Evening star., 1962-01-21

painting and Mrs. Breeskin
weeded this vast number
down to 98 for the exhibition
There is no way to judge what
she threw out, but what she
has put in makes a magnif-
icent show of talent in the
100-mile radius of the Dis
trict that the exhibition now
embraces. The show deserves
repeated visits by anyone at
all interested in the art OF
the region. For the painting
section is so rich that the
visitor cannot hope to take 1t
in properly on one occasion.
Wrong Omnibus
Unfortunately this happy
state is far from being true
of the other sections. This
raises the question Of wheth-
er the regional biennial
should continue its present
omnibus style. There are ex-
cellent ceramics, textiles,
drawings and prints, but all
suffer from juxtaposition
with the paintings. All are
considerably more subtle
than most of the things 60
ing on in painting today. All
are smaller. And there are
not as many competent peo-
pie working in these medi-
ums as in painting.
Sculpture is another story.
The sculpture section of the
18th area show is outra-
geouS. On the basis of the
show, it is impossible to know
whether local sculpture is
really that bad. William 70
rach, himself a leading Amer
ican sculptor, made the Sc
lections but the section is
unbelievably weak. It is al
most totally slanted in the
direction Of representations
Of humans and animals
and they mostly come out
looking bland and brainless.
The section strikes the eye as
being made up Of poor imi-
tations Of Mr.. Zorach himself
and Of Jose De Creeft.
Probably the most inter-
esting piece in the section is
the plastic equivalent of a
novelty n um b er, Abraham
Blustein's bronze "Cold Win
ter Night in a House of Pray
err" which is actually a lit
tie stage set with a, reader.
Several Of the better known
area sculptors are missing
completely and the most au-
thoritative and stimulating
piece Of sculpture in the show
turns up in the painting sec
ton, an abstract steel relief
by Jose Bermudez.
Paintings Dominant
The other sections are sim
ply overShadowed by the
paintings. The ceramic group
has a few decidedly odd
things on view - things that
would be more at home in a
gifte shoppe than in a serious
craft show. But there are
strong pieces by Alexander
Giampietro, John Rovin, Olin
Russurn, M. L. Robins and
Dennis Parks, among others.
The textile section is small
but choice, highlighted by a
restrained chausable made of
silk by Louise Cooley and an
undulating "St. George and
the Dragon" in needle point
by Douglas B. Price.
Need Traffic Director
The suggestion made above
that the authorities consid-
er dividing the show up
somehow IN future years is
strengthened by two aspects
Of the prints and drawings.
Many Of the people represent
ed are also represented in
the painting section, so there
Is a question Of covering
some of the ground twice.
And, surprisingly, several of
the areas best printmakers
actually have better work on
view in the print show at the =
Smithsonian than at the Cor
coran. Local shows have
reached the point where they
need a traffic director.
The painting section, the
heart of the show at the Cor
coran is distinguished chiefly
ly sureness. There is hard
ly an uncertain artist repre-
Sented. The second great vir-
tue is a catholic taste.
There is, for example, one
whole room full of represent
rational painting, including
one good piece of sharp To-
Gus realism, and such paint
ings appear regularly
throughout the rest of the
show. Even more significant
ly, there isn't a single paint
ing obviously there for ideo-
logical reasons only.
Nuclear Influence?
Circles within circles, to be
specific, have been fairly
fashionable ever since Jasper
Johns invented them a few
years back and Robert De-
launcy invented them even
earlier. There is one in the
show, "Entombed," by Elaine
Gates. But it is no mere To-
cal variant Of someone else's
national manner. The raw,
glaring colors, plus, to be
sure, the title, suggest some
connection with the present.
ly popular subject of nIIclear