Evening star., 1939-02-05

such merit as to win her q Guggen-
helm fellowship In 1927.
Margaret Fisher
At Phillips Gallery.
Margaret Fishers experience a.
practicing architect explains to some
extent her water colors now on
view at the Phillips Memorial Gal
lery, In one Of the print rooms. It 10
obvious that the structure Of her
subjects, has been of primary inter.
est to her. Nine of the Is paintings
deal with landscapes and boats, and
emphasize the framework of build
ings, trunks and branches of trees
and the rocky skeleton of noun
tains. These are vigorously painted
in black or lugubrious tones of blue,
brown and green. A considerable
portion of the white paper of each
picture Is left unpainted, providing
contrast. But there Is none of the
sparkle of vivid color which is the
outstanding charm of aquarlelle to
many people.
la AAC1 OGA1CA WoIE1 NOlOAo Va ~ AAt
and flowers, and In several oil paint
ings, Miss Fisher employs certain
conventions familiar In the work Of
experimental painters, such as tip
tilted dishes on which the food re.
mains poised in defiance of the law
Of gravity and a treatment of eyes
which gives faces an inhuman, star.
ing expression. The advantages"
of these conventions are explained
in numerous books on modern paint
ing, but they will doubtless continue
to worry the layman.
This artists family is well known
in Washington. Her father, Walter
Fisher, was a member of President
Taft's cabinet. Chicago is her pres
ent home, but she has been asso-
ciated with the New York architec-
tural firm of Holabird & Root.
Baltimore and Washington
Artists Unions.
The Artists Unions of Baltimore
and Washington are holding q joint
exhibition at the District of Colum-
bia Union Gallery, on Seventeenth
street, on view since January 18. It
closes next Wednesday. About IS
artists are represented with AZ works
in various media-oil, water color.
lithography, wood engraving, draw
ing in pen and ink, charcoal and
crayon. Unfortunately, despite the
presence of works by number Of
artists who have won their spurs, the
exhibition fails to give an impression
either of mastery Of media or Of q
successful search for pictorial beauty
or decorative value. 1t is not that
the artists have been preoccupied
with messages; no one could accuse
the show Of being propagandist, a.
there are scarcely half a dozen ex-
hibits dealing with social or political
themes. But whatever appeal the
industrial scenes, laborers and occa-
sional landscapes shown had for the
artists who Transcribed them, it is
not discernable to the average OBJ
server.
Carl Nyquist and Nicolai Cikovsky.
one-man exhibitors at the Book
shop and Whyte Galleries, respec-
lively, are among the contributors to
the Artists Union show. Mr.. Ny
quist's water color portraits of two
Negroes, woman and a child, are
among the best works in the exhibi-
ton. They appear to be good like
nesses. are competently painted, and
the subjects have an appealing hu-
man quality. Rose Fox's crayon
drawing of a bearded man of patri-
archial type, and Howard Despeaux's
Itho crayon, Nude likewise stand
out as well-executed works of ira
ditional character. Mr.. Despeaux
again scores with two wood engrav-
ings, "Kellertown" and Middle
town." making effective use of the
mediums rich contrast of black and
white. A striking block print Is
John Rogers War" a book illus
tration, in which few lines symbol.
izing soldiers. bursting shell and
the top of a trench are printed in
red on black.
Aaron Kameny of Baltimore, who
had q one-man show at Howard
University Art Gallery in Decem-
ber, contributes two Autographs,
Street Scene" and Waterfront" T."
which are so simplifled they look
like surrealist works.