Evening star., 1942-03-22
Contemporary American Art
On View at Phillips Gallery
Cross.Section of Art of Painting
In Our Country Today Covers
Wide Divergence in Style
Bv Leila Mechlin.

By Leila Mechlin.
There could not be a more dlfh-
cult exhibition to review than that
of contemporary American paint
ings now current in the Phillips
Memorial Gallery. Occupying all OF
the galleries on the second floor as
well as the two print rooms in the
basement, this cross-section OF the
art of painting today in cur country
covers wide divergence in style and
character on the part of the paint
ers represented. but would seem at
the same time to manifest an almost
universal bewilderment concerning
ideals and ends. The whole attitude
of artists toward art seems to have
undergone change; whereas 1t was
once the artists business to search
out beauty and make it known
through his chosen medium, 1t is
now, to the contrary, to merely en-
ploy theme as basis for original
creation or personal expression. The
light of beauty seems to be tempo
rarily obscured, a note OF tragedy
taking its place.
This, obviously, may be sympto-
matte of the times, or a spirit OF
discomfort seeking wider horizons,
but it is bound to depress and be-
wilder those who, not being painters
themselves, look to painting for the
fulfillment of spiritual longing. To.
be sure, it is possible to find delight
in color arrangements and the tech
nical use of medium when the sub
iect matter does not signify nor
allure, but this is for the few, not
the many.
Art undoubtedly is an escape both
for the painter and those to whom
he addresses himself, but to ade-
quately serve such purpose it must
be to something better, not worse,
than the known commonplace.
Doonsday pictures, tragic scenes.
forlorn dwellings and people, ugly
streets, ill-painted but still factually
convincing, do not tend to raise war
time morale, yet it is subjects such
as these that artists represented IN
this "cross cut of contemporary art
set forth.
"Art criticism" says George Heard
Hamilton, should be able to deal
with the art of 1922 But appar-
emily it does not. Therefore each
must search out with sincerity his
own conclusions, remembering,
gratefully, the past, and looking,
hopefully, to the future.
To. see this exhibition best the
visitor is advised to start with the
main gallery on the second floor,
wherein for so long hung the famous
Renoir. Luncheon of the Canoeing
Party" one of the great works in
the Phillips collection. Here, on the
end wall, opposite the door. is now
Augustus Vincent Tack's recently
completed portrait of Helen Keller,
which is in the best tradition. 1t
is an excellent presentation of char
acter and personality, in facial eX-
preston, pose and alertness, to say
nothing of the sensitive, capable
hands which serve so well both for
eyes and ears. Like the same artists
pOl u dlG VI y QOGlIS 44dsilSo, lAAAo 40 eAAA
astonishing achievement.
Nearby hangs painting by John
Sloan of "Bleecker Street, New
York" at night, an excellent "por-
trait of place" but painted some
time ago. Another street, seen at
night, is that of Tenth Avenue" by
Elliott Orr, more colorful and dec
orative in design but also possibly a
bit more artificial. There is a tragic
landscape by Robert F. Gates which
shows the elements descending upon
the earth with rage and fury while
the corn in the field takes on the
aspect of dancing dervishes. There
is a hollow tree dramatically inter-
preted by Everett Spruce, and a
black lion in a circus cage by Felix
Ruvolo, the former of Dallas, Tex,
the latter of Chicago.
A CLINT of hu,nor is to be found in
"Abstractionists" by Frank Klein
holtz, the abstractionists being poor
boys drawing squares and circles on
a warehouse wall and adjacent side
walk. But most of the paintings,
especially those in which figures are
introduced, are far from merry
as, for example, Deserted Brick
Yard" by Kuniyoshi and After the
Carnival" by Karfoil.
In the little gallery to the right,
vnere at various times have hung
paintings by Daumier, great artist
~ we'll as satirist, may now be seen
a number of pictures purposely and
effectively comical. No one who sees
Lucille Corcos' "A Nice Time in the
Hospital" will ever forget it. Doris
Lees Lonely Buffalo" which hangs
on an adjacent wall, is an amusing
travesty on those American paint
ers who sought nationalistic senti-
ment on the plains.
Quite out of the ordinary are three
canvases by Darrell Austin, all of
which take one into the realm OF
the imaginative-most successfully
Of all. perhaps, that entitled Dark
River" His other contributions are
beasts. fierce and sufficiently hungry
looking to chill ones blood. Andree
Ruellen's wind Up of ball game
played by youngsters is painted with
great precision and is very good.
This exhibition includes as sep
arate sections one-men shows by
two artists-Max Weber and Karl
Knaths. The Weber paintings,
which are to considerable extent
OF certain Jewish rituals. occupy the