Evening star., 1939-01-08
Washington Adres Portraits Sculpture Spanish Loya
Artist Show
Represents
Far Lands
Washington Also
Included in
Exhibition

Exhibition
By Florence S. Bergman.
Orren Louden, former resident Of
Washington, Is having his first one
man show here. at the Georgetown
Galleries. It opened December 81 ,
and will remain until Janaasy.s1.
Mr.. Louden came to Washington
as . boy from Trenton, ILL.,, where
he was born In 1902. He first studied
art at Mckinley High School under
Mr.. Lamb. Later he attended the
Corcoran School Of Art and the Art
Students League Of New York,
where he was scholarship student,
and enjoyed the advantage Of work.
ing under such artists as Thomas
Benton, John Steuart Curry and
the late Kimon Nicolaides.
The present show consists Of IS
oil paintings and seven or eight
sketches, some in black and colored
crayons, others in pen and ink and
wash. The group Of sketches was
done in Les Andelys, France, in 1896.
During the past summer Mr.. Louden
returned to Illinois and painted
there seven Of the oils in the pres
ent show. He also includes three
local subjects, Pierce's Mill, Cabin
John Bridge and the Washington
Monument.
Mr.. Louden paints in the tradi-
tional manner with respect to form.
As for color, one feels that he could
prof1tably enliven his palette, paint
certain subjects in a somewhat
higher key, or at least introduce
more tonal contrast in his work.
His color impresses one as rather
dry.
The few instances in which he has
introduced contrast seem to be the
best exhibits in the current show:
"Wet Saturday Night, Trenton, III;
BLACK Earth" and Foothills" The
aforementioned, painted in New York
State, is a far-reaching landscape,
In which the illusion Of distance is
achieved by successive planes. "Wet
Saturday Night" is a commonplace
subject made attractive by its pres
entation. 1t depicts the Ritz Tav-
ern," a corner saloon or bar-and-
lunch counter, the brightly lighted
windows of which are reflected in
the rain-fllled road in the FORE
ground. and emphasized by the
stretch Of dark and stormy sky. One
large painting, illinois RAIN" is a
successful transcription of a storm
at a railroad crossing, where the
force Of the slanting rain bends
tree nearly double.
Mr.. Louden's handling of land
scapes and urban scenes is better
than his treatment of figures, to
judge by the present exhibition. Two
portraits Of old women present the
sitters as gaunt and angular, far
from engaging. Their drab color
schemes seem to embody unfatter-
ing implications of their age, with
out any perceptible spiritual beauty
to redeem them. These portraits
have something Of the stiffness Of
work by 10Th century limners.
|
American folk arts and crafts
have been produced since the first
white settlers landed in the New
World; if one properly includes the
indigenous work of American In
dians, the date is pushed back to
prehistoric times. Yet only in the
past decade or less, have these ma
tive handicrafts secured Nationwide
appreciation. Discerning minori-
ties, of course, have long been ac-
quainted with work in their regions,
and perhaps in few other locali-
ties. But general recognition of the
beauty and value of folk arts has
been very recent. Considerable i'm
petus was given by the first large
travelling exhibition Of Southern
highland handicrafts, which had its
initial display at. the Corcoran Gal
lery Of Art in the fall Of 1888, when
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt was
among the Washingtonians whose
combined purchases from the show
amounted to nearly $1,40O. The ex-
hibition then travelled under auspices
of the American Federation Of Arts
to a number of other museum.
throughout the country.
The United States Department o1
Agriculture, celebrating its 18th an.
niversary in 1887, had as feature
q superb Rural Arts Exhibition, ar.
ranged by Allen Eaton of the Rus.
sell Sage Foundation (who had pre-.
viously assembled the federation.
travelling show. Every one who saw
1t doubtless remembers the rura
arts show. as 1t closed only /;
months ago.
} Now a permanent display room fol
the exhibition Of native American
handicrafts has been opened by Mrs
Louise Hall Hollis at 1916 K strea
NV. She includes not only crafs
Of the Southern highlands, New
England and other sections Of tn,
United States, but also those from
Alaska, Hawaii and the Philippines
She is carrying out an interesting
scheme, whereby the crafts Of ,
single State are emphasized in he
window display. Georgia's handi
crafts were featured when the room
was opened November IA. Thos
of North Carolina, Tennessee ant
Kentucky followed in that orde
| ~.
middle Of December, Mrs. Holli
put on a Christmas exhibition o
handicrafts from various States
which will be replaced tomorrow
by those of Virginia. West Virginia
Massachusetts, and New Hampshir
will provide three subsequent dis
plays. Since Washington's resi-
dents represent every State in tn
Union, persons not familiar wit
the crafts 0f their. oWn States wi