Evening star., 1938-09-11
Bv Leila MechIin.
- HERE is today prevalent belief

"HERE Is today prevalent belle
that art which is popular is in
ferior in quality, something t.
4 be avoided and looked dow
upon. This arises from misconcep.
tion of the character and purpose O.
all great art, which, since the begin
ming of history, has been created pri.
marily for the edification and delight
OF the public.
Only in recent years have pic.
lures been painted to please the
painter, with complete disregard OF
those to whom presumably they art
addressed. So far has this been car
ried that to the average exhibition
visitor many of the canvases shown
are as meaningless as puzzle pictures
while many more, less extreme, give
shock and offense through their crud-
ity and sheer ugliness. This type
of painting is, it is said, purposed to
appeal to the common man, bringing
art down to his level But strangely
enough-and its proponents should
have discovered the fact by now-it is
not such who support it.
In almost every instance when, in
connection with a great exhibition of
contemporary art, a popular voting
contest is instituted, the painting re-
ceiving the largest number of bal
lots is one which is well done, un-
derstandable and in most instances
has inherent beauty. In other words
a painting which indicates technical
capability, is subjectively pleasing and
calculated to delight the eye of the
beholder. Rarely does the popular
vote go to canvas to which a prize
has been awarded by professional
Jury.
For this discrepancy in Judgment
the reason is not far to seek-the
public judges by result and accord
ing to personal reaction; the profess
sional, If liberal minded, is motivated
by technical achievement and novelty
Of expression-also, in some instances,
by fear Of being considered reac-
tionary.
THE public does not yield its stand
point. The artist fearing to
smother new flame or retard what
may bring forth forward move
ment, does. Never before has the
gap between been as wide, however,
as it Is today, but in the end it is
bound to be the judgment of the
greater number that determine trend
The artist cannot do without his pub
lie any more than the public can do
without art
An interesting indication of the pub
lie attitude of mind is TO be found
in the popular voting contests held
annually in Pittsburgh in connection
with the great international exhibi-
tions of contemporary painting held
In the Carnegie Institute In the
latest Of these, held in the autumn
of 1887, the popular prize was voted
for the fourth successive time to a
marine painting by Frederick G.
Waugh of Provincetown, Mass The
prize winning picture, like its prize
winning predecessors, was of high
standard as work of art, had clarity
of expression and beauty both in
theme and execution. To the public
1t appeared veracious and Realistically
satisfying: it extended vision and in
creased perception. Obviously the
vote was not unanimous, but it is
worth noting that year after year
the other canvases voted for by ex-
hibition visitors as most appealing
had, in varying measure, these same
qualities.
This does not mean at all that
paintings which merely initiate ma
ture or reality are admirable-far
from it. Art is much more than this.
In not one instance did Mr. Waugh s
prize winning picture represent an
actual scene photographically recorded
To the contrary, they were composites,
based on knowledge of theme sup
plemented by memory and stored-up
emotions. They possessed that truth
which one finds in art of interpreta-
tive character which is truer than
actuality. The same applies to a
portrait, for the great portrait painter
does much more than present the
mere appearance Of his sitter; back
OF the mask is life and spirit.
WHEN Frederick Waugh received
wv the popular prize in Pittsburgh
for the third time he was persuaded
by the editor of the Carnegie Maya
zine to make statement concerning
the theory which underlies his art.
It was as follows:
Before proceeding with any de-
scriptive matter I want to say that
pictures of the sea- such as I paint,
cannot be placed upon the map or
subjected to time limitations. Being
expressions Of personal feeling, they
ere moods Of nature that express
themselves to the beholder without
the necessity of journey somewhere
to see something. or the naming of
any particular place. The only ex-
PLANTATION possible is that they are
emanations from my imagination that
have been gradually built up through
study and observation.
II am glad to hold this perogative
In all my work, that of producing
things in themselves, without the
restrictions attendant upon literal
representations To paint nature Just
as one finds it is not art in the strict
est sense of the word. Art interprets,