Evening star., 1961-07-23

IL . Cdoy CIIOu6A " CCC
sea in the summer, namely t.
traction art holds for the re
customers, is more difficult
for instance, where the sixth
Annual Boardwalk Art Show
has just been concluded.
visiting the exhibition in
volved walking at least a cou-
pie of miles in the hot sun,
with the cool sea in sight
every step of the way. To be-
have, in other words, like q
madman.
The most likely explana-
ton is that Of compensation
for morality affronted by two
weeks Of lazing and lolling.
We can see a broader appli-
cation of this theory in the
widely accepted notion that
we actually needed the annual
fortnight Of fun in order bet
ter to get on with the job
the rest of the year. 1t strikes
us, obviously, as immoral
simply to float about on the
waves because we enjoy it.
We have to demonstrate that
it's good for us, as well.
Tan and Culture
Where art fits into this
general scheme Of atonement
and justification is clear
enough. Cape Cod itself,
which begins barely 10 miles
from where the Puritans
landed, set the pattern. For
centuries the Cape was simply
a spit of land out in the At
lantic, inhabited-if at all
by fishermen. Late in the
last century a few artists be-
gan moving out, attracted
by the light and by the
severe scenery. Once art was
thoroughly established, the
stern and rockbound New
Englanders felt they could
safely follow, since they were
getting cultured at the same
time they were getting
tanned.
Art and vacations have
gone together ever since and
may be found in association
down in Maine, along the
Great Lakes and in widest
California. Also Virginia
Beach.
Noise on Canvas
The Sixth Annual had sew
eral advantages for the
atonement seeking vaca-
toner. We have already
mentioned the penitential
walk in the sun. The show
had the further merit that
most Of the art on view was
rather less than mediocre
and some Of it unSpeakably
bad. One artist, for example.
achieved by hand the hideouS
colors and thematic banal-
ity often thought possible
only by 10th century
chromolithography. He did
it on q very large scale, too,
most notably in a picture Of
Daniel Boone in a shocking
pink sunset, thus increasing
the purifying agony Of the
penitent. Another exhibited
a collection Of drip paintings
apparently derived from color
reproductions of the late
Jackson Pollock; not con-
tent, the same artist had on
view a couple Of tastefully
arranged assemblages Of
spare parts from the junk
yard. all sprayed over with
aluminium paint. Gazing at
such works, one could hear
the sea-girls crying. Repent,
repent!" and feel within the
soul that movement Of ablu-
ton and even abSolution
that only comes from suf-
fering endured.
Yet, if the level Of paint
ings was low, that Of sculp-
ture was lower still and that
of craft an abomination in
mems eyes. The show. of
course, was "open." Anyone
anyone white. that is-who
had S. and got his applica-
ton in on time was in the
show. More, than $50 artists,
largely from Virginia, Wash
ington and Baltimore, but a
few from New York, the Mid
west and elsewhere in the
South, made the scene.- Each
had at least ten paintings on
view and some had many
more. A reasonable estimate
would be about 1000 paint
ings, perhaps 100 pieces of
sculpture.
Crafts for Sale
There's no way of esti-
mating the number of craft
items. There is a good deal
of excellent work being done
today in such crafts as
jewelry and ceramics and al
most none of it was on view
at Virginia Beach. The show
is a sale show and the crafts
men on hand were out to sell.
The most numerous items
seemed to be those enamel
cuff-links and earrings made
with a kitchen kiln available
in hobby shops and therapy
wards.
Most Of the ceramics were
made by slip molds and were
Hi N aNR AaW