Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANACHAMPAIGN ARCHITECTURE UNIVSiaiTY OF numti •.T«"^- *!r^" Materialsl The Minimum fee lor NOTICE: Return or renew all Library each Lost Book is $50.00. for The person charging this material is responsible which it was withdrawn its return to the hbrary from below. on or before the Latest Date stamped books are reasons tor discipli- Then, mutilation, and underiining of (rom the University. nary action and may result in dismissal 333-8400 To renew call Telephone Center, URBANA-CHAMPAIGN UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT iMb .> RKl) TABI.F.CI.OIII Xicholas \"asilirtT Sunday, March 2, through Sunday, T^pril 13, 1952 University of Illinois Exhibition of CONTEMPORT^RY AMERICAN PAINTING Galleries Architecture Building College of Fine and Applied Arts, Urbana THE LIBRARY OF THE MAR 1 1C52 liNiVERSir/ OF ILLI!"OiS Copyright 1952 by the University of Illinois Manufactured in the United States of America /0 7./ ayu*^*^ RICHER IIP'T'^Y ARCiVJICTUflE UUIVEftSlTY Of ILLINOIS University of Illinois Exhibition of CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PAINTING GEORGE D. STODDT^RD President of the University DEAN REXFORD NEWCOMB Chairman, Festival of Contemporary Arts C. W. Briggs E. C. Rae N. Britsky J. R. Shipley OPERATING COMMITTEE G. N. Foster A. S. Weller J. D. Hogan C. V. Donovan, Chairman L. F. Bailey R. E. Marx E. H. Belts R. Perlman C. E. Bradbury A. J. Pulos STAFF COMMITTEE MEMBERS L. R. Chcsney J. W. Raushenberger C. A. Dietemann F. J. Roos W. F. Doolittle H. A. Schultz R. L. Drummond M. A. Sprague R. A. Ginstrom B. R. Stepner R. E. Hult L. M. Woodroofe J. W. Kennedy L. W. Zamiska J. H. G. Lynch N. V. Ziroli M. B. Martin Helen Jordan, Secretary LA GALERIA ESCONDIDA FAIRWE.^THER-GARNEIT GALLERY FRAYMART GALLERY ROSE FRIED GALLERY GANSO GALLERY GRAND CENTRAL ART GALLERIES GUMPS GALLERY JOHN HELLER GALLERY EDWIN HEWITT GALLERY HUGO GALLERY SIDNEY JANIS GALLERY M. KNOEDLER AND CO., INC. SAMUEL M. KOOTZ GALLERY KRAUSHA.\R GALLERIES MORTIMER LEVITT GALLERY LOS ANGELES ART ASSOCIATION GALLERIA DE ARTE MEXICANO MIDTOWN GALLERIES THE MILCH GALLERIES BORIS MIRSKI ART GALLERY ELIZABETH NELSON GALLERIES THE NEW GALLERY MR. FRED OLSEN ACKNOWLEDGMENT HETTY PARSONS GALLERY PERLS GALLERIES, INC. The College of Fine and Applied Arts PERIDOT GALLERY is grateful to those who have made loans PITTSBURGH ARl S AND CRAFTS CENTER of paintings to this institution and acknowl- MR. JOSEPH VERNER REED K. REHN, INC. edges the cooperation of the following FRANK M. A. P. ROSENBERG AND CO., INC. collectors, museums, and galleries: MR. HARRY J. RUDICK ACA GALLERY HARRY SALPETER GALLERY ASSOCIATED AMERIC:AN ARIISI'S, INC. MR. AND MRS. ANSLEY W. SAWYER BABCOCK GALLERIES, INC. BERTHA SCHAEFER GALLERY GRACE BORGENICIIT GALLERY JACQUES SELIGMANN AND CO., INC. MARGARET BROWN GALLERY MR. AND MRS. JAY Z. SrEINBKRt; THE CALIFORNIA I'ALACE OF THE MR. D.AVID TERRY LEGION OF HONOR CURT VALENTIN GALLERY CONTEMPORARY ARTS, INC. VAN DIEMEN-LILIENFELD GALLERIES DALZELL HATFIELD CJALl.ERIES C;AI HERINE VIVIANO GALLERY DELIUS GALLERY ROBERT C. VOSE GALLERY THE DOWNTOWN GALLERY WEYHE GALLERY DURLACHER BROTHERS WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART C. V. DONOVAN JURY OF SELECTION J. D. HOGAN A. S. WELLER 1948 1949 LEONARD BECK CLAUDE BENTLEY EUGENE BERMAN LOUIS BOSA RAYMOND BREININ FRED CONWAY JOSEPH DE MARTINI JOHN HELIKER WILLIAM J, GORDON CARL HOLTY PHILIP GUSTON RICO LEBRUN KARL KNATHS ARTHUR OSVER AWARDS JULIAN E. LEVI FELIX RUVOLO LESTER O. SCHWARTZ YVES TANGUY HAZEL JANICKI TEYRAL BRADLEY WALKER TOMLIN 1950 1951 MAX BECKMANN WILLIAM BAZIOTES DEAN ELLIS BYRON BROWNE FREDERICK S. FRANCK ADOLPH GOTTLIEB ROBERT GWATHMEY CLEVE GRAY HANS HOFMANN MORRIS KANTOR CHARLES RAIN LEO MANSO ABRAHAM RATTNER MATTA HEDDA STERNE GREGORIO PRESTOPINO ANTHONY TONEY KURT SELIGMANN JEAN XCERON Paintings in this exhibition arc for sale. Visitors arc cordially invited to secure information from ST'iLES 'he attendant at the desk in the West Gallery. The University of Illinois charges no commission on any sale. Introduction This \olumc is the olTicial record of the Fifth Annual Exhibition of Con- temporary i\merican Painting held at the University of Illinois. Again, as an important function of its month-long Festi%al of Contemporary Arts, the Uni\ersity surveys the field of American painting. During the past year, the Jury of Selection has co\ered the nation, seeking out paintings which, because of diversity of subject matter, tech- nical excellence, or an interesting emotional approach, arc worthy of inclusion. While the works of many who ha%e already been included in our exhibitions will be found in these pages, one acquainted with our former shows will note that fulh' half of the exhibitors arc new. Again, it nui.st \k- ])i)intccl out th.it wiial is iu-rc shown nmstilutcs a progress report on a changeful art ratlicr than the summary of an art epoch. But, it is hoped that the show will indicate the direction that American painting has taken during tiie past year. Howexcr, with so wide a di\ersity of approach and so \aricd a technical expression, only general trends may be assessed. Certainly the same critical approach that once served the lay- man in examining pictures will be of little value in the presence of this group of canvases. Perhaps the advice given somewhere in the writings of [12] 13 John Marin, whose pictures have been included in three of our exhibitions, may be appHcable. Marin says, "Art — something that exists completely within itself — gives of itself only to sensitive people — for they approach it rightly ... I would suggest (as an exercise) that sometime you take your two eyes along with you — and leave your intellect and your friends' intellects at home — you might without these handicaps see things that would surprise you." Looking at pictures is a two-way contract. The artist attempts to tell us, as clearly as he sees it, something of his experience. The observer, on the other hand, agrees to bring an open mind and as sensitive an emotional approach as possible. What comes out of such an exchange is unique, vary- ing as the variables involved. It is hoped that the experience will be both pleasurable and valuable. But it may not. In any case, it is well to empha- size, as Allen S. Weller has pointed out, that "a work of art is not an imitation of anything which exists outside itself." It is itself "a complete and independent experience." This the viewer of contemporary pictures must keep constantly in mind. During a period of four years, the University of Illinois Contemporary Painting Exhibition has achieved a standing among national art events and its catalogue has been widely sought, both at home and abroad. At the University, it is considered vastly important that our faculty and student body ha\e an opportunity to experience the best contemporary works of the theatre, literature, music, the dance, painting, architecture, landscape architecture, and the graphic arts in general. These annual Festivals of Contemporary Arts are thus a part of the cultural experience of each and every student. Moreover, hundreds of guests come from Illinois and neighboring states to participate in these events. From this 1952 exhibition, as in past years, the University will make purchases of canvases to add to its permanent collection of contemporary American painting. The selections for this year's purchase will be announced following the close of the exhibition. REXFORD NEWCOMB, Dean College of Fine and Applied Arts Truth and Vision in Contemporary Painting It is possible that the world would be a better place if there were more painters in it. The qualities which a painter must ha\e to accomplish sig- nificant expression in times like these — the sensiti\cness to values, both material and spiritual, which arc not obviously exposed on the surface of things; the eager search for the underlying order which we feel exists, in spite of present chaos; the endless patience which is necessary to achieve a personal and a successful kind of statement; the understanding that there are new kinds of truth and new kinds of beauty wliich ha\e the possibility [14] 15 of being as enveloping and as sustaining as those which reached their full expression in some of the great periods of the past — all these are qualities which are intrinsically important. In spite of the fact that many people have misunderstood some of the contemporary painter's experiments and the lines of development which his activities have inevitably led him to follow, in spite of the fact that much hostile criticism has been based on foundations which are not accepted or used by the painter at all, and consequently do not apply, the painter of today who is serious in his intentions and accomplished in his methods (and I believe there are a large number of such artists at the present time ) is one of the genuinely constructive and positive elements in our society. These elements, which are now all too rare, must be cherished. The artist is inevitably a special kind of a person, and the fact that he is often unappre- ciated or misunderstood means that he must be one who has a unique will to express himself in spite of adverse surroundings. No one who is easily discouraged, no one who must feed upon wide public recognition, stands much of a chance of realizing the aesthetic potentialities which may reside within his mind and spirit. In a period in which conformity to group standards, in which the levelling influence of mediocrity, indifference, and mechanization reach alarming proportions, the humanistic and individu- alistic values which the painter, along with all other truly creative spirits, expresses and develops have a special significance.