Evening star., 1934-05-20

the United States National Museum
because of the present vogue for work
in this medium and inaSmuch it is the
first annual exhibition of the Woodcut Society
of Kansas City. This society, now but little
more than a year old. was founded primarily
for the purpose of publishing original cuts for
its members, to which have been added the
functions of collecting and exhibiting with the
object of increasing interest in the art. The
Society's publications available to members
only. No prizes are offered, but some of the
leading woodblock prntmakers have contrib
uted to the travelling exhibition. There
b artists represented in the current show
and the variety of the work shown gives
L-added interest
Wood cutting engraving differs from
engraving or etching on metal inaSmuch as
I'm the latter the line which prints is cut in and
in the former left standing. the background
or the part which does not take the ink being
cut away. The is a black, the other,
generally speaking. a white line process In
the ordinary wood cut the artist, as rule,
deals not SO much with line as with mass and
simplifies his composition to the lowest terms.
But from this most direct method the wood
cut runs the gamut to the finest of wood
engravings made by such masters as Henry
Wolf and Timothy Cole, which set new
standard in the graphic arts. There in
= this exhibition some very fine wood engravings
by Thomas w. Mason, Allen Lewis and Grace
Arnold Albee
doubtedly come into general because il
accOrds with the time 1t is vigorous. definite,
conclusive and, presumably because it goes
well with type, much better than the average
half-tone In the hands of master, such
as Rockwell Kent work in this medium has
attained very considerable distinction, as, for
example, his Illustrations for "Moby Dick"
Only second, perhaps, in this field to Rockwell
Kent is an EngiShwoman. Clare Leighton,
who is represented by a single print, Limb
ing" in this exhibition. Charles Smith OF
Virginia issued this last year interesting
p-pictorial record of Charleston S c., its houses
and street scenes. in wood-block prints. j. J.
Lankes, also a Southerner and wood block
cutter of foremost rank, is represented in
the Woodcut Society's exhibition by prints
entitled In North Newport News" and Main
Street. Troutdale Virginia.
This exhibition reminds us quite frankly
that the art of the United States is no longer
the art of the Eastern States and this is we'll.
The Chicago Society of Etchers and the Cali
fornia Printmakers have been for some years
in this field and widely influential. Two or
three years ago the Prairie Printmakers, with
headquarters in Wichita, KanS., into
existence, and now this Woodcut Society in
Kansas City assumes leadership in the issu-
ance of prints through publication and exhi-
bition.
good part of this awakening of interest
and activity in the Middle West is due to the
instructor in art at Bethany College Lind
borg, Kans., for many years, and still virile
producer, as his six prints in this exhibition
amply testify. SandZen uses for the most
part, local subjects and thus has opened the
eyes of Midwesterners to the beauty which
surrounds them. He employs a style exclu-
Sively his own, by which he has attained
exceptionally brilliant effects of light and
motion. AS Van Gogh whipped up his
color with swirls of paint, SO Sandzen whips
up his wood blocks with swrling lines with
equally exciting effect.
Wood blocks need not, of course be printed
only in black and white. The japanese greatest
of wood-block printers, commonly used colors.
But the use of color entails the making of more
than one block and must be taken that
all of these register perfectly. Helen Hyde,
who was one of the first Americans to employ
this medium, followed the Japanese methods
closely. In later days however, our artists
have tried new paths and developed methods
of their own. Frances H. Gearhart of Pasa-
dena, who is represented in this exhibition by
four of her latest prints of California land
Scapes, is of those who color wood
block as original medium, and she produces
works of enduring merit and charm. There
are also here two very lovely prints in color
by Bessie c. Lemly-"Cherokee Roses and
yellow Jasmine Unfortunately Gustave
Baumann of Sante Fe and other outstanding
color wood-block printmakers are :.ot repre-
sented-but one should not ask too much
OF outstanding interest and merit in this
collection among works in black and white are
prints by Donald F. Notwithstanding SUBJ
jects, such as Bringing in the Nets, by Tod
Lindenmuth; "The Riding Light by H. Glin-
tenkamp, whose subjects include views in Spain,
France, Prague and Manhattan. of equal pic
turesqueness well impressive quality.
Wood dblock prints have another virtue. They
are very inexpensive.