Evening star., 1942-01-04
Southern Aspects of the
American Scene PORTRAYED
In Exhibit at COrcOran
Forty Paintings of Lamar Dodd
On Display in His First One.Man
Show in Washington
Bv Florence S. Berry,nan

Southern aspects Of the American
scene are represented in the latest
exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery
of Art: Approximately 40 paintings
by Lamar Dodd, his first one-man
show in Washington, which opened
December 81, to remain until jan
uary %. He has been resident ar
tist and head of the department OF
art at the University of Georgia,
Athens, since 1887. In this con-
nection, Richard Lahey, principal OF
the Corcoran School OF Art, who
was one of Mr.. Dodds instructors
a decade ago, when the young
Georgian was studying in New York,
saws in his introduction to the cata-
logue of the present exhibition:
"One of the fine things that has
happened in the art world OF the
United States in the last 10 or
IL wears is that number OF
America best artists have been able
to continue producing their art in
the community where they were
horn, grew up and which they know
best. The universities OF the coun-
trv. through their art programs,
have helped to make this possible" ="
The general effect of Mr.. Dodd's
exhibition is pleasing and restful
The majority of his paintings depict
Georgia landscape and Negro types
there are also number of portraits
still life subjects and a few harbor
scenes. Most of the paintings are
well organized and competently ex-
ecuted. but one could wish that Mr..
Dodd had more interest in color.
Nearly all of his work is IN a low
kew. with color schemes dominated
bv browns. grays and greens, the
last generally of broWnlsh trend
There is nothing unnatural ABOUT
these colors; one suspects tnaI lhe
public will find Mr.. Dodds tran
scrintions of landscape direct ana
realistic. This is the way landscape
appears to the average eye, par
tjcularly on gray days. Seen IN ac-
tualitv. a dun-colored landscape mas
no particular mood; but seen IN
nainting, It impresses one as some
what melancholy.
Yet many of the places Mr.. Dooo
naints are lovely in themselves
snacious, hilly landscapes such as
"Wolfork Valley" Shenandoah Val
lev, (virginia), Dew Ag. Hill, and
"Silos.n His Trees on rolling
stretch of land, painted in close
bormonv of browns and grays,
could be duplicated in ROCK CreeA
park. But there is an air OF SAD
ness about all Of these.
OF course. this generally restrained
color scheme makes Mr.. Dodo m
FREQUENT brighter passages all the
more impressive, by contrast. Inc
o,,re mink of a Towering tree ana
the fresh Young green OF a weeping
willow give spring much charm,
ard the rich red sweater on arlene
"a pretty girl who is all brown tones
except for her attire) has an almosI
clarion force. The gray blues OF
New England Harbor" and the
freshening sky in Fish Quarters as
well as the green "Cacti" also seem
vivid in the general brown tonallty:
There are five or six studles OF
Negroes. of which Spring Fever
Is nerhaps the best-a caddy stand
ING nv a hole in a golf course, WIN
q ianguorous turn to his foot and
dreamy expression. Another my
Caddy," is a study of the muscular
nude back of a young Negro. Several
portraits appear to be lnolVlouai
characterizations, full OF vitality
hut all of them practically mono
chrones in brown. from their ivory
tinted faces to their dark brown
Backgrounds. Mr.. Dodd also included
a portrait of himself, crowded lnto
the background of still life paint
ing: this was shown at the GoIoeh
Gate Exposition in 1899.
Despite an education in art unoer
such painters as Mr.. Lahey. Board
man Robinson, Jean Chariot. John
Steuart Curry zone OF the original
american Scene Trinity }, George
Bridgman and George Luke. Mr..
Dodd avoided becoming a CARBON
copv of any of them. His style is
his own, and already, at the age OF
IS. he has shown his work IN
large number Of important eXflbl-
tions. has had eight solo displays IN
New York and other large cities,
and has been the recipient OF a
number of coveted awards. One can
agree with Mr.. Lahey that mere
is a man whose work shows that he
is no flash in the pan and who Will
bear watching for further accom-
plishment."
Arts Club Exhibitions