The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-18
Charming Landscapes of Helen Turner
on View at the Heron Art Institute

Helen Turner. whose paintings are
now on view in Gallery XI at the
John Heron Art Institute. shows a
thoughtful. conscientious habit of
mind in her approach to her work.
She strives for absolute verify. but
sho enriches the starkness Of real
istic effect through her appreciation
Of color.
She expresses the essence of spring
in The CARDINAL and Spring Song +;
she has caught the restful dignity
of well-ordered homes in THE Sunny
Room" THE Window Seat" Inter
ior" and THE Mirror"
In her portraits she is concerned
with the personality OF her model and
seeks to express it with exactitude. A
technique. involved and intricate, is
the result of this dissatisfaction with
the casual impression, the haphazard
makeshift. Her forms are solid.
The paint is thickly applied, some.
times in heavy masses broken appar-
emily by the handle of the brush into
deep ridges, sometimes in rough
coats one above another.
The colors appear in many cases
to have been applied. directly from
the tube TO the canvas, and there
mixed rather perfunctorily The
artists manner of adding thick.
bright drops of color. like jewels,
above a painted surface, already
dried, produces an enameled effect,
rich and brilliant.
Miss Withers" is a stately por-
trait of dark haired woman in a
striped blue and white costume. She
sits facing her observer, her round,
smooth hands clasped softly in her
lap The background is dark pur-
pie blue and, in contrast to the han
ding of other parts of the painting
was apparently applied in a thin
covering wash of unbroken tone
above a dried ground that had failed
to satisfy.
Thin fiat washes are not charac-
teristic of Miss Turner's style, but
the other Of the sort, employed
doubtless for the same reason--to
obliterate an offending note-is
found in the portrait of Miss Bar
balm" Here, a gray, even tone is
spread behind the figure. Miss
Barbain" is shown less than life
81 In I,,II HIsr1 20
feta standing with one arm out
stretched along a draped shelf that
supports an old mahogany clock.
The firm, fine textured hand with
its difficult problem of foreshorten-
ing is worthy of particular study.
In the other hand there is a pea
cock fan of Chinese pattern.
other bright accents are found in
the red necklace and the blue bow
on the bodice. august Sunshine"
Is an outdoor study of woman in
blue waist seated in the shadow
with sunlight back of her on a tam
gle of green foliage, and the white
trunks of birches. There are mas
terful flesh tones in this painting,
and most gratifying color scheme.
1.-THE Sisters" and 1.-THE Girl in
Yellow" are child portraits. "The
Sisters" portrays two red-cheeked
little girls in white standing hand in
hand with patient resignation in
their wide eyed glances. The little
French girls painted by Mary Cassatt
this canvas hangs in the adjoining
gallery-sat for their portraits with
the aplomb of ladies of the great
world, but Miss Turner's little
Sisters" are two unaffected Ameri-
can children, who doubtless were
painfully irked by the tediousness OF
posing. 1.-THE Girl in Yellow" is an
alert, self-possessed young person in
large tan hat and a yellow dress
against light green ground. This
is an example of vigorous technique,
thick pigment and complicated brush
work.
In contemplating the bronzes by
Harriet F'rishmuth, there is no in
dication that she has ever known
aught. but a holiday humor. She is
the interpreter Of youth at play. Her
charming fountain bronzes, the mis-
chievous sprites designed to sport in
fountain basins, are gracefully APP
pealing creatures, but they are at a
disadvantage in any gallery.
They cannot fully come alive
without water to quicken them into
being. They should be seen through
a leafy. sun-fiecled screen Of sum.
mer foliage, their round limbs wet