Evening star., 1942-02-01
Annual Exhibit Of Washington Artists Opens
Corcoran Gallery
Presents Works in
Local Competition
Bv Florence A. Bergman

blSt annual eXQlOlClOu, WIllCH OpcIlo
today at the Corcoran Gallery OF
Art, is a more engaging show than
last years golden anniversary dis
play, which was a departure In many
respects. 1t will be recalled that
an out-of-town jury made the Sc
lections, whereas this years ex-
hibition was chosen by a local jury,
composed of the officers and Exec
utive Committee of the society.
The results seem to indicate that
Washington artists are better quail
flied to assemble this important To-
cal exhibition in such way as to
preserve something of the character
which has made it an institution In
the Nations Capital.
It is quite possible that some
artists and visitors will be diSap-
pointed that the show is less rad
icaI' or progressive" than last
years, but there will be an equal
number. probably more, who will
welcome the inclusion of many COM
petently executed paintings in the
traditional manner of attractive sub
ject matter. In fact, liberal mind
ed acceptance of both "old" and
new" art is what one has come
to expect OF the Society Of Wash
ington Artists annual.
Approximately 10 oil paintings and
IS works in sculpture compose the
exhibition, which is installed IN a
single gallery Although only half
as large as last years show, the
present annual has proportionately
as much variety, ranging from ira
ditional, naturalistic work to pure
distractions. Experimental works
are fairly numerous, but the gen.
eral effect in glance around the
gallery Is conservative, and there
is much to appeal to the average
person. One looks in vain, however,
for a number of outstanding Wash
ington painters, who, presumably,
had nothing new to submit to the
Jury.
The prize awards, made last Tues
day by a jury composed OF John
Walker, National Gallery Of Art;
DR.. John Craft, director of the
Washington County Museum, Ha-
gerstown, and Thomas c. Colt, jr.,
director of the Virginia Museum OF
Fine Arts, Richmond, and announced
in The Star Wednesday. cover an
extensive range of techniques.
Andrea Zerega's Spring Fra
GRANGE" which received The Evening
Star prize of 500 for the best pic
ture in the exhibition, is beauti-
full piece of work, colorful and dec
orative, in a color scheme of nicely
related reds, yellows and warm tints
of brown.
THE Storm" by Oke Nordgren,
an artist who, like Mr.. Zerega, is
also employed by the Corcoran Gal
lery Of Art, received the bronze
medal for landscape including
marine. 1t is one of the largest
and most impressive paintings in
the exhibition, painted in the astrin-
gent blue-greens and greenish-blues
characteristic of his work. One gets
q strong impression of reality from
these swimmers making for heavily
wooded shore in the face Of rising
breakers. 1t will be recalled that
Mr.. Nordgren was prize winner
last year also, when he received the
society's prize for the most out
standing work.
Jack Berkman's portrait Of a re-
Elective young woman, Ginger" re-
iy,ia ~ 1n modal fnr fi0-
ure composition, is in the contempo-
rary idiom in its best sense.
still Life" by Dante Radico,
which fetched the bronze medal for
still life, is one of the most abstract
paintings in the exhibition.
Honorable mentions in these vari-
Gus classifications went to Donald
Coale for his strongly painted RE
becca," to Mary Power for Inter
lude," small painting of two figures
in an interior, with a strangely
sinister atmosphere; to Alexander
Kaye for Nuns" an attractive
flower painting. Rowland Lyon,
president of the Society of Wash
ington Artists, received honorable
mention in landscape for his unique
painting Carlos w. Mexico City,"
an equestrian statue silhouetted
against large billboards.
The bronze medal for sculpture
went to Glare Fontanini for head
in beautifully finished white marble,
tempting the touch, while honorable
mention was awarded Beverly"
bust in pink cast stone of a little
girl, by Belle Bellerose.
The honors were thus, 1t will be
seen, divided almost equally be-
tween traditional" and progressive"
works.
Portraits and figure subjects are
most numerous, comprising about
one-third of the works shown, and
they exemplify many techniques and
approaches. There are straightfor-
ward characterizations such as Lloyd
Embrey's self-portrait; Chinese
Boy" by Arvin Hedin; Gladys Milli-
gan's quiet, meditative Joan Davis;
the double portrait of two Negro
boys, Amos and Oscar" by Esther
Lyme, and Lucia Hollerith's little
blond girl, Red Bird: Julia Eckers
heavily pigmented Singer" is the
most experimental figure painting
shown; 1t Is not human personality
at all, but kind of symbol. hollow
eyed. elongated and gaunt. Louis
de Valentin's Artist and His Wife"
Is an arresting double portrait,
modern in its simplif1cation and
emphasis on planes, but traditional
in its representation of individuality
and contrast between the vital,
attractive face of the wife, who re-
turns the beholder's gaze. and the
artist himself, preoccupied with his
painting and slightly subordinated
In the composition.
Figure paintings in which group
action is stressed rather than indi-
vidual personality include some of
the more modern" paintings which
have elements Of interest but little
beauty or appeal Shirley Jones
Loaded Dice" for instance, is ex-
tremely effective as representation
Of q fight over a dice game. The
sharp diagonal lines Of the compo-
sition, strong tonal contrasts, the