Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

material things about them.
The course and development of
monumental art in the Western world
first impressed me as requiring colossal
dimensions upon my return from Eu-
rope the second time. The amazing and
expanding character of the civilization
clearly demanded an enlarge dimen-
sion--a new scale.
\ head the size of walnut may
have the scale of mountain when
properly set. proportional and carried
upon the right kind of a body. Or it
may be the most pitifully insignificant
thing when propped upon ill-propor-
toned shoulders.
Michaelangelo was the first, with
his great creative mind. to put the
God element even in the human hand:
he drew a hand that was capable OF
grasping a world, and he so con-
structed foot that it was equally cap
able and might have kicked that world
out of it's orbit.
These are not matters of ina gination
but matters of scale. of a subtle under
standing of proportion, "relativlty. -
older than Einsein. Science always fol-
lows. proves, then explains what the
creative mind long knew.
This element of bigness in form has
ever intrigued the imagination and
beckoned man on and on to greater ac-
complishment In my own case 1t has
been the things which exceeded my
physical and mental mastery that have
ever challenged as they inspired.
Lightning is one of the most lnsplr-
ing of natures excuses, and fearful
though 1 am, Immediately it stops | al
ways feel disappointment that it had
not gone further while it had the pow
err. / love John Muir because he would
climb tree to it's top in storm gust
to feel the majesty of natures MOOD
as he was whipped through the air on
the thin. trembling thing he chung TO-
Try it. It's wonderful.
X X X
THE airplane flight in half loop is
something like it. Or, try a nose
dive for a thousand feet and then
straighten out; or hang at the END
of 400 feet of three-eighths-inch cable,
the victim of every tremor OF the
wind, a living pendulum, with your
mitted hands and padded feet alone
IN sion YOU from being beaten to
pieces against the mountainside. DO
This for hours, looking for the proper
ton Of a mans knee on a inquire Zoo
feet high You are never the same
afterward. Physical fear, Of course,
has been met and beaten, but more
important. the world has shrunken
into your hand and you can reach
around the hemisphere and think with
the gods. The scale Of the world mas
changed.
Again volume of sound has great
%r emotional effect upon us than the
quality Of tone. II you don't believe
that. get up in the rafters OF good
sized auditorium, not too lar from
the mouth of a 16-inch pipe OF the
organ as the master is playing the
finale OF some overture. l warn you
to lie down if there is nothing to hold
on to. for all power leaves you; or,
better. get into the crevice of a safe
rock near the heavens, above every
thing. where the vibrations VIII not
knock you over, and wait there until
Thor cuts loose with his hammer.
You can fairly see sound and feel 1T
as it breaks and pours over the noun
tains like a Niagara tumbling about
you.
the playground of the gods. it is the
source of inspira ton; and il you will
listen close to the voice of nature, II
YOU dare, IL you have courage, you
will soon understand. and art may be
awakened in you. If so. and when it
does. then the battle begins-you and
art alone must master the power and
borrow the language of nature. Ma
tlre is made, a prof1igate. mindless
chaotic. She is ruthless. saves noth'
ing. keeps no dates. She builds 81
lentlv. potently, for cons. only TO
sweep all into oblivion in an hour of
,nreasoned, inexplainable madness.
Art alone is order; she lives only as
she shapes and perfects life's record,
and in the record depicting under
standingly the great soul back of ma
lures effort.
THE interest in colossal art is the
supernatural in man responding
to the phenomenal. In 1919 l was
lunching with the late Franklin X.
Lane. at the time Secretary of the In
terior. We had been discussing art
and government, and the rare occur
renee OF the colossal in either. Their
7 began to tell of Stone Mountain
He put the question: Yes, / under
stand, but why so big and why the
Confederacy?"
Mr.. Secretary. know the story Of
Virginia and Lee. l know America
There IS no dQNdHldRH DIS u pdlilot''
sincerity North, South, East or Wes
in our great republic. ] want the wore
rebel rubbed out" l continued. for
ever as standing against Americans.
And perhaps that was my Creates
wish. II have an idea that il {
memorial upon mountain can be-
large enough, disinterested enough, t'
awaken the whole Nation, the Souti
will have forever her day before The
court of history and a new under
standing will spring up over tina
Quarrel of giant brothers, new pride
return to the children of all wh'
fought in the cause that will eve
prevail and can never be lost in ;
republic-tha right OF an opinion. thu
right to maintain 1t, and the right t
succeed in it,"
Lane stopped me.
"Borglum, he broke in. I'm entire
~ with you. The issue is academi
and closed. But such a monumen
ss YOU describe clears q long felt Vagu
and uniformed idea in my mind. Blu
can il be done in the spirit in whicl
you conceive it,"
And then he added, in kind o
exultation:
ut must be done. America need
lust such a monument.
This la st remark fingered long j
my mind: America needs just such
monument ] pondered long on tina
thought. America was breaking he
wav into new civilization. And the
saw more surely-America needle
such a monument, 1t is known onl
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