Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
Art Book Reviews
THE NAKED TRUTH AND

NE NAhED 1hU N AND
Personal VISION. BY
Bartlett H. Hayes, jr. (Addi-
son Gallery, Andover. Mass;
$3.75.)
Only a few art books each
year stir us to put our brains
to work. This such a book,
a thought-provoking discus
sion about the length of the
artistic road" Mr.. Hayes is a
master of concise and persua-
slve statement, subtleties and
nuances. Consequently. his
book is full of quotable re-
marks, some of which trip one
up, because they have more
dimensions than they appear
to. at first reading. Other
statements Of his, on the con-
trary. appear true at first read
ing, and later are seen to be
fallacies. Altogether, a tricky
performance. But even though
one may not agree with him
in many respects, one is slim
ulated by his arguments, to
clarity ones own thoughts.
The book grew from an ex-
hibition at the Addison Gal
lery. Of which the author is
director. as well as art instruc-
tor at Phillips Academy. And
over, Mass. The volumes pur-
pose. he says is less to explain
the works Of art, than by
means of them to examine GER
tain ways Of thinking by which
artists are often guided. Con-
sequently, the reader looks as
well as reads; the book has
more than 100 reproductions,
Is in colors, and as many ex-
planatory paragraphs.
The Naked Truth
Mr.. Hayes begins with the
conviction that the artist who
learns to make a close copy Of
a real figure or landscape or
whatever, can never achieve
his ideal Of the naked truth:
The exact duplication of the
original. The more that the
painter and sculptor strive to
make paint and stone substi-
tute for real flesh, the more
obvious is the difference be-
tween the product and the real
thing"
Personally, I do not believe
that any artist, with the ex-
ception of Pygmalion. was
striving to do more than ap-
proach the appearance of the
naked truth"
The naked truth" says Mr..
Hayes, Lies not so much in the
object as in mans reaction to
it. Truth is conformity to
fact; artistic truth to idea or
emotion"
Why? Appearance seems to
be at least as valid as idea or
emotion for the purpose of a
work of art. But not in his
opinion, If the painting" he
says. lis largely initiative,
there is relatively much to be
shared because the eye merely
reports the tangible existence
of an object--a familiar ex-
perience to all communi-
cation is not difficult" The
more people tend to see a thing
alike" he concludes. the less
personal and therefore. less ar
tistic it is, because the more
measurable and less individual
ly distinctive it becomes.
Elsewhere, in pursuing this
argument, Mr.. Hayes trips
himself up. The difference
between copying nature and
making inward ideas and emo
tions visible, is like the diff
ference between copying "a
written page with careful pen
manship, and giving form to
original thought in prose or
verse" This is not so. Copy
ing a written page is analogous
to copying someone else's
painting.
But Mr.. Hayes presents
some telling arguments to
those who dislike abstract art
generally. IF the end point
Of the arts were a literal
transcription of the sounds
and sights which exist in the
world, the most perfect music
would be nature noises with