Evening star., 1934-11-11

~ ESPITE the fact that Carl
Oscar Borg. an exhibition Of
whose dry points is now on
- view in the Smithsonian
Building, was born in Swe-
den he is, in his art, typical Cali
fornian, painting and etching Western
subjects. consorting chiefly with
Western artists, winning prizes IN
Western exhibitions and selling his
works to Western art museums and
other institutions. This is not by
any means to say that he is provincial
far from it-but long before the
East and Middle West became section
ally conscious IN art, Southern Cali
fornia had developed an art all her
own. which was completely independ-
ent, self-contained. California has. it
is true, the Huntington collection of
great English portraits. and museums
in San Diego, Los Angeles and San
Francisco are gradually building up
permanent collections of both old and
modern art, but from the students
standpoint these are still meager as
compared to what may be found in
the East. Furthermore, because OF the
distance and the barriers of the noun
tains and the desert, contemporary
art has not circulated there as freely
as In other parts Of the country. And
yet production has fiourished as al
most nowhere else and q healthy
local patronage without self conscious
ness, has been built up. The art col
onies at Carmel and at Laguna Beach
are genuine art centers, with not only
lively interest in production. but pro-
duction Of an exceptionally high
standard. Among the artists in San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Bar
bara, San Diego are not few that.
incidentally, have attained wide dis
tinction.
Borg is one of these. He is q painter
as well as an etcher and he has paint
ed in Italy and Spain, In South and
Central America, but he has chosen
chiefly for Interpretation subjects
found in Southern California and in
adjacent Southwestern States. He has
received mentions and awards In Eu-
ropean exhibitions, but he has been
still more greatly honored by his col
leagues of the West for works shown
in California. When few years ago
a representative collection Of etchings
by American artists was assembled to
be shown in the Bibliotheque Ma
tionale, Paris, an example OF Mr.
Borg's work was not only included,
but later acquired by this great in
stitution. This particular print.
portrait in profile Of q Navajo Indian,
is included in the current exhibition
in the Smithsonian. It Is interest
ing to note that Mr.. Borg is also rep
resented In the permanent collection
Of the University Of California, the
Municipal collection Of Phoenix, Ariz.;
Los Angeles Museum, California State
Library, Sacramento; De Young Me-
mortal Museum, San Francisco: Mills
College. Oakland Art Gallery and in
the Free Library, Anaconda, Mont,
and Senior High School, Ogden, Utah.
That this representation Is not just
Q matter of local or sectional pride
is amply testified by the so dry points
now on exhibition. From first to last
this collection is fine. Although Mr..
Borg Is self-taught he has been. and
doubtless still Is, Q serious student.
His work shows command Of medium
and knowledge of the fundamentals of
art, What is more 1t Is modern in
spirit without casting away the best
Of tradition. It Is strong. interesting
In pattern. vitalrs but not extfavagant
or self-assertiye- One feela that the