Evening star., 1945-04-15
Bv Leila MechHn

During the week beginning today
those who visit the Corcoran Gal.
lery of Arts 18th Biennial Exhibi-
ton will be given opportunity tc
assist in awarding the popular
prize" of 5000 offered by the gal
lery to the painter whose work re-
ceives the greatest number of votes
cast by secret ballot. The Clark
prizes, accompanied by the Cor
coran Gallery medals, awarded at
the time the exhibition opened
were, as usual, chosen for these
honors by a jury consisting OF five
artists, three of whom comprised
in the present instance. COM
mittee of selection, charged with
the responsibility of inviting works
for. display.
Obviously the point of view was
that of the professional who, ac-
quainted with technical difficulties
encountered by all artists on the
long road to success, looked beyond
result in recognition for achieve
ment.
The public, however, on the other
hand, is concerned chiefly with re-
suit and regardless of those means
by which it is attained. In the
long run these should add up to the
same-but they rarely do. 1t is per-
petually a matter of controversy
but in the end it is the voice OF
the public which makes or breaks
tradition in this as in other fields
of cultural development. 1t is, we
must remember, those things which
generations have agreed to admire
that are immutable.
Cross.Cm of Art Today
The Corcoran Ganery's current
biennial gives most excellent and
interesting cross-cut of art today
running the gamut from the most
conservative to the most extreme
In the more than 200 works dis
played are mirrored the present
conflict of thought and ideals, the
overpowering effort on the part OF
the painters to find new roads to
expression, the restlessneSs of the
people generally, the uncertainty of
the future-and yet with all a
reaching out for something for
which there is want
All the ''ismS' which have in
trigued the painters from the day
of Monet-and the now famous
purple cow"-to that of Picasso
the leading exponent of abstrac-
tion-are here represented. There
are puzzle pictures, pictures con-
Ceived in a mechanical age-pic-
lures which perplex and yet are in
intent serious, with which are shown
works recalling mid-Victorian days
childishly simple, also childishly
immature.
How much effect, the observer
wonders, has the war had upon
these painters? Not little, it may
be presumed. And yet war and its
horrors, as we'll as heroic activities
finds little expression in these
contemporary works. From what
sources, one ponders, have these
artists drawn their inspiration?
People and things have evidently
taken first place in interest and
transcription. The wellspring OF
beauty has been less tapped than
In the pastor perhaps it is beauty
in completely new guise. Certainly
many facets of contemporary paint
ing are set forth for considera-
ton. 1t is an exhibition which all
thoughtfully interested in art
should see. That certain of the
most extreme examples have been
lent by important art museums
from permanent collections gives
indication of faith in ultimate
achievement along the new lines at
present followed.
Not All Extreme"
1t should not be supposed thai
all of the paintings in the Corcorar
Gallery's Biennial Exhibition arr
radical and extreme. The fact il
that quite a number are quite tht
contrary-f1ne in conception ant
execution as well. In this categor.
IS a painting of moonlight on tn
sea by Hobart Nichols, president o
the National Academy, New York
a former Washingtonian. Mr.. Mich
OILS has made an enviable name TO
himself as a landscape painter bu
this nocturnal marine is up to hi
best. In it light and wave motion
are most skillfully indicated ant
there is no sense of effort on tn
painters part. This painting wa
purchased by a private collecto
shortly after the exhibition opened
Another outstanding work in tn
field of the conservative is tn
charming portrait of two little girls
daughters of Col. and Mrs. Johl
c. Oakes of this city, the work o
John c. Johansen Of New York
but painted some time ago in tn
CorVoran Gallery's studio reserve'
for the use of out-of-town artist
under commission. Not only is thi