent years wood block prints
have become very popular. and so
skillfully are they made. by not one
but many cotemporary artists, that
today they take their place In all ex.
hibitions Of graphic arts with etch-
ing, engraving and lithography. In
fact. the American Federation OF Arts
is circulating this season among the
leading American colleges a group Of
priI..s by American etchers and en-.
Eravers which consists Of as many
wood block prints in color as etchingS
IN black and white. The remarka Die
thing is that with a medium so sim.
pie, and Yet so cifcumscribed. it is
possible for artists to find such di.
versity of expression.
The wood block prints Of Japan were
purposed for the masses: they we're
the poor mans art. The wood block
prints Of today are likewise within
the reach Of those of extremely mod.
est means. GuStave Bauman's are
some Of his can be had for as little
rs $40.
The current exhibition Will continue
until the goth of this month. and will
be followed next month by collec.
tion Of wood block prints in color and
very different in style. by Mrs. Bertha
Ium of San Francisco. Other exhibi-
tions to follow in this series are etch-
ings, drypoints and wood block prints
by B. J. o. Nordfeldt; French color
prints by various print makers: aqua.
tints by II. NJ. Luquiens of Honolulu;
drvpoints and Autographs by Chaun.
cey Ryder, the we'll known landscape
painter, and etchings by Lee Sturges.
THE building of the new wing of the
Corcoran Gallery of Art to &C
commodate the Clark collection goes
on apace, but there is no prospect OF
completion in the near future. Mean
while Mr.. Minnigeroae. the director
OF the gallery. is preparing cata.
1ogue OF the exhibits. calling to his aid
such expert advice as he may require
but giving 70 the work his own un
divided attention. The Clark collec
ton, il will be remembered. includes
not only paintings but textiles. tapes
tries. rugs. woven fabrics. porcelains
majolicas and other objects Of art.
Because o! the building operations
and this important work requiring sc
much time and attention. the number
of special exhibitions held in the Cor
coran Gallery this season will prob
ably be considerably reduced. This
does not mean, however. that the loca
societies, the Society OF Washington
Artists and the Washington Water
Color Club. will be excluded. To the
contrary. each will be allotted the spe
cial exhibition gallery for a month for
its annual exhibition as heretofore.
Meanv hile It should be noted that