Evening star., 1937-04-03
CORCORAN EXHIBIT ATTRACTS
zeWinnng Works and Other Features of Biennial Event
Arouse Unusual 1nerest-Impressve Showing in Various
Galleries-Proposed "Fake' Group
Bv Leila Mechlin.

past week in the Corcoran Gallery
or Arts Fifteenth Biennial EXhl-
L bition, which opened to the pub
lie on Sunday afternoon. There was
a large attendance at the private view
on the preceding evening, and never
has the gallery presented gayer.
more picturesque appearance than
upon this occasion, with its floral dec
orationS and the touch of color pro-
vided by the visitors themselves in
evening dress AS always, the four
paintings receiving the w. A. Clark
prizes and the Corcoran medals at
tracted chief attention and provoked
lively discussion. In this particular
they may have served, unintentionally,
a valuable end. Such consideration,
however, should take under advise
ment the fact that many of the works
shown were not in competition, for
one reason or another, and that di-
vergent points of view had of neces-
sity to be reconciled on the part of the
jury. Also, it may be added, the ar
lists point of view often differs from
that of the layman, in the fast that
whereas the latter merely considers
the results, the former gives emphasis
to means, technical achievement,
knowing from experience the diff
cultieS which beSet even the most eX-
perienced. But for these very rea-
sons prize awards are often misleading
and carry with them much more
weight than they should
In the present instance the prize
winning pictures will not meet with
public approval, save in the instance
Of the portrait study "Snakey," which
Won fourth place, and is a straight
forward academic work. But the pub
lie will have opportunity later on to
reverse the judgment of the artist
jury and award prize independently.
This award, the Popular Prize of
5000 given by the Corcoran Gallery
of Art, will be determined by the vote
of visitors during the week of April
26. In this competition all works
shown are regarded as eligible. Begin
checking your catalogue now
OF the 461 paintings included in
this exhibition nearly one-half were
invited and the rest selected by the
jury from Works-approximat two
thousand in number-Submitted. No
restrictions whatsoever were put upon
the jury which, once appointed, was in
this matter supreme. In this partic-
ular the Corcoran Gallery recognized
its dual responsibility, to the bublic
and to the artists. That the jury in
its extreme liberality perhaps gave
odds to the artists, some may feel; but
after all, perhaps, the best way to
eradicate error is to expose it. Free
speech in England and extensive OPP
portunity for display in France have
been found advantageous by both ma
tions in separate fields and the prin-
ciple is in accordance with our own
idea of liberty and national we'll being
Current Trends
In Painting.
IT is interesting and significant to
trace, in this exhibition, tendencies
back to original sources. The strong
est, if not the largest, representation
In this Nationwide assemblage is from
Boston and vicinity, 26 artists hailing
therefrom having in practically every
instance made notable contribution.
But these paintings are all conserva-
tive, built on tradition, derived from
sources which nature provides, realistic
IN that sense and technically more
than competent, but in the estimation
of the reviewer no more "old hat than
are the works of the great masters of
the past, from whom these painters
derive in the matter of ideals and con-
eeption.
Then there is the Western group, in
cluding John Steuart Curry, Thomas
H. Benton, Grant Wood, Marvin Cone,
Paul Sample, Frank Mechau, jr.; Mil
lard Sheets and others who have
chosen to present the American
Scene" with stark austerity. These
men in almost every instance are ex-
of subject is for the most part literary
rather than artistic, in sense purely
illustrative and of today
Less understandable is the tendency
for sheer ugliness, clumsy painting,
unpleasant color unattractive subject
matter, which obviously emanates
from the Woostock School, from
which 18 or more of the canvases in
this exhibition have come-a large
proportion. And still more startling
is the influence apparently exerted on
contemporary painting by Kenneth
Hayes Miller. chief instructor at the
Art Students League of New York,
whose pupils, while technically well
trained, seem almost Invariably to
elect to present in their paintings
aspects of life among the vulgar, and
not satirically, but always rejecting
their masters style.
Obviously there are other trends,
good and bad-and painters strong
enough in the various localities to
stand alone-but these are the most
noticeable. When the P. W. A. prof.
ect, a year after it was set up, held an
exhibition of work obtained there