Evening star., 1947-03-30

nizable beauty. ARTISTS see beauty
in many paintings which are devoid
Of it from the lay standpoint) At
least one in every five paintings in
the Goth biennial impressed me as
comprehensive and likable works,
from the popular angle; one meets
them spotted throughout the ex-
hibition, like familiar faces in q
crowd of strangers.
Prise Winners
But as happened In the well-bal-
anced Carnegie exhibition last au-
tumn, modern works have received
most Of the prizes at the Corcoran
Gallery. These paintings, particu-
larly the top winner, are hard for
many of us to understand. Few peo-
pie will agree that the seven paint
ings singled out for medals, prizes
and honorable mentions are the
best in the Goth biennial. One has
to keep in mind the fact that the
artists who made the awards were
looking for qualities very different
from those admired by the public.
Jurors are not interested in repeti-
tons of former triumphs, or long
established ways of painting. They
are looking for creative originality,
for experiments and new directions.
The public can no longer rely upon
the evidence of the sense of sight,
to tell what is good painting (from
the professional standpoint.)
Sigmund Menkes' large interior
with figure, Days End, 1896" which
received first prize of $4,000 and the
Corcoran gold medal, has not been
illustrated here, as it reproduces
very poorly. It is thoroughly un-
appealing, and to judge by time
honored standards, not even we'll
painted. Mr.. Menkes applies his pig
ment in daubs and smears. But no
one can deny that it is different"
and that is conveys the idea of IA
tigue, and the time of day, when a
room is filled with quiet blue twi-
light. incidentally. Mr.. Menkes won
the fourth award in the 1941 bien-
nial.)
Walter Stuempfigs 1.-TWO Houses"
and Hobson Pittman's THE Conver-
sation," winners respectively of sec
ond and fourth awards, seem to me
the best of the paintings honored.
Two Houses" is vivid presentation
of mood, when the first enthusiasm
OF summer vacation at the beach has
succumbed to the dog-days. The
young man in the cluttered fore
ground is bored to apathy. The sui
try atmosphere before a storm Is
suggested by the warm grays and
browns.
Mr.. Pittman's Conversation" is
typical of his romantic satires, nos
talgic memories of Victorian man
sions where people were dwarfed by
the f1amboyance of their settings,
drowned in a profusion of ubiquitous
decorations and sweet sentimental
colors. "Apteka" by Jack Levine,
which received the Corcoran bronze
medal and $1,000, is a very large
painting Of city street corner, in
harsh, vibrant red and blue green.
1t is strident work, of complicated
organization. The gaping windows
Nof the house in the background sug-
gest a bombed section. But I have
seen better paintings by Mr.. Le-
vine. "String Quartet for ex-
ample.)
In addition to these regular prizes,
the jury awarded three additional
honorable mentions, to paintings
which presumably aroused their spe-
cial enthusiasm 1t Is unlikely that
these works will quicken the pulse
Of most observers. Maxwell Cor
don's Busy Street." the second hon.
orable mention, is mosaic of deep
toned colors, smeared on in such a
way as to give the canvas sultry,
crowded appearance, making the
title plausible. Sol Wilson'S Even
ing Meal" (third honorable mention)
depicts a drab interior dts atmos-
phere emphasized by its blue ton
ality) where laborers are being
served by a slatternly woman. It is
a mild example of the social con-
scious" painting which was so preva-
lent before the war.
1.-THE Green Light" by Stephen
Csoka, which received fourth hon.
orable mention, surpasses the above
mentioned two, in my opinion. 1t is