Evening star., 1951-12-02
!. 4 RI
Washington
Printn1okers'
Exhibition
By Florence 5. Berrymon

80 segi MINI
Exhibition
By Florence 5. Berrymon
The 10th exhibition of the So
|ciety Of Washington Printmakers,
on view in the gallery of the Ad-
ministration Building, American
Institute Of Architects. is a partic-
ularly satisfying show. Seventy
five items, comprising work in
most of the print media and un-
usual combinations. range from
the minute-detailed naturalism of
John Taylor Arms to abstract and
non-objective compositions, and
represent not only members, but
other printmakers throughout the
country.
However varied the individual
works, good group exhibitions of
prints have a disciplined look that
one misses in many large shows of
paintings Gncluding the Corcoran
Gallefy's sixth annual area exhi-
bition. Many painters today,
particularly the expressionists,
daub and smear in happy aban-
don, and some of their produc-
tions. hung in public galleries,
give the surroundings a disheveled
appearance.
Not so the printmakers. Most
of those represented in the cur
rent show obviously learned their
media. thoroughly and the result
ant prints have a crispness and
technical competence that pro-
claims good craftsmanship as an
important feature.
Invited Groups.
The Society of Washington
Printmakers invited two Virginia
artists to show small groups of
their work, six prints each. OF
j. j. Lankes. nationally known for
his wood engravings of rural New
England and the South, particu-
larly Tidewater Virginia, the
society says. Many artists have
made prints of rural subjects but
very few with the poignance. the
noble simplicity achieved by Mr..
Lankes." His prints range from
1927 to 1850.
The other featured artist,
Charles w. Smith of the art de-
partment. University of Virginia,
is an experimenter in block print
ing. Whereas Mr.. Lankes' work is
traditional, Mr.. Smiths is mod
ern, with certain angularity and
occasional surprising nuances.
Some of the techniques, he said,
are quite complicated. but he
doesn't keep notes on how they
were done. Apparently each is
new adventure to him. All were
produced on a hand press. and all
color is applied from a surface
none is painted on with q brush.
The exhibition has such admir-
able traditional work as Grace Al
bees exquisite engraving of a farm
landscape, John Taylor ArmSscop-
per plate and two proofs of the
demonstration etching he did at
the Library of Congress last May
%. Reynold Weidenaar's toneful
color mezzotint of a Mexican VOL
cano, James Havens' self-portrait
in color woodcut and G. Living
Iston Woolley's mezzotint, Modern
Madonna" Armin Landeck's en-
craving. Restaurant" is covered
with mesh of fine lines, as is the
case with much of his recent work.
Vincent Hacks color wood block
Of a Korean patriarch has the
look of Far Eastern color print,
recalling Helen Hyde and Eliza
beth Keith. Vincent Malta's aqua
tint in slate gray and dark red is
reminiscent of Egyptian murals.
Swooping rhythms distinguish
Ruth Starr Roses colorful silk
screen. "Sailboats." I. j. Sanger's
"Weehawken Waterfront" a
woodcut in color, is quiet and
restful. There is a dry humor
in Doris Weidner's lithograph,
Kitchen" with its clutter, and
in Sheila Boyd's "Rooftop" and
its precariously perched laundress.
The exhibition has many hand
some distractions. not a few of
them showing the Hayter influ-
ence: e.g., Walter Rolgaski's
Scorpion and Crab" Fred Beck
Ier's pulled Forms a color limo
Ileum intaglio has sharp white ac-
cents against black, brown and
gray, the composition and color
scheme creating a metallic flavor.
James Kleege's jungle" Ralph
Fabri's Golden Calf" Worden
Days complicated white line alb
|straction on black and deep blue.
engraving on copper and linoleum.
and Ruth Westergren's monotype
Cypress Swamp" Isabella Walk
ier's Witches Dance" and Jack
Perlmutter's lithograph "City at
Night" command attention.
Other prints I liked are Roy
Clark's ''Lockhouse on the Canal"
Chester Leich's Brook" Rowland
Lyons simplified "Provincetown
Roofs" and Lyn Egbert's boy on
la Mule"
This exhibition remains through
December 81, and is good place
to find Christmas gifts for art
minded friends.
X \
Essence Of Maine
Every one who loves New Eng
land generally. and Maine par
|ticularly, will be enchanted with
the exhibition of landscapes of