An Evening With The Art of The Future

New School

Of

Social Research

March 23rd 1931

It is a great pleasure to be standing here to night.

And I am both proud and happy to be doing so.

Happy because it gives me the opportunity to pay my tribute to
Dr. Alvin Johnson at the close of three months work with him which
filled me with admiration as it does everyone who works with him
for he has that rare combination of complete oversight of all
that is happening in his School - yet at the same time giving
each of us perfect freedom to achieve in our own personal
way he has asked us to do.

That is great leadership and should lead to great results in his
vision for adult education.

Proud - because we are celebrating the 12th Birthday of the
Societe Anonyme tonight, for it was just eleven years ago that
Duchamp, Man Ray and I met to lay our plans for this educational
work in the new expressions of art.

When I consider how we had to drag the critics by the lapel of
the coats up three flights of stairs for we were/what had
had once been the nursery of a private house and certainly was
the nursery and playroom of the Societe Anonyme. for three enter-

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taining and exciting years. It is indeed gratifying to see how
which we showed
the works of these men/are now being accepted in New York and
shown not only by the dealers but by the Museum of Modern Art
and the French Institute, as well,

The reason of our achievement is so simple that we take no special
credit for that which has kept our vision fresh - for the keynote
which has dominated all the work of the Societe Anonyme - has been
that of love. For as Rodin - that powerful man said to a group
of us, who had the rare privilege of seeing him at work one day -
that one can only achieve art - avec tendress.

It is strange that so self-evident a fact - is not self-evident
to all people.

Love seems to be the only quality in man which can hold the spirit.

Therefore when love leaves - the spirit - that intangible some-
thing which is the essence of life - leaves also.

We had an excellent example of it this last week when the German
Opera Company came to New York.

Why was it that with all the handicaps which they had to overcome
they yet were able to give their audiences something which the

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Metropolitan Opera is unable to give these days.

Why was it that Max von Schilling with his 55 men could reach greater heights than Bodansky with his highly organized orchestra in a perfectly equipped opera house, with acoustics perfect when compare to the Mecca Temple?

Why was it that the singers could carry you into other realms, so that you left the opera refreshed?

Because through their love for the music and their songs they were able to experience what they sang. They did not merely render the opera as is done at the Metropolitan.

And here we have the Key-note of art.

When you experience with your heart and imagination that which you express you enter the realm of life and have left the realm of the intellect which can only give a rendition of that which it takes under consideration.

It is the same - whether we find it in music or painting or whatever form of art we are contemplating.

It is the quality of the emotional experience which takes the fairy-stories of a Chagall or a Bela Kadar out of the realm of literature and keeps them within the realm of painting.

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And I would like to repeat again that here it is that we have
the key-note of art.

One must _experience_ through _love_ that which one expresses.

If you do not love your subject sufficiently to experience it
it only becomes a rendition.

We hear stated on every side that art is becoming mechanized.

But we - as the Societe Anonyme have never found it so.

For when mechanism has entered - love has fled.

What is mechanism?

But that which belongs to the mechanical side of life.

Recognizing the Beauty in Machinery is not mechanism in art.

Mechanism is that part which belongs to the mechanical or tech-
nical side of art. When that dominates - art has become mechanized.

One is perhaps more conscious of it because of the technique used.

But it has always been. It is not difficult to recall to mind pictures
which were only so much paint. Or films which were so low an art
expression that one was only conscious of a new form of mechanical
presentation.

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But the true artists who experience that which they wish to express
BECOME MASTERS OF THEIR TECHNIQUE - regardless what form of technique
they employ - be it paint - or moving pictures or other forms
of electrical devises, as you will see tonight.

Never having lost sight that the artist must experience that which
he wishes to express - the Societe Anonyme has not found it hard
to differentiate between those who had something to say express
from those who intellectually believed that they have something to
give.

One of the main tenants of the Societe Anonyme is that the chief
function of art is to release the spirit in all who contact art.
They have therefore never concerned themselves with those who use
XXXIX art as a form of propaganda - whether for good or evil -
believing as they do that the vision of great beauty is sufficient.

Never forgetting that Beauty rises above taste - for taste rejects
the powerful which beauty joyously accepts.

Art must be perceived to be contemplated.

It is through perception that art speaks to the beholder.

And not through the intellect - though -

All ART MUST BE A FUSION OF THE EMOTION AND THE MIND.

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also having the opportunity to contemplate them.

This opportunity the Societe Anonyme has always attempted to
render - and has done so according to its means.

And since it beleives that those artists are the most important
who definitely know their direction as well as being sensitive to
and emotionally unified with their century - we naturally have em-
phasized the works of those painters who extended the domain of
art by painting in the abstract.

Strangely enough the abstract in art is to the average person a
painting without a subject whereas in reality it has extended the
realm of subject matter in the art of painting.

It has done away with realism but for the first time abstract
thoughts of emotions and philosophy can find expression through
painting. For those of us who beleive that the art of painting
and music preceeds speech and science are aware that great power-
ful thoughts can once more find an outlet for expression and reach
many people through the sences before these same thoughts can find
an outlet through words.

Though elementary schooling has done as much harm as good by over-
emphasizing the value of the written word and deadening or be-

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1907 express itself in France as Cubism, in Italy as Futurism, in Germany by a group which called itself - Die Blauen Reiter - and through art the world everywhere new expressions of art full of life and vitality were breaking ground.

Many thought that the war would destroy this new force - others not realizing that it preceded the war - looked upon it as an expression which had come out of the war and would therefore soon disappear.

But instead it spread and even during the war when countries were isolated one from another - so that no communication could exist, all alone it leaped confines and found expression in and through sensitive minds and these new forms of art, giving birth to new ideas, appeared everywhere. For born throughout the world were groups of people seeking to give expression through art of an entirely new outlook on life. It was what Peter Ibbetson learned, that stones do not a prison make, and what Franz Marc stated in his manifesto - that thoughts can dynamite fortresses.

This spiritual force which caused the revolt in art in 1907 was the foreshadowing of the great up-heaval which expressed itself upon the material plane in the Great War.

The Great War was also a convulsion of the Spirit.

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It was as universal an expression as the revolt in art - and there-
fore no one group caused it anymore than one group created what we
term Modern Art.

Art being on a non-material plane - the convulsion was not as violent

But they both gave birth to a greater spiritual freedom which is

trying to manifest itself today.

It was very significant therefore that during the period of the
great war man turned for protection to the new forms in art - and
for target-practise to the old forms where the spirit had fled.

To me it revealed the enduring spiritual quality manifesting itself
in the new birth - and hence my conviction.

Think for a moment what it meant -when all nations in trying to
protect their ships,cannons and dugouts through what they termed
protective coloring - engaged the cubists - the very men who had
brought about the Revolt in Art to carry out this plan in such a
manner that the illusion would be such that the best marksmanship
might go astray. They were using the outer expression - but that
outer expression would not have been born into the world had not
the spirit sought new forms through which to manifest.

But outer forms - still remain outer forms.

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What we are considering tonight are really only outer forms - but
born of the new spirit which has enetered the world.

As outer forms they are as tools which if they fall into the hands
of the weak bring forth no art expression - but if placed in
the hands of the strong - the men with vision - great forms of art
will shape themselves. And it is this which I will show you tonight.

What I have termed the Art of the Future and which I am showing you
tonight - is the beginning of the mastery of those forces which have
been in existence for some time but not untill very recently have
they been handled by masters in art.

Before closing let me tell you a little what to look for in the
coming presentations.

The first film by Lotte Reiniger is the story of the Adventures of
Prince Achmed and his encounter with the Great Scocerer and the
wooing of beautiful Price Paribanu.

Being a fairy story Lotte Reiniger had to devise means and ways
by which the magician could enact all his marvels and
the art she has displayed hides the ingenuity she has employed to
achieve her ends. The film is complete and takes an entire even-

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therefore as it is only a demonstration of what an artist can achieve through the camera and the film and her own ingenuity

I chose - difficult as it was to make any choice - the section dealing with his adventures in China and the difficulties which the poor little princess passes through when the wicked sorcerer carries her off.

It took Miss Reiniger three years to achieve this film. But all who have had the privilege to see it are amazed at her achievement both technically and artistically.

It was brought over by the University Film Foundation which is a non-profit educational institution operated in connection with Harvard University, and I believe I am right that thus far it has only had private showings in New York City.

The next number on the program is also a film but of quite a different approach. It is the only abstract film which I have seen. All others which are called abstract are based on nature and give the impression of abstraction to those who cannot see the angle of approach. But this one of Duchamp is abstract.

Just as Lotte Reiniger made her figures so Duchamp made his compo-

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situation designed to give as truly what they do give as Lotte Reini-
designed what she wanted to give.

The more one sees it the more remarkable it appears. Through

Hans Richter's organization in Europe it is beginning to be well

known but here only about six people have seen it already.

It is as you will soon see an amazing achievement.

about
Then comes Archipenko's Archipentura/which he will say a few words
himself - showing it twice - once at the beginning of his five
minutes talk and then again after he has explained it.

When it was shown a few years ago at the Anderson Galleries I was

XAPIX captivated by it especially in relation to the small New York

apartments - for here was a devise which in the one and same given

space would give you six different picture. What richness of posses-
sion!!!!!

The last of the evening is devoted to the greatest invention in
relation to the art of painting which as yet has been achieved.

I have asked Mr. Wilfred to bring his home-clavilux even if he
will be unable to play it for you so that you can come on the stage
after the preformance and look at it for yourself.

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For this little instrument will I hope eventually enter every
home and develope a love for color as the radio and gramaphone
have developed a love for good music. You will then be able to
see the glass records which in time will be made by other artists
besides Mr. Wilfred whose beautiful records we now enjoy - those
who have the privilege of already possessing such an instrument
in the home. And in time you will go into the shop and ask for
a record by Duchamp or Picasso or Leger or Campendonk - and re-
ceive the same joy which you now have through the beautiful records
of music. It will be an extension of Kandinsky's great contribu-
tion when he said of abstract art that in time color will be to
the eye what music is to the ear.

I thank you.