Evening star., 1935-05-19
By Leila Mechlin.

IL ASttN AVE- CSgStSte
TWENTY-ONE water colors and
ten prints by Martin Lewis are
now on view at the Public
L Library, Eighth and K streets.
constituting an exhibition
which far exceeds in interest and i'm
portance any one-man show that has
been held here during the past season,
or, for that matter, several seasons.
AS an etcher, Lewis has been out
standing for some time. and his etch-
ings, even during the dark days Of
the depression, have brought high
prices, but it Is only lately that he
has exhibited water colors. But,
presto-the medium changes, but not
the man. Martin Lewis water colors
are as pre-eminent for merit as his
etchings, and they are as distinctively
personal. Technically, they are ex-
ceedingly brilliant, but in their rem
dering there Is no bravado. Like his
etchings, they concern themselves pri-
marily with problems of light. not as
artistic stunts but as that magic which
transforms life-at its best and at
its worst. 1t may be the cold pale
sunlight of a Winter day, or the
dazzling sunlight of Midsummer by
the sea, or twilight as it descends over
a great city, or even the artif1cial
street light when darkness has dropped
down, but in every instance 1t Is the
kevnote Of the theme and touches not
only the inanimate units Of compost
ton, but the people who are chief &C
tors in the drama of life. In fact,
Il Is the drama of life that he in
yariably presents in his etchings. in
his water colors-not merely as
spectacle, but as fact with deep.
underlying significance. How can life
be interpreted save through the me-
dium of man? Take, for example,
Lewis etching. GLOW of the City," or
his water color, Spiral Staircase,
Greensboro Bridge" in both Of which
the emotional reaction OF beauty is
emphasized by the attitude OF those
who are looking on-a woman on
fire escape-workmen under the
bridge. "Morning-Fourth Avenue"
water color is another typical ex-
ample in which the feeling OF the
place, the hour and even the fresh
ness of the air can be correctly esti-
mated by the quick-stepping figures
that animate the scene.
We hear a great deal today about
the American scene and during the
past Winter have seen it much and
variously painted, but that 1t need
not be vulgar or ugly in order to be
typical these paintings and prints
of Martin Lewis amply testify. 1T is
the artists business" said a we'll
known painter. Ito exalt his sub
ject," and this with utter frankness
and without self lf-consciousness or SEN
timentality Martin Lewis does. And
how inimitable at times he is! Take,
for example, his water color. Rear
Apartments" which in 1929 won the
Brokaw award. Tenants, a story apart,
are conversing with one another
above the other A long, cool shadow
crosses the sun-baked bricks and joins,
as it were, the actors in this common
place drama, while off to the right
clothes drying on high-strung lines
give color and verify to the compost
ton. The women are not beautiful.
but they fit into their environment
and they are very human. There Is
a touch of sympathy and understand
ing, a more than half friendly smile,
on the part of the artist in his manner
of rendering. In fact, in all Of Lewis
work there is an evident healthy
interest in life itself, its motion, its
detachment, its pattern and color, that
is very reassuring and engaging, for
life. after all. is not half bad and there
are more who meet 1t courageously
than otherwise.
1t was. perhaps, desire to employ
color that induced Lewis to take up
painting, and certainly the color he
now uses is fresh and delightful In
this particular his water colors excel
his etchings. But he has always
liked to express motion, and this is
as true Of his work in one medium as
another. PLAY Ball" q beach scene
in water color, is indicative Of this
leaning and facility. and note should
be made of the fact that here, as IN
other of his pictorial compositions,
the actors are not static. and the
effect is never that of a SNAPSHOT.
Even when this artist paints a snow
covered country road he seems in
some subtle way to indicate the pass
ing of time-things tranSitory. The
shadows on the white driveway are
not fixed, but moving. And all this Is
done so simply. so directly, that it
seems easy and as though 1t were
merely matter of course
In an article published in The
American Magazine of Art about five
years ago the present head of the
Art Department of the Public Lii
brary, writing under the nom de
plume, Michael Haydon." had this
to say of Martin Lewis: "A native of
Australia, Martin Lewis studied there,
in between 'scrambling for a living at
whatever work offered Later he
went to New Zealand, followed the
sea Tor time, and finally came to
America. where he now makes his
home. Few artists know New York so
intimately or thoroughly, and none
has caught so well the spirit Of this
terrifying and enchanting city" Ard,
with reference to his etchings and
dry points: His knowledge of life, as
shown in his vigorous representations
OF contemporary scenes and people,
is both wide and deep, and his integ-
rity such that he is prevented from
depicting it as either pretty or ro-
mantle. That it may be poignantly
beautiful, that it is often pathetic
and sometimes humorous, ne makes
plain to us by drawing upon his plate
with sincerity and directness the life
OF our own time" All of which is as
true today as when it was written and
equally applicable to his paintings In
water color.
This exhibition. which opened last
Monday. will continue to the end of
the month.
THREE national art organizations,
the American Federation of Arts,
the College Art Association and the
American Association of Museums,
will hold annual meetings in WASH
ington this week. The American Fed