Evening star., 1938-12-18
Rv Leila MeckLin.

opened In the Museum Of Modern
Art Gallery of Washington week
ago, with a preview for members,
and two days later to the public. is
Of exceptional interest and impor-
tance. For the first time Washing
tonians have the opportunity OF
becoming acquainted with contem-
porary trends in sculpture and Of
seeing the works Of those who have
been, and in many instances still
are, leaders in the new movement.
The collection comprises about SIS
works, ranging in size from over Z
feet in height to approximately S
inches. These are in great variety
Of materials-marble and bronze,
terra Gotta, many kinds of stone, real
and artificial, as well as wood, iron
and even pewter. In most instances
they were chiseled or carved by the
sculptors themselves, rather than by
mechanics, and have the imprint of
authenticity as we'll as mark of in
dividuality peculiarly their own.
Greatly in their favor is the fact
that they are beautifully arranged
and shown: for which the commit
tee of the Museum of Modern Art
Gallery acknowledges Indebtedness
to Charles M. Goodman, architect of
the Procurement Division of the
Treasury Department, who designed
the setting and installation. The
very excellent lighting effects are
also to be credited to Mr.. Goodman,
who, in this particular, likewise has
scored exceptional success.
At the end of the far gallery has
been placed the allegorical figure OF
Justice" by Romauld Kraus, a
statue of a woman, heroic in size,
standing with head tipped back,
looking up, and with arms out
stretched and upraised-neither
Greek, nor Gothic, nor modern
French, but extraordinarily simple
ana impressive. This figure gives
the keynote to the display, but does
not, of necessity, dominate it. In the
middle of each Of the two galleries
have been stood on pedeStals few
large and important works, while on
a continuous wall shelf, suitably
covered, are to be seen the majority
of the exhibits, well grouped and
with pleasing background. The ef-
feet, therefore, is simple; there is no
confusion; no obvious effort to pro-
claim as on show.
Works ShoWn Very Modern
In Feeling and Expression.
To understand, or find pleasure IN
this exhibition, one must be pre-
pared to put aside preconceived no.
tions of the art of sculpture as prac-
ticed in the past, and be prepared to
approach, with open mind, the In
novations of the present, seeking as
far as possible to fathom the sculp-
tors impulse and outlook. Between
the art of the past and this art OF
today there is wide gap which is
hard to bridge-but no wider is 1t
than that which separates the LIE
of the present year of grace from
that of, let us say, 1900. Rodin. who
was accused of having cast his
statue, the "Age of Bronze, from
life molds, 50 realistic was 1t, be-
came the leader in new scnooi
which, impressionistic in spirit,
brought back life and emotlonal
quality into images modelled by
mems hands. Others followed him
and carried his innovations TO reVo'
lutionary extremes.
It is a long stride from Rodln 70
the surreanst Archipenko, out TWO
things bind them close-tnelr com
mon love of line and belief thae tnaI
which is cut from stone must retain
relation to the lump mass. Arcnl-
nenko and Lembruck, both OF Whom
are represented in the current ex-
hibition by characteristic examples
vere introduced to the American
n,,hlic by works shown in the epocn-
marking Armory exhibition IN lSll
In New York, were laughed at ana
stared at, and thought freaks, as
nerhaps they were, but In the 70
wears that have since passed they
have exerted q strong influence upon
the development Of sculpture IN TINS
country as elsewhere. Perhaps the
extremes to which they went merely
served to shake sculptors out OF
beaten paths and prove that as q
medium of expression, the po'en-
tialities of sculpture had not yet
been plumbed.
Archipenko's Sitting Figure" IN
This exhibition is merely fragment
In a. mist, an underlined, passing
thought of the loveliness OF the hu-
man body: Lembruck's Head OF the
Figure of the Thinking Girl" is at
tenuated to the point OF dlstortlon.
These qualities find their way INTO
much of the work that is shown IN
this exhibition. There is purposeful
evasion, distortion, clumsiness, mac
curacy-legs and arms are too long
or too short, feet and hands are
rudely represented, but despite all
this there are life and emotional
quality under the surface. These
are not dead figures, stuffed shirts,
museum exhibits, but live pelngs,
created roughly but purposefully and
sincerely. They are what they are
bv intention rather than accident.
That which suggests error, or lack
of finish, is not to be regarded as
token of ignorance. Whether one
likes them or not, it is impossible to
overlook the fact that they are
works of art by men and women who
know what they are about.
influence OF Primitive
African Sculpture Felt.
! A good many of the works shown
are grotesque, unlovely. Primitive
African sculpture has exerted a
strong influence upon the sculp-
Z ture of today, as has the peasant
, art of Europe, and we have yet to
learn that once sophisticated, one
cannot be savage or primitive at
will and without affectation. But
there are times when it seems nee
.ererv IN on hack tn the beginning