Evening star., 1950-01-22

New York artists work is highly
regarded in some circles. He has
taught courses at American Uni
versity in the past two years. and
has exhibited in group shows
here. A one-man show at the
| Egan Gallery in New York City
last October, elected sympathetic
comments from New York critics,
one of whom (in the Art DigeSt)
found his paintings mot always
communicative, but often very in
teresting."
I regret to say that I found
most of them dull. cropping and
unfinished in effect. Since the
only fair method of judging an
artists success is in terms of how
he meets his own objectives, l
hoped to discover these in a 500
word statement he wrote to the
Whyte Gallery, which is mounted
and displayed with the paintings.
This statement has the strange
effect of seeming more lucid in the
first rapid reading than it does on
a second or third perusal. The
biographical data is interesting
and direct. Confusion overtakes
the factual-minded reader when
trying to understand Mr. Twor-
kov's explanations of his own.
work. For example:
II am always interested in my
subject. try to express it poeti-
cally. This sometimes leads me
far away from descriptive paint
ing, not because I am after a more
elegant mousetrap, but because I
am after the mouse
Most of us are after a mouse at
intervals, but our objective is to
destroy it.
However. there are two por-
traits, one of a pensive woman,
the other of an old man (both
painted in unpleasant yellowish
grays) in which character and
personality come through strongly.
If Mr.. Tworkov reaches the point
OF solving his problems generally
as we'll as he has in these works,
his future one-man shows should
improve to marked degree.
T. X X y X
Amorphous Abstractions ,.r....
An exhibition of Is abstract
paintings by Theodoros Stamos is
hung in the Phillips Gallery's
print rooms, through January 81.
This is the artists first one-man
show in Washington. He has had
a few elsewhere, his first In New
York City in 1914 when he was
only %.
Mr.. Stamos has invented forms
which do not suggest anything to
the observer, except in rare in
stances when he vouchsafes some
thing specific to emphasize the
theme of the paintings, as in
Waterway" which has a large
whorled shell shape as part of the
design. While the paintings are
predominantly pure distractions,
they have titles with associational
values (e.g.. Room in Athens" a
space filled with smoke or fog;
and THE Mosses," a mass Of
shifting greens).
Assuming the titles indicate the
inspiration Of the paintings, one
concludes that poetic and meta
physical ideas intrigue him
"Moonswept Quarters" "The
World Tablet" Sacrifice of
Cronos," etc. He favors coppery
browns and warm blues and some
OF the passages are rich with
subtle graduations.
But. generally speaking, the
paintings convey little or nothing
to the average person.
X X II
Handwoven Fabrics
Last August, in the large Joint
exhibition of work by Potomac
Craftsmen and the Kiln Club, ex-
hibits by DR.. and Mrs. Donnell B.
Young attracted much favorable
notice. More than SO of their
handwoven fabrics - coverlets,
table runners, wall hangings,
luncheon sets, yard material for
curtains. wearing apparel, up
holstery and many other items,
are on view at George Washington
University's library through next
Friday.
DR.. Young is professor of zoology
at George Washington and Mrs.
Young has taught arts and crafts
at Holton Arms School here; now
on leave of absence, she is
teaching weaving in her own
studio in Bethesda. They took up
weaving as a recreational activity
about Is years ago. and one or
both have studied at such out
standing centers as Berea College,
KY; Penland, N. c., and Guate-
mala.
Many kinds of weayes and de-
Sionc ora ronraeox,fol -, 49, .zt