Evening star., 1952-07-20
News Of Artists and Exhibitions
LiLi Gettnger Hos Solo Display Of Sculpture
At Corcoron, Including Work in Various Mediums
By Florence S. Berrymon

Sculptors are minority group
among artists. Opportunities
for Sculptors are few, compared
to those for painters and print
makers, because there is no mass
OF potential purchasers; even a
small apartment has walls for
pictures, but no room for a
chunk Of stone, metal or wood
which requires some space
around it to be seen properly.
Materials for sculpture are COM
paratively costly. The weight
and bulk Of sculptures make
transportation difficult and ex-
pensive. And the mechanics Of
installing a sculpture show offer
more problems than the hanging
Of paintings and prints.
Consequently, when an artist
chooses sculpture as medium,
and has the physical strength
to carve, cut, or model and cast;
and a museum staff considers
the sculptor's creations suffi-
GENTLY worthy Of display to
undertake the labor of installing
a representative collection of
them, it would seem that the
public ought not to miss the
opportunity to visit the show.
even though the works on view
present a problem in apprecia-
ton.
Lilli Gettinger's exhibition at
the Corcoran Gallery until the
end Of September, is q case in
point. Half Of the lower atrium
is occupied with figures and
groups which represent a con-
siderable expenditure Of muscu-
lar strength, not to mention
artistry and imaginative con-
ceptions. There is variety in
materials: Terra Gotta. various
woods and stones, firebricks,
hammered metals. plaster and
cement. During the little more
than a decade In which she has
been working, the artist has re-
sponded to several influences,
which have produced another
kind Of variety. But there are
only a few works among the %
on view which are likely to elicit
quick liking from the average
visitor.
Sculptress' Aims
Definitely an aid in under
standing Miss Gettinger'S work
Is the long critical appreciation
by Andrew Keck preceding the
catalogue list Except for. a few
remarks in his first and last
paragraphs). In addition, the
sculptor discussed her own aims
and several works in the show,
for the benefit Of The Stars
readers.
I'm each Of my sculptures"
she said, II strive to convey a
specific idea to the onlooker.
In my portraits, although of
course the likeness is important,
I express primarily my attitude
toward the person I model, and
in each of my figure compo-
sitions, I aim at a particular
statement. For example, in my
stonegroup Embrace" I show
my conception of a tender mu-
tual love; in the terra Gotta
group "Of Dragons Slain," I
depict a man boasting to a
woman who in turn listens with
mock attention. OF course, the
solution of the formal problems
Is always essential: but my main
concern is with the statement
Of the idea and the forms are
selected to serve it."
THE artist is most success.
full" Miss Gettinger continued.
when beyond the personal ex-
perience he strikes a universal
truth. I don't see q big gap be-
tween modern and traditional
art. Only the solutions differ:
the basic problems always re-
main the same"
With the aid Of the catalogue.
visitors can identify the several
works influenced by Archipenko,
in whose school Miss Gettinger
spent two years; those she made
during five years Of study at
the Corcoran School under
Heinz Warneke; the expert
mental works of her first year
OF independence in her own
studio in Georgetown; and the
portraits and groups she has
done in the past three years.
She has employed distortion
In most Of her works. Some are
elongated and attenuated; in
others the forms are rounded
and bulky. Her abstract Squat
ting Man" suggests an ancient
: musical instrument, while her
brownstone Seated Figure"
1946) is constructed of fiat
discs. An approach to exuberant
naturalism is evident in her re-
cent Q951-2) works, the EN-
brace" the shows major work.
and the joyous little terra Gotta
Mother and Baby" Her minia-
ture self-portrait l949) is
charming.
Also included in this, her first
solo exhibition, is a large group
OF drawings in black and brown
crayon, charcoal and ink. Nearly
all Of these are sketches in
heavy outline of nude figures,
studies for sculptures.
In addition to her active ca
reer as a sculptor. Miss Get
finger conducts classes in ma
terials and sculpture techniques
in her Georgetown studio.
Summer Shows
Book publishers used to adj
vertise (perhaps they still dol
hammock fiction, or light read.
ing for hot weather, pleasant
and not too taxing on the In