The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-07-16
= This RUck
Of Ours
Py BILL GTBH

! LftCA INV atCQ +iLt 10 one OF IiciF
group meetings last Friday
night,
/ Since the invitation came by
! telephone. | couldn't very we'll
tell what their mood was. or
what kind Of reception awaited
me, To be on the safe side,
dolned q bulletproof vest, slipped
into the meeting after it had
started. and parked myself in
char nearest the exit.
Ny precautions were entirely
unnecessary.
The human beings who call
themselves artists, tor vice YER
SAP, were very much like you and
l. Only once during the even
ing did I feel nervous and/or
FEARFUL This was when a beauti.
tul young lady dramatically an
nounced she despised insects.
J Combining action with words, she
grabbed a Fit gun, shot couple
Of squirts at a cricket crawling
across the patio and then looked
questioningly in my direction
Apparently she wasn't sure Of
my proper classification for after
a second or two, she laid the Fit
gun down.
Of course, I really wasn't too
badly scared. It's entirely coinci-
dental that during the short in
terval of time she looked at me,
! was silently repeating the 23rd
Psalm You know, the one that
goes: THE Lord is my shepherd.
Though | walk through the val
ley Of the shadow of death d, !
etc.Y
Speaking seriously, the group
appears to be sincere in their
desire to advance and promote
local painting.
Are they eccentric? Per
haps.
Selfish? Yes. Though mo-
more so than any organized
group that seeks a definite aim
and forgets everything else.
Can they work in harmony
with the people of Key West as
well as other local artists? /.
can't answer this question, affir-
matively or negatively, at the
present time
Artists at Friday nights meet
ing assured me that any and all
paiRters were welcome to join
theh group They do not consid-
er themselves a guild" nor do
they .aaeppt to regulate the
opiHionsx Ideals. or actions of
each other. I cannot help but
view such noble statements with
my tongue in my cheek
Most artists are tempermental.
Thg are even inclined to be des-
! potic, bath feeling thai there is
no Wat bf art but his own This
loc3l araup win have to choose
leaders wisely to keep from wan
! dering FIR astray of It's original
purpose
Ny feelings have not changed
with regard to the fact that the
local artists are allowing them
selves to be engulfed by social
ed leeches, parasites, hypocriteS,
or what have you And the pitt
full part is that their interest in
their work blinds them to the
danger.
I don't think single member
Of the group at Friday nights
meeting had read my critical col
umns with regard 10 the deep,
underlying meaning l was try
ingl to put across. They. as well
as several other folks in town
have scanned the surface words
/ and Immediately become indig-
nant, questioning my right or
ability 10 ,3criticige. II. III
| | Ny reply frofn d former scol.i
uHlh is repeated; For years I've
bedr1 Interested in all of the fine
arts Ana I've learned that Art, as
such, must contain itself within
the realm Of the average person
/ mentality Otherwise, it becomes a
passing fad or temporary obses-
sion Throughout the ages, ar
! lists have-probably unknowing-
~, relied on me and my kind
/ to protect them from encroaching
evils so that they might pursue
their work more freely.
/ cannot understand the local
artists desire to get only sugary,
/ fiattcring praise, Perhaps it Is
! because I'm somewhat off the
beam. I'm never interested IN
either pats on the back or fav-
/ orable comment. ! want action
| reselts-~-and let the devil take
the hintln1ost.
lii a later column, we viii try
to explore this art subject lit
tie further