Evening star., 1948-08-08

his traditional paintings ana oraW-
ines (ouite a number OF which were
shown here last season at the Ants
Club and Public Library in one
man shows and at the Corcoran
Gallery and elsewhere in group
shows, / asked him for an explana-
ton of his abandonment OF con-
servatism. Obviously, sincere ar
lists do not climb on modernism
bandwagon merely to be up-to-date
Mr.. Bookatz replied:
~ seek a gemlike quality with a
richer and more brilliant palette,
sendeavoring to obtain an overall
stained glass effect, and also try
to express the movement with a
flowing heavy line. try to express
what cannot see but what I sense
In the hidden forms of nature
Juxtaposition of shapes and forms
and the Intervening line also give
me some feeling of the chaotic
things in nature The various
emotions and mysteries in nature"
are what interest him now.
Mr.. Bookatz went on to say that
painting is q continuous experiment
for him, and that he shifts from
one medium to another and COM
bines them when 1t seems advisable,
in order to obtain the results he
seeks. BY combining wash and i'm
paste, for example, he feels that he
obtains . more glowing and trans
parent effect.
From the standpoint of the pub
lie, Mr.. Bookatz's latest work prob
ably suffers by comparison with his
earlier drawings and paintings,
which have the careful, clean-cut
craftsmanship and themes easily
comprehended, two factors which
appeal to the average person. They
are missing from the most recent
works. Undeniably, Mr.. Bookatz's
color is richer in his later paintings.
In Street Cafe" for instance. 1t is
so vivid as to be garish, which may
be the impression he sought to con-
vey. In Still Life, 194S," the color
seems heavy and muddy when COM
pared to his beautiful "Old Violin"
Of six years ago and THE Nest" of
three years later. The sinister eyes
and faces in his "INformer" make
all the more ingratiating his por-
traits, some in oils, others in red
chalk. In these he strives to bring
out the character Of the individual
and, through line and mass, to
create solid and structural forms In
space.
Since he has turned to expert
mentation only recently (although
his present interest, in this type of
painting Is foreshadowed in the
wine Shop OF 1889 the observer
should not expect too much Of these
essays. When he finds what he
seeks in the new idioms, he may
well surpass any OF the achieve
ments included in the present exhi-
bition.
Biographical data on Mr.. Bookatz
has been given on this page twice
in the past eight or nine months,
Al SOA41iCStAOu Will
shows at the Public Library and
Arts Club. He was thoroughly
grounded in painting, fresco, stained
glass, and drawing. at the Hunting
ton Polytechnic Institute and the
School of Art, both Cleveland; at
the Boston Museum School Of Fine
Arts, winning scholarships in both
cities, among them the Paige
scholarship for two years of study
abroad. He travelled and painted
in England. France. Italy and
central Europe until the war sent
him back to the United States in
1899.
During the war. he was commits
stoned in the Navy as artist for the
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
and served for four years in various
capacities, not only painting murals,
but also assisting surgeons In operat-
ing rooms by redefining the shat
tered bodies Of wounded men.