Evening star., 1947-09-21
Contemporary Arts, Inc Sends Show South;
Bookatz Work on Display at Public Library
By Florence S. Berrymon

A group exhibition sponsored by
Contemporary Arts, Inc, of New
York City, opened recently at the
United Nations Club, to remain only
through September %. This nom
profit membership organization was
established Is years ago and in
corporated in 1881 for the introduc-
ton of American artists in New
York City. It holds in its center,
on East Fifty-seventh street, con-
tinuous one-man shows, RETROSPECT
tive group exhibitions and an an
nual memorial show, and also sends
on tour such collections as that now
in Washington.
Contemporary Arts is sending this
exhibition through the Southern
States at the request of a group
of universities and art associations.
1t was selected by Alonzo Lansford,
consulting director of Telfair Acad-
emy, Savannah, and an editor of
the Art Digest. 1t comprises 81
paintings by 80 artists who have
been sponsored by Contemporary
Arts.
General Interest Indicated.
The group demonstrates that the
organization is not pushing any one
type of modern work, but the gen.
eral trend is progressive. 1t ranges
from such meticulous studies as Vir-
ginia Cuthbert's Loon" (almost as
ornithological as an Auduhon) to
Constantine Abanavas' near-ab-
stract Lullaby" 1t includes
Bernard Klonis' straightforward
FIRST Snow" fresh and cold in at
mosphere, one of the most likable
pictures on view; Lawrence Leb-
duska's engaging "Farmyard Scene, "
a primitive with a naive quality that
does not strike me as affected, and
Dorothy Sherry's surrealistic Mar
tint and Fallen Arch"
Echoes of the war and It's after
math are seen in Stephen Csoka' 8
Tomorrow Dawns" in which two
refugees are Illuminated by rift in
the clouds presumably; in Harry
Dix's Memories Of Berlin" u de-
tailed depletion of ruined apart
ment house, In somber browns and
slate gray, and in Sidney Gross
New City," symbolizing the, struggle
toward distant, happier environ
ment.
Pictures Akin In Character.
ALT Stromsteds interior, Creme
de Menthe," suggests the empty, i'm
personal atmosphere of some res
taurants by its light colors, straight
lines and lack of detail. 1t impressed
me as being akin Tin character) to
Guy Maccoy's THE She'll" which
has cool, pleasing dry color scheme
of grayed blues and greens. Quite
different is Gerard Hordyk's THE
Princess" little still life with a
touch of whimsy.
Philip Picks Merry Month of
May does not reflect its title; its
sticklike crowd suggests South
African rock paintings. John Pei
lew's large Conversation" a more
or less realistic representation of
backyards, hardly seems to offer any
decorative charm or interest for the
home. The same may be said of a
number of other works in the group.
Yet d major purpose. of Contem-
porary Art is to place the work of
living artists with private collectors.
X
Cleveland Artist Shows
Samuel Bookatz is a modernist by
inclination and a traditionalist by
training and circumstances. Hence
it is not surprising that his one-man
show at the Central Public Library
looks as if 1t we're q small group
exhibition.
The artist was born in Philadel-
phia in 1910, but soon moved with
his family to Cleveland. AS a child
of I, he began to sell newspapers,
working his way toward an art
education. He began at the John
Huntington Institute; at 21, he
entered the Cleveland School of Art,
where he did so well that, on his
graduation in 1895, number of his
instructors sold some of their own
works to provide fellowship for him
at the Boston Museum School for
two years. He had majored in por-
traiture. In Boston, he studied un-
der the noted Russian mural
painter, the late Alexandra Iacovleff.
Studied in Europe.
At the Boston Museum School, Mr..
RookatZ won the Paige scholarship