Evening star., 1938-05-24
TELEV|S|ON SEEN
AS GREAT AID TO
ARTS PROGRAMS
Lengthy Descriptions OF
Objects Would Not Be
Needed, Expert Says.
FORUM DISCUSSION
TOMORROW MORNING
Controversial Subject of Ideal
Federal Arts Bill Will Be
Thoroughly Debated.

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The chief obstacle to really salts
factory arts programs-visual pre-
sentation of art-would be auto
matically surmounted with the advent
of television, the American Federation
Of Arts was told today at the second
days session of its 29th annual con-
vention.
c. W. Farrier. television co-ordinator
of the National BroadcaSting Co., said
the use of television technique would
eliminate the long descriptions of art
objects now necessary in sound radio.
He emphasized. however. that such
programs must be entertaining as well
as Informative since those at the tele-
vision receiving sets could still reserve
the right to twist dialS to another
program.
Discussing the progress of television,
Mr.. Farrier said it was still very much
in the experimental stage and there
are so many phases to be considered
that no one person could forecast when
television will be ready as a public
service.
He pointed out. too, that even when
television passes the formative stage, it
probably will be virtually impossible
20 reach the whole population of the
United States because of the limited
number of wave lengths available.
Many Changes Seen.
Manufacturers, he said, are not yet
willing to undertake commercial manu-
facture of television receiving sets be-
cause this new technique will undergo
many changes before it will be ready
for the public. He pointed out each
change would necessitate rebuilding
every receiving set.
DR.. Bernard Myers of the Depart
ment of Fine Arts of New York Uni
versity, told the delegates develop
ment Of an art-conscious public would
have to begin with the training of
youth. The youth of today, he said,
Is radio and movie minded and would
rather look and hear than read In
this field of training, radio, television
and the motion picture can play a
very important part, he said.
Broadcasts on art must, however, be
made more national in scope than
they have been up to the present
time. he said.
Question to Be Discussed.
As the federation went into its Sec
ond day of sessions, plans were made
to take up tomorrow morning the con-
troversial question of IAN ideal Fed
eral arts BILL" in an open forum. The
convention will come to close tomor-
row night with a banquet.
Art in education was to be discussed
this afternoon when the question was
to be raised: Unity or Chaos?"
A reception was scheduled this after
noon at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
George Maurice Morris, 2401 Kalo-
rama road NV, and tonight the pro-
gram lists a visit of delegates to the
Textile Museum of the District of
Columbia, where they will be guests
of Mr.. and Mrs. George Hewitt Myers.
Discussing Industrial Design-A
New Profession" yesterday afternoon,
Eugene Schoen, architect and de-
signer, declared the real purpose of
industrial design is to create func-
tional beauty"
Declared Overworked.
But he complained that the word
"streamline" had been overworked.
Mention that word today, he said,
Mr.. Schoen criticized some 80
called streamlined automobiles" in
which you squirm and tire yourself
in an impossible car just trying to
see the road"
Take the streamlined locomotive"
he declared, "and compare it with the
ell-designed functionally expressive
steam locomotive and you can see how
superficial industrial design may be-
come, again hardly more than q COW
ering cloak" Mr.. Schoen went on to
criticize railroad carriages which late
ly in many instances he said had been
redesigned Ito the discomfort and an
noyance of the passengers-who are
compelled to sit in tight, benumbing
seats and in many cases can neither
comfortably look out of the windows
nor even move their feet into COM
Portable positions. think in these
matters" he declared, "the designer
has been mastered by desire for
prettiness or has allowed the opinion
of production men to overbalance good
Judgment rather than real beautiful
functional expression"
Examples of success in expressing
"as an art from a functional device"
were listed as the vacuum cleaner, re-
trigerator and the kitchen stove.