Evening star., 1949-07-24


lized by the Paramount Park Art
second in 1910. They were prelim-
wood sculptures by two other
Washington artists. Shirley LIGHT
man and Anthony Lauck. The
formers "Driftwood Torso" is
semi abstract with beautiful color
and surface. Father Lauck (whose
participation in the exhibition was
reported in these columns at the
time it opened) is represented
with a starkly simple walnut fig
ure, "St. John Beside the Cross"
200 Invited
The Sculpture International.
which it is said sculptors consider
the most important exhibition
open to them. was announced in
the spring of 1948, with the asso-
cations hope of stimulating pro-
duction of new works for the
show. Approximately 1000 Amer
lean and foreign sculptors were
notified and invited to submit
photographs of executed works for
review by the Committee on Sc
lection. Just over 400 American
and IS foreign submissions were
received. In selection emphasis
was placed on works executed In
a final medium. generally dating
from 1910 to the present.
The numerically small foreign
response was disappointing but
various factors were responsible to
some extent, among them size,
weight and cost Of transportation,
as well as war-caused shortage OF
available works. Major surprise
is the lack of response from Scan
dinavia.
The committee of selection of
American work sought to repre-
sent all trends or approaches and
there was no restriction on sub
ject matter. although the sculp-
tors eventually chosen for the
memorial commissions will treat
historical or allegorical subjects.
Members of the National Sculp-
ture Society, the Sculptors' Guild
and the Clay Club, as we'll as indi-
viduals not affiliated. are repre-
sented in the show. A large pro-
portion of the works came from
artists of New York and vicinity;
% other States and the District
of Columbia contributed the rest.
Advisers and organizations
abroad responsible for the foreign
section and the Committee of Sc
lection of American Work are men
and groups of undeniable author
Iity and much experience. Conse-
quently, visitors cannot but re-
Ispect their decisions even though
the exhibition is not uniformly
pleasing. But the greater part of
it is admirable.
Animals and Abstractions
Seeing a sculpture exhibition of
this magnitude, the observer is
conscious anew, of the theme linn
itations of the medium. Human
beings primarily. and animals,
birds and fish, are the sculptor S
subjects. The nude human figure
appears in many guises in this
show. Historical and fictional char
acters are re-interpreted. A fairly
large proportion of sculptors, how
ever, are trying to get away from
these representational "ruts." by
creating distractions, or construc-
tions or mobiles. The last men
toned, including one by Alex
ander Calder of sheet aluminium
and steel rods. and another by
Fred Dreher, of aluminium, wood
and iron suggesting sea gulls. are
in constant gentle motion. from
air currents. and have no little
fascination; they ought to have
some other name than sculpture
to avoid comparisons.
Increasing attention to surfaces
and textures and new materials
is obvious In the show. Simplifi-
cation and stylization are respons-
ible for many admirable works
which should also compete sue
cessfully for popular attention
with the traditional sculptures or
view. But some of the more ad-
vanced experiments, capable o1