174 15 4134 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/52816fa66c51f90d82a223a4884f4ba2.pdf 0156b27d03f77bafe71dfca92bd20576 PDF Text Text ������������������������� https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/4abcf03e0fe1ac3a092093e165f6e01c.pdf 98340dbb001434721f0f4054c3e0b7e9 PDF Text Text x A B' fr I:I I B I B =s g 5" ^22. E§ c=S c~£ St B PEE WEE RUSSELL AND GEORGE WETTLING I SDRD GA ND237 R86A4 1936 �THE ART OF PEE WEE RUSSELL AND GEORGE WETTLING I Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College Wilkes Barre, Pennsy I van ia April 27 through June 1,1986 Essays by Hank O'Neal and Dan Morgenstern Exhibition Organized by [he Sordom Art Gallery 1 sTfarley library WILKES UNIVERSITY WILKES-BARRE PA Copyright 1986/Socdon.Art Gaflery. W*»CdW AWr«e^ 1 �Lenders to the Exhibition �■I ,,4 ’ Lenders to the Exhibition WHtVf.S Ei. - i Condon Ktsr < /Dov»«» tort Georg* Oom Richard wodtoc «» Money M • r* ■WJ Her * 3 He® The kwMuleoi Jazz ShxMt tr<« ■ '•■ i’> • I 1 •’Q”r' �. .'...... • INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS painter was the American abstractionist, Stuart Davis, with whom he traded drum lessons for tips on painting Wettling's images are bold, geometric abstractions based on familiar subjects like Eddie Condon's night club. Like Davis' paintings, they reflect a deep love for jazz. We are indebted to those who helped organize this exhibition and the concert held in conjunction with it: Andrew Sordoni, III. Chairman of the Sordoni Art Gallery Advisory Commission; Hank O'Neal, author and producer, New York City; Don Morgenstern, Director, The Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University; and Kenny Davern, clarinetist. Most of all, I would like to thank the lenders who, through their generosity, have made this exhibition possible. This exhibition is the second in a series established in 1984 with the presentation of the music and paintings of jazz bassist. Bob Hoggart. As with the canvases of Haggart, the paintings of Pee Wee Russell and George Wettling are visual evidence of the creative impulses which made them such extraordinary jazz musicians. Pee Wee Russell once said that he didn't know what he would do without his clarinet. He couldn't live without music and his music was a strong and vital presence in his paintings. One of the lenders to the exhibition said he liked Pee Wee's paintings because they reminded him of his playing. They reflect an interest in syncopation, strong rhythms, and vibrant color — all terms that are applicable to both mediums. George Wettling always carried a sketchbook with him — on the road, on a gig, wherever. His mentor as a Judith H. O'Toole. Director 4 CHARLES ELLSWORTH “P Within a music that stresses individualism. Pee Wee Russell stood out He was a maverick whose approach to the clarinet — and to jazz — was wholly his own And he was fearless, venturing into what musicians now call "space" long before being tar out had become fashionable, but always landing safely on his teet. Pianist Dick Wellstood has described "the miracle of Pee Wee's playing" as "that.crabbed. choked, knotted tangle of squawks with which he could create such woodsy freedom, such an enormously roomy private universe." But while that unique vocabulary of tonal effects was one side of Pee Wee’s musical persona, ne could also coax contrastingly lovely, gentle sounds from his horn. Pee Wee spent most of his career playing with small groups of a rather freewheeling kind, and has been apprehended by some as an intuitive musician But he was far from unschooled and knew every rule he decided to break. In the late 1920's. in fact, he was accepted into the charmed circle of Hew York's first-string recording and dance-band musicians, doubling on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and bass clarinet. Born in Maple 'Wood, Missouri and reared in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he took lessons on piano, violin and drums before the clarinet became his chosen instrument { when he heard the famous He w Orleans clarinetist Alcide Yellow" Nunez) and later pursued his studies with the first-chair clarinetist of the St. Louis Symphony. He was unorthodox but certainly not untutored. Though he was enrolled for a year at Western Military Academy and later briefly attended the University of Missouri, Pee Wee was not yet out of his teens when he became a professional musician. Early on, he encountered a fellow maverick, trombonist Jack Teagarden, with whom he struck up a lifelong friendship, and by the time he was 18, he had roamed the southwest and played in Mexico and California Back in St. Louis in late 1925, he hocked up with the legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and his sidekick, saxophonist Frank Trumbauer, and during a resort job thef tog* then hqu< Th whe dot* Pen that sour thar Ec bar Stre Ork alsc or.' yec by< tha toC sho exp ste< he' inc typ Bar fre< Edt pre de! mu as inf ca firn the ho �CHARLES ELLSWORTH “PEE WEE” RUSSELL MENTS n abstractionist, Stuart Davis, im lessons fortips on painting, Id, geometric abstractions :ts like Eddie Condon's night s. they reflect a deep love >se who helped organize this :rt held in conjunction with it: man of the Sordoni Art sion; Hank O'Neal, author City; Dan Morgenstern, jzz Studies, Rutgers University; letist. o thank the lenders who, lave made this exhibition r I I I I I I | I I I I I “I | I E I f B b j I L L I I I F | Within a music that stresses individualism. Pee Wee Russell stood out. He was a maverick whose approach to the clarinet — and to jazz — was wholly his own. And he was fearless, venturing into what musicians now call "space" long before being far out had become fashionable, but always landing safely on his feet. pianist Dick Wellstood has described “the miracle of pee Wee's playing" as “that crabbed, choked, knotted tanale of squawks with which he could create such woodsy freedom, such an enormously roomy private universe." But while that unique vocabulary of tonal effects was one side of Pee Wee's musical persona, he could also coax contrastingly lovely, gentle sounds from his horn. Fee Wee spent most of his career playing with small aroupsof a rather freewheeling kind, and has been apprehended by some as an intuitive musician. But he wasfarfrom unschooled and knew every rule he decided to break. In the late 1920's, in fact, he was accepted into the charmed circle of New York's first-string recording and dance-band musicians, doubling on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and bass clarinet. Born in Maple Wood, Missouri and reared in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he took lessons on piano, violin and drums before the clarinet became his chosen instrument (when he heard the famous New Orleans clarinetist Alcide "Yellow" Nunez) and later pursued his studies with the first-chair clarinetist of the St. Louis Symphony. He was unorthodox but certainly not untutored. Though he was enrolled for a year at Western Military Academy and later briefly attended the University of Missouri, Pee Wee was not yet out of his teens when he became a professional musician. Early on, he encountered a fellow maverick, trombonist Jack Teagarden, with whom he struck up a lifelong friendship, and by the time he was 18, he had roamed the southwest and played in Mexico and California. Back in St. Louis in late 1925, he hooked up with the legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and his sidekick, saxophonist Frank Trumbauer, and during a resort job the following summer. Pee Wee and Bix roomed together in a ramshackle cottage, sustaining themselves on a diet of canned pork and beans, corn liquor and Louis Armstrong records. Thus Pee Wee's jazz credentials were in good order when he arrived in New York in 1927. On his first record date in town, with the prestigious Red Nichols Five Pennies, he cut a solo on Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider that startled his sophisticated colleagues and still sounds fresh. His recording career, which spans more than 40 years, contains many such gems. Early in 1935, Pee Wee was a key member of the band that put 52nd Street on the map as "Swing Street." This was the quintet led by the exuberant New Orleans-born trumpeter and singer Louis Prima, which also recorded prolifically. Because of Prime's emphasis on showmanship, these records, and Pee Wee's two years with Prima in general, have been underestimated by collectors and jazz historians, but Pee Wee told me that they were among the happiest in his life. He went to California with Prima, making his movie debute in a short film, and staying with the trumpeter when he expanded to a big-band format. Pee Wee's next steady association was with Bobby Hackett, with whom he'd first worked in New England in 1933, and this also included big-band work — Pee Wee's last fling in this type of musical setting. When Hackett's band broke up, pee wee joined Bud Freeman's Summa Cum Laude Band. By then (1939) interest in small-groupjazzof the freewheeling type identified with guitarist-entrepreneur Eddie Condon had become sufficiently popular to provide a musical home for Pee Wee for the next decade. Condon, Freeman and many of the other musicians associated with this style of jazz were known as “the Chicagoans," and Pee Wee was often included in this short-hand definition, which irked him. He did not care for stylistic pigeonholing, and besides, as he firmly pointed out, he had never worked in Chicago in the '20s. . In 1950, PeeWee moved to San Francisco. Years of hard drinking had wreaked havoc on his liver, and late 5 �and Mary was concerned that he should find something with which to occupy his newfound leisure time. One day, she came across a paint set in a department store, bought it and some pre-stretched canvases, and dumped all this in her surprised husband's lap. "Here," she said. "Do something with yourself. Paint!" To her astonishment, Pee Wee proceeded to do just that. Though he had never shown any interest in drawing or painting, or even in looking at works of art (though he'd known many painters during his many years of work and residence in Greenwich Village), he took to his new task with zest. While his approach was unconventional — he disdained easels and kept the canvas on his lap — his touch was sure. He had an innate sense of form and color, and his work in the new medium displayed the same unclassified originality that marked his playing. In a burst of creativity, he made a series of striking paintings. It pleased him immensely when they were praised by knowledgable viewers, and even more when he sold some of his works at what he considered handsome prices. But when Mary Russell died of cancer in 1968, the painting ceased, and the drinking, which he and Mary had been able to control — an after-dinner cognac had been the extent of it for many years — began again. There were still some nice playing jobs; the last was at the Presidential inaugural ball on January 21, 1969. After that. Pee Wee felt very tired, and stayed with friends in the Washington, D.C. area. On his own volition, he entered a private hospital in Alexandria where, after less than a week, he died in his sleep — some six weeks short of his 63rd birthday. that year he collapsed and nearly died. But his many friends in the jazz world rallied to his aid (a touching photograph of Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden at his bedside appeared in LIFE Magazine) and staged benefit concerts on his behalf. Miraculously, he pulled through, and by October 1951 resumed work at the helm of his own group — a rare instance in his career. Soon he was playing as well as ever, and just as soon had given up leading bands. The then-new genre of jazz festivals provided considerable work for him, and he became a member of George Wein's Newport All Stars, with whom he visited Europe for the first time in 1961. In the following year, he formed a quartet with trombonist-arranger Marshall Brown as co-leader. Though shortlived, this group attracted considerable attention, not least because its repertoire included compositions by Thelonious Monk (with whom Pee Wee had appeared at a Newport Festival), John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. Pee Wee had not changed his style, but the material and setting were different, and thus brought him attention and recognition from a new generation of listeners. He won the Down Beat International Critics Poll in 1962 through 1968, and in 1969 was voted into the magazine's Hall of Fame. Pee Wee's final years were busy and productive ones. In 1964, he toured Australia, New Zealand and Japan and paid two visits to Europe. But he was now in a position to select the jobs he wanted, and his devoted wife, Mary, felt that he should no longer commit himself to exhausting traveling schedules. Like most jazz musicians, who spend much of their life "on the road," Pee Wee had not acquired any hobbies, Dan Morgenstern March 1986 6 �it he should find ipy his newfound leisure dss a paint set in a nd some pre-stretched is in her surprised d. "Do something with se proceeded to do just Dwn any interest in n looking at works of art inters during his many i Greenwich Village), he Vhile his approach was 5d easels and kept the was sure. He had an r, and his work in the new jnclassified originality >urst of creativity, he ings. it pleased him □ised by knowledgable he sold some of his landsome prices. >f cancer in 1968. the king, which he and Many i after-dinner cognac ony years — began se playing jobs; the 'ast ral ball on January 21. ery tired, and stayed D.C. area. On his own ospital in Alexandria ne died in his sleep — I birthday. Dan Morgenstern March 1986 10. Pee Wee Russell, The Twins from Mars, 1966 7 �Photograph of Pee Wee Russell �29. George Wettling. Pee Wee ��XVr i HM . / I —- 1 jrti r Ji / ^JAZ? if' 22. George Wettling, Jazz Is In 11 �GEORGE WETTLING music that flowed from Eddie Condon's Green > Village club was moderately commercial "' As the 1950's became the 1960's there were fe /o and fewer jobs for a drummer like Wettiing wjth hT . friends, who were less and less active, or anyone There were the reunions at festivals, a special '‘SS gathering or perhaps a private party but by and larnc he was lucky to get a job with the Dukes of Dixieland ra piano trio date. His last steady job was in Clarence Hutchenrider's Trio at Bill Gay Nineties, a placethat stir operates on East 54th Street in New York City, serving hamburgers to harried businessmen for lunch and9 martinis to the same crowd after work. The trio played in a room on the second floor; it was a long climb up the stairs. In the spring of 1968 Wettiing found he could no longer climb the stairs. He gave up and died in June. A few weeks later I became aware of his paintings. I never met him. Marian McPartland telephoned me sometime in mid-June 1968; told me Wettiing had died, that his drums were at Bill's Gay Nineties and the owners would be cheered if they were quickly removed. She added that it was my duty to help her; I loved the music, had a strong back PLUS an automobile in Manhattan. I agreed with heron all pointsand we did the job on a sunny Saturday afternoon. When Marian and I arrived at Jean Wettling's apartment I was not surprised to see everything in a state of disrepair; Marian had warned me beforehand that housekeeping was not Jean Wettling's strong suit but she had not warned me about the paintings. I knew that Wettiing painted; Eddie Condon had some at his house but I was unprepared to see all that were lying about the apartment; they looked remarkably like copies of Stuart Davis' work, which, I later learned, was not surprising. We placed the drums and assorted hardware in a small room and then spent some time consoling the widow Wettiing. She was not having a good day In fact, it appeared she hadn't had a good one in vears^ but one thing registered very quickly: she said she was r - -o with W illiam Holden. Louis Lamour [sic], tea a en' - io citzgerald, Yvonne DeCarlo and Portland George Wettiing, the multi-talented painter, ehotographer and highly-skilled jazz musician. he dted in Rrosevelt Hospital thirteen years and ten months later, remembered by a few, but not many. a< a bad time for a jazz musician of his kind to die, sort of an m-between time in terms of the historions ond o'-v types. It's a pity how quickly he's been forgotten; i don't meon by young jozz fans or even jazz far's w ho emerged in the 1970's who have had little or no opportunity to hear his music, let alone know about - m but by the current batch of writers, critics and educators who should be somewhat better informed. Aeft'-gs oblivion is, however, much more cc~ci;cated than simple sloppy scholarship and the -formed listeners who really believe Spyro Gyra playsjazz. George Wettiing was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1907, —e same year as Dave Tough and two years before Gene Krupa, the others in the triumverate of exceptional white drummers from the midwest. He was - Cnlcago by 1921, the right place at the right time, ac eto be influenced by the influx of great musicians '■cm New Orleans and some equally great young m.sicans growing up in Chicago. By the time he was '. .e--,- he had already formed life-long friendships a-d recorded with Muggsy Spanier, Frank escnmacher, Joe Sullivan, Eddie Condon and a host c* cmers. He was not only an exceptional drummer -■ s—jazz ensembles but was also sufficiently ■ erraf e to handle big band chores with Paul ■Chico Marx and Bunny Berigan in the ' x:us and the ABC staff in the 1940's and 1950's. Jobs /e e-e cad the rent but the musical friendships he re f always led to his finest oe o- ar ces and the best working conditions. But the j J ,cc: //ere r.ever sufficient to provide a steady "' re, e/er. during the 1940's and 1950's when the 12 ■ to aive all the paintings tc rhe g j . : . ..-eco g , SL in the neighborhood for a coupe of - cmr salo°! | liraed that she not do anyth -:g sc toons'- a.- a Marian quickly agreed. It was likely me ra-g; i d be sold to jazz fans and she couia realize mething better than a few months of free drinks. The Paintings were photographed within the week transparencies were shown to various people and most of the paintings were eventually soid I stayed in touch with Jean Wettimg throughout the 1970's I tried to give her advice on how to sort out her life She ignored almost everything I said but she a occasionally "find" a painting in the back of a closet and as often as not I'd wind up buying it from her; better me than the guy at the saloon. Then one day the telephone rang; it was a woman who lived in Jean's building. Jean had died in Roosevelt Hospital and when the super went into the apartment there was an address book with my name in it. No one knew what to do; there was no known next of kin. Phyllis Condon and I went up to that sad little apartment on West 57th street the next day. In tne same address book I found the name of a brother in New Mexico or Arizona. I placed a call and the conversation was very brief Upon learning of his sister's death he strongly suggestea he didn't want to be bothered and would I please arrange to have everything thrown into the street. I had never experienced anything quite like that but I noticed there were a number of people in the ha'i who were eyeing the furniture. Phyllis and I searched the apartment and packed all the letters, photographs, clippings and scrapbooks that related to George Wettiing into a small box. We also found two small paintings. My First Piece and Left-Handed Study. We left the apartment to the bargain hunters and headed south to Greenwich Village, much saddened by the day's events. I recall that unhappy day very vividly but despite the unpleasant aspects I'm glad I made the trip. There were not then, nor are there now. many people who can shed any light on Wettimg Other than the comments of a few people and jazz books, all I know about him comes from that small box of letters photographs, scrapbooks and ephemera that Phyllis and I collected. fZ CQr ce< Cai at; gei AC oa left iesi V his pa the ph me ac We on lift! Wi gu be the no Mi rec cu Sir m< pc De or nc Str m< rc Nt at c: c: a' 13 �GEORGE WETTLING music that flowed from Eddie Condon's Greeny i >h Village club was moderately commercial k ' As the 1950's became the 1960 s there were tew^ and fewer jobs for a drummer like Wettling with h V ih friends, who were less and less active, or anyone els There were the reunions at festivals, a special se’ gathering or perhaps a private party but by and lam he was lucky to get a job w ith the Dukes of Dixieland n a piano trio date. His last steady job was in Clarence Hutchenrider s Trio at Bill Gay Nineties, a place that still operates on East 54th Street in New York City, serving hamburgers to harried businessmen for lunch anpy martinis to the same crowd after work. The trio played in a room on the second floor; it was a long climb up the stairs. '?■. the spring of 1968 Wettling found he could -o longer climb the stairs. He gave up and died in June A few weeks later I became aware of his paintings. I never met him. Marian McPartland telephoned me sometime in mid<une 1968; Tcid me Wettling had died, that his drums were at Bril's Gay Nineties and the owners would be cheered i‘ they were quickly removed. She added mat * was my duty to help her; I loved the music, had a strong back PLUS an automobile in Manhattan. I agreed itr her on all points and we did the job on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Wrier. Marian and I arrived at Jean Wettling's apartment was not surprised to see everything in a '■‘ate cf disrepair; Marian had warned me beforehand that housekeeping was not Jean Wettling's strong suit cut she had n.ot warned me about the paintings. I •'■n.ew+hat Wetthrg painted; Eddie Condon had some at n’s house but ■ was unprepared to see all that were Ymg about the apartment; they looked remarkably ke copies of Stuart Davis' work, which, I later learned, was not surpr.s ng. /.'e p aced ire drums and assorted hardware in a sr-oi. room and then spent some time consoling the widow r g She 1//as r,Of having a good day. In fact, it appeared she hadn't had a good one in years but or e tr ipg registered very quickly: she said she was >f6,1954. Celebrity Service's Celebrity Bulletin celebrity of the dav. George Wettling. usied rith William Holden, Louis Lamcur (sic), -red la Fitzaerald, Yvonne DeCario ana Pct eno leorge Wettling, the multi-talented painter, hotographer and highly-skilled jazz usic.an in Roosevelt Hospital thirteen years and ten later, remembered by a few, cut ~c many > ad time for a jazz musician 0* "'s Kind to de. n in-between time in terms of me n:s*cr ans and y types. Its a pity how quickly hes beer n.- i don't mean by young razz fans or e. e~. azz > emerged in tne 1970's who ha’.e ~aa trie or irtunifyfohearhism.cs'o e’ao"e.-mo.-. about □y the current batch cf wcers c * os a"d >rs who should be seme.-. ~a‘ mm -‘or—ea. ’s oblivion is, however — ueb more atedthan simple slope > scho'o’sb'c and the ed listeners who rea .7 cere. eSc.ro Gma z. e Wettling was bcm nTooeko -iansesm '9L7. 3 year os Dave Teugn qr 2 c ■, e!rs before jpa. the othersm mal white drummers from mem avesn -e r.as go by 1921, the right p ace a“-5'.r‘-= ’ >e influenced by tne mf. „ , v Orleans and seme ea'.a: . a^a‘ -• -q :jp '■ as - nad a ready termed ■——~ rraed w th Muggs,=-A-, cher Joe Sc ,a-. Feme Co-acr. zraa ,-ewa; notomyanexoep: ana, a■anensemb.escm ,7d:3.3C' ■o^andlebtgbaracrc-e-. A - = ' J iG Chico Marx and Dr- -c--jM-, K^ABCsfoffir _ mces ana the « were never: am -ven =~ <2 oing to give all the paintings to the guy who owned a aloon in the neighborhood for a couple of month's -redit, I urged that she not do anything so foolish and Marian quickly agreed. It was likely the paintings could be sold to jazz fans and she could realize something better than a few months of free drinks. The paintings were photographed within the week, transparencies were shown to various people and most of the paintings were eventually sold. I stayed in touch with Jean Wettling throughout the 1970's. I tried to give her advice on how to sort out her life. She ignored almost everything I said but she'd occasionally "find" a painting in the back of a closet and as often as not I'd windup buying it from her; better me than the guy at the saloon. Then one day the telephone rang; it was a woman who lived in Jean's building. Jean had died in Roosevelt Hospital and when the super went into the apartment there was an address book with my name in it. No one knew what to do; there was no known next of kin. Phyllis Condon and I went up to that sad little apartment on West 57th street the next day. In the same address book I found the name of a brother in New Mexico or Arizona. I placed a call and the conversation was very brief. Upon learning of his sister’s death he strongly suggested he didn't want to be bothered and would I please arrange to have everything thrown into the street. I had never experienced anything quite like that but I noticed there were a number of people in the hall who were eyeing the furniture. Phyllis and I searched the apartment and packed all the letters, photographs, clippings and scrapbooks that related to George Wettling into a small box. We also found two small paintings. My First Piece and Left-Handed Study. We left the apartment to the bargain hunters and headed south to Greenwich Village, much saddened by the day's events. I recall that unhappy day very vividly but despite the unpleasant aspects I'm glad I made the trip. There were not then, nor are there now, many people who can shed any light on Wettling. Other than the comments of a few people and jazz books, all I know about him comes from that small box of letters, photographs, scrapbooks and ephemera that Phyllis and I collected. ^eorge Wettling began to parr, 19< 44 t- ~ portrait of Maggie Condon a. ar, nfan* dates tne beginning; this was his second paint-g n 1970EOO e ->ondon recoiled George Wetting learned io coif-t at our apartment in 1943. We were moving cut and to get back at a pesty super we decided to have a wall-painting party. George was our most enthusiastic painter. When he ran out of walls at our apartmenr he left immediately for Stuart Davis’ where he found lessons and encouragement." Wettling's relationship with Stuart Davis was critical in his development as a painter; within a few years his paintings began to resemble nis teacher's and from the correspondence that has survived, as well as photographs and assorted memories, it is clear the two men were very good friends who admired the other s accomplishments. Painting became important to Wettling; jazz was equally important to Davis who once wrote: "Recently I had occasion to inquire of a little boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without breaking the Chicago-style beat of his bubble gum he replied, 'Eddie Condon.' Conference had been fogging my vision a bit of late It was clear that the little boy had hip boots well ciasped up to his navel. This was the jolt I needed, i played an old Punch Miller record with a George Wettling backing 1 had recently dubbed in, added a configuration to my current painting. The Mellow Pad, and forgot all about Sir Alexander Cadogan and Gromyko. For a brief moment I thought I was Eddie Condon too, but that passed." Add to this that Wettling was intellectually on Davis' wavelength One only had to look at the books on Wettling's shelves; no useless books, no pulp, nothing trendy. He had everything Henry Miller. John Steinbeck and Kenneth Patchen had ever written and many others as well. Wettling was sufficiently accomplished by 1947 to have produced a body of work that was of interest tc a New York City gallery. A one man show was mounted at the Norlyst Gallery and the advertising fiver contained a special tribute by Stuart Davis. Two of his paintings from that show Stuart Davis On Oil Cloth and My First Piece are included in the present 13 �30. George Wettling, The Queen Mary exhibition at the Sordoni Art Gallery and it is likely a third is also present. Age and stylistic similarities point to The City No. 2 or The City No. 3 being Untitled No. One in the current show. Wettling’s paintings fall into four distinct stylistic periods; examples of each are presented in this exhibition. The first period is characterized by limited technique and lack of direction, as may be observed in Maggie Condon and My First Piece. These paintings are charming but very primitive. He entered his second phase well before the 1947 show, exhibiting a much better technique and the beginnings of a strong dependence on Stuart Davis, shown in Stuart Davis On Oil Cloth and Untitled No. One. His third phase, perhaps his best, began in the late 1940'sand lasted into the early 1950's where the complete dominance of Davis is apparent, as is a secure technique. Jazz Is In, a painting that tells about a recording session and was the focal point of a 1951 article about Wettling in Collier's magazine is a prime example of his work at this time and is perhaps his finest painting. Roadgraders and High As A Kite, both exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1952 are also from this period. The final phase, which lasted into the late 1950's shows the influence of Davis but here Wettling also presented a more personal vision, as may be seen in Self Portrait, and McSoriey’s. It is likely Wettling did not continue to paint after 1960, even though his sketch books continue to 1967. It may well be the sketch books took the place of larger works for, beginning in the early sixties he began to date and locate many of his tiny drawings; Albany 62, Toronto 63 and Gay Nineties 67. It also appears he stopped taking photographs about the same time he Qave up painting. There is nothing in his scrapbooks after 1960 and his album ofclippings ends in 1955. If is unclear why he stopped and probably no one can supply a definitive answer. It may have been he was no OhQer interested but this seems unlikely. The death of Stuart Davis in 1964 was probably demoralizing but he Qd stopped well before his friend's death. It is . bparent he never had any particular commercial ccess with his paintings; he rarely sold them and for the most part they were given to friends. I d lack of commerciality would have stoppec he doesn t seem to be the kind of person w concerned with that aspect of his art. A me reason is that he stopped because of pers< disasters and serious health problems. Wei health deteriorated in the early 1960's. His life, which was never particularly stable be intolerable about the same time. Both thes mitigated against his painting but as glooi circumstances might have been, it might t possible to overcome them on some level, real answer lies elsewhere; at some point \ seems to have suffered a severe case of Ic confidence and this condition was exacei some very poor guidance. Hidden away in the back of Wettling's la scrapbook of clippings I found three shee "critiques" and a letter from the Famous A one of those dreary organizations that ad matchbooks and in cheap magazines, sr unwary with promises of untold success. Tl George Wettling; he sent in a dime to be 1 Michaelangelo in a minute and it is tragic employee of this "school" offering all sort: manufactured suggestions on how Wettlii improve. Apparently Wettling would subr and then the "instructor" assigned to him repaint the picture, showing him how it m properly executed. Perhaps it would hav< had someone executed the instructor; or criticism sheets deals with a painting of Ei Condon's and the suggestions are so pre overtly scholarly it is sickening. Here is an hack, who probably exhibited at county events like the presently dreary Washing! been selected from 3,200 entries to tour States in addition, the letter announces Sy artis^25 worth of art supplies fron 15 �£3 £3 £3 / z 77 inhibition at the Sordoni Art Gallery and it is likely a third is also present. Age and stylistic similarities point to The City No. 2 or The City No, 3 being Untitled No One in the current show. Wettling's paintings fall into four distinct stylistic ceriods; examples of each are presented in this exhibition. The first period is characterized by limited technique and lack of direction, as may be observed in Maggie Condon and My First Piece. These paintings are charming but very primitive. He entered his second phase well before the 1947 show, exhibiting a much better technique and the beginnings of a strong dependence on Stuart Davis, shown in Stuart Davis On Oil Cloth and Untitled No. One. His third phase, perhaps his best, began in the late 1940's and lasted into the early 1950's where the complete dominance of Davis is apparent, as is a secure technique. Jazz Is In, a painting that tells about a recording session and was the focal point ofa 1951 article about Wettling in Collier's magazine is a prime example of his work at this time and is perhaps his finest painting Roadgraders and High As A Kite, both exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1952 are also from this period. The final phase, which lasted into the late 1950's shows the influence of Davis but here Wettling also presented a more personal vision, as may be seen in Self Portrait, and McSorley’s. Itis likely Wettling did not continue to paint after 1960, even though hissketch books continue to 1967. It may well be the sketch books took the place of larger works for, beginning in the early sixties he began to date and locate many of his tiny drawings; Albany 62, Toronto 63 and Gay Nineties 67. It also appears he stopped taking photographs about the same time he gave up painting. There is nothing in his scrapbooks after 1960 and his album ofclippings ends in 1955. It is unclear why he stopped and probably no one can supply a definitive answer. It may have been he was no longer interested but this seems unlikely. The death of Juart Davis in 1964 was probably demoralizing but he nadstopped well before his friend's death. It is apparent he never had any particular commercial success with his paintings; he rarely sold them and for he doesn t seem to be the kind of person who was only concerned with that aspect of his art. A more likely reason is that he stopped because of personal k ISal*Lers and serious health problems. Wettling's health deteriorated in the early 1960's. His personal life, which was never particularly stable became intolerable about the same time. Both these factors mitigated against his painting but as gloomy as these circumstances might have been, it might have been possible to overcome them on some level. I think the real answer lies elsewhere; at some point Wettling seems to have suffered a severe case of lack of confidence and this condition was exacerbated by some very poor guidance. Hidden away in the back of Wettling's large scrapbook of clippings I found three sheets of "critiques" and a letter from the Famous Artists School, one of those dreary organizations that advertise on matchbooks and in cheap magazines, snaring the unwary with promises of untold success. They snared George Wettling; he sent in a dime to be turned into Michaelangelo in a minute and it is tragic to see an employee of this "school" offering all sorts of manufactured suggestions on how Wettling might improve. Apparently Wettling would submit a painting and then the "instructor" assigned to him would repaintthe picture, showing him how it might appear if properly executed. Perhaps it would have been best had someone executed the instructor; one of the criticism sheets deals with a painting of Eddie Condon's and the suggestions are so pretentious and overtly scholarly it is sickening. Here is an academic hack who probably exhibited at county fairs and events like the presently dreary Washington Square Art Show and has been reduced to working for the matchbook school of art. He's telling Wettling how to paint There is even a letter, dated 1960. from these bandits advising Wettling one of his paintings has been selected from 3,200 entries to tour the United States In addition, the letter announces a prize for the lucky artist; $25 worth of art supplies from the Famous 15 14 �between he produced some good work. George Wettling was not a great painter but he was a more than adequate disciple of Stuart Davis. He certainly painted better than Davis drummed. He was also a fine photographer; it is obvious he used his camera as a sketchbook in the same manner as did Ben Shahn and Reginald Marsh. His writing was inventive and witty. Every artistic endeavor he approached, music, painting, photography, writing, showed a genuine creative flair. There was, however, a flaw somewhere in Wettling's personality; his personal life was a shambles and he was unable to cope with the way in which our society often treats some of its more creative, though distinctly uncommercial, citizens. Had his personal affairs been better organized he could hdve perhaps overcome the difficulties caused by his lack of commercial success, but each of his problems fed on the other and hdd it not been for Phyllis Condon, Marian McPartland and myself all the non-musical aspects of his very creative life would long ago have been scattered along West 57th Street or gracing the walls of a dingy saloon somev/here. Most of Wettling's paintings are dispersed, destroyed or obandoned in long forgotten attics. A pity He was a good painter and his work deserves better treatment. Hank O'Neal 3 February 1986 24. George Wettling, Self Portrait �Photograph of George Wettling �CHECKLIST OF PAINTINGS BY PEE WEE RUSSELL (All dimension In inches; height proceeds width.) 1. Beauty and the Beast Oil on canvas, 173M x 24 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 10. The Twins from Mars, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of Nev/ Jersey. Rutgers 2. The Inner Man, 1966 Oil on canvas, 18x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 11. Parisian Sewers, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies. The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 3. Downtown, 1966 Oil on canvas, 18x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 19. untitled No. 11.1966 Oil on canvas. 36x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 20 The Prisoners Oil on canvas, 36 x 24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 21. Faces in the Crowd, 1967 Oil on canvas, 401/? x 3O’/z Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Davern 12. Self-Portrait, 1966 Oil on canvas. 30 x 40 Institute of Jazz Studies. The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 4. Dance Around the Fire, 1966 Oil on canvas, 18x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 13. Friends, 1966 Oil on canvas. 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 5. Little Fooler, 1966 Oil on canvas, 35x24 institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 14. Subconsious, 1966 Oil on canvas, 22x28 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 6. Anything Goes No. 2,1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 15. Improvisation, 1966 Oil on canvas, 45 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 7. Untitled No. 3 Oil on canvas, 24x35 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 16. The Garden Party, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 8. Ditto, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24x35 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 17. Untitled No. 10,1966 Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 9. The Turtle, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24x36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 18. Explosion, 1966 Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of Nev; Jersey, Rutgers 18 CHECKLIST OF PAINTIb (All dimension in inc 22. Jazz Is In Oil on canvas, 22 x 301M Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 28. Baby Dodds Ink on Paper, Courtesy of H< 23. Roadgraders Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 29. Pee Wee Ink on Paper, Courtesy of H< 24. Self Portrait Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 25. Untitled No. 1 Oil on canvas, 16x12 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 26. Left Hand Oil on canvas, 13% x 9% Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 27. First Sketch Oil on canvas, 7x5 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 30. The Queen tv Oil on canva; Courtesy of PI 31. Maggie NotOil on canva1 Courtesy of fv 32. McSorley’sO Oil on canva Courtesy of J: 33. High as a Kit J Oit on canva Courtesy of N �ST OF PAINTINGS BY PEE WEE RUSSELL (All dimension in inches; height preceeds width.) 10. The Twins from Mars, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 11. Parisian Sewers, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers ?utgers 19. Untitled No. 11,1966 Oil on canvas, 36x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 20. The Prisoners Oil on canvas, 36x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 21. Faces in the Crowd, 1967 Oil on canvas, 401/2 x 301/2 Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Davern 12. Self-Portrait, 1966 Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers Sutgers 13. Friends, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers lutgers 14. Subconsious, 1966 Oil on canvas, 22 x 28 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 'utgers 15. Improvisation, 1966 Oil on canvas, 45 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers utgers utgers 16. The Garden Party, 1966 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of Nev/ Jersey, Rutgers utgers 17. Untitled No. 10,1966 Oil on canvas, 18x24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers utgers 18. Explosion, 1966 Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 Institute of Jazz Studies, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers 18 CHECKLIST OF PAINTINGS BY GEORGE WETTLING (All dimension in inches; height proceeds width.) 22. Jazz Is In Oil on canvas, 22 x 301/4 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 28. Baby Dodds Ink on Paper, 10x73/s Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 34. Jimmy McPartland Pencil sketch, 9 x 11 Courtesy of Marian McPartland 23. Roadgraders Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 29. Pee Wee Ink on Paper, 5x4 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 35. Stuart Davis, Oil on cloth Oil on canvas wallpaper, 16x24 Courtesy of Earl George Davis 24. Self Portrait Oil on canvas, 20x16 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 30. The Queen Mary Oil on canvas, 14 x 291te Courtesy of Phyllis Condon 36-40. Sketchbooks Pencil on paper Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 25. Untitled No. 1 Oil on canvas, 16x12 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 26- Left Hand Oil on canvas, 137/sx97/8 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 27- First Sketch Oil on canvas, 7x5 Courtesy of Hank O'Neal 31. Maggie No Neck Oil on canvas Courtesy of Maggie Condon 41. Gin Mill, c. 1950-53 Oil on canvas, 14 x 10 Courtesy of Richard Hadlock 32. McSorley’s Old Ale House, 1958 Oil on canvas board, 16x20 Courtesy of Jon Aaronsohn 42. Stuart Davis Rhythm, (George Wettling), 1947 Oil on canvas, 9x11 Courtesy of Earl George Davis 33. High as a Kite Oil on canvas Courtesy of Marian McPartland 19 �Sordoni Art Gallery ADVISORY COMMISSION 1985-86 Andrew J. Sordoni, III, chairman Christopher N. Breiseth, Ph.D. Deane Berger Richard F. Charles Aleta Connell Lou Conyngham Yvonne Eckman Charles Flack Gerald E. Hartdagen, Ph.D. Judith H. O'Toole, Director Oscar Jones Charlotte Lord, Ph.D. Marilyn Maslow Arnold Rifkin Jill Evans Saporito Judith Schall Helen Farr Sloan William H. Sterling, Ph.D. 20 �1000133321 MILKES COLLEGE LIBRARY �......... Of to ’. •J ■ 7 •?-*** «•£. t- t I ■■ ■ ■ - . ■ ::.. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1986 April 27 Pee Wee Russell and George Wettling Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pee Wee Russell George Wettling Hank O'Neal Dan Morgenstern Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986 April 27 - June 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource Second in a series of exhibitions dedicated to to the presentation of music and paintings, these works are evidence of creative impulses acrosss disciplines. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource SAG https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/1793db9f3981f9c6b9cb71462dd2ca70.pdf 0822b3783ddd0c06c5e0cc5c5d42ad63 PDF Text Text ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1986 February 9 1986 Scholastic Art Awards Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986 February 9 - March 9 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource 1986 was the 59th year that Scholastic Magazine Inc. with the cooperation of civic-minded sponsors conducted an arts awards program for highg school students of America. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/69f7796d865ac299cb85dd4a70a4b1f9.pdf 0f800c7d92d72d759eb3229d3f56c9c5 PDF Text Text ���������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 December 8 Vale of Wyoming Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Eugene J. Adams William Henry Bartlett Baldwin Brower Thomas Campbell E.A. Christie Jacob Cist C.J. Corbin Jasper F . Crospey Edmund Lovell Dana George Thomas Devereux Duval Son Thomas Fleming T.M.Fowler James B. Moyer Fowler Downs Moyer Thomas Hill Augustin-Francois LeMaitre Edmund Darch Lewis J.C. McRae J.J. Merriam George Peck D.D. Granville A. Perkins Thomas Addison Richards H.H. Rowley J.C. Sidney Samuel R. Smith Mrs. Reverend Selah Stocking Paul Weber F. Charles Petrillo Roger B.Stein Annie Bohlin F. Charles petrillo Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 December 8 - 1986 January 26 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource Vale of Wyoming is a short, comprehensive illustrated history, up to th twentieth century, of the Wyoming Valley from Campbell's Ledge to Nanticoke. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource SAG https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/2700f224e0230c98628cc6984f093319.pdf 721deb99540c9de4e5bec205f5f79655 PDF Text Text ��������������������������� https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/6e05c0eb1e97e32326225ae8dcd4e368.pdf 9d017c887332b8bf09f7c91db57abc01 PDF Text Text s I kk # I t' - ’ ir @ J s Jfi ii I 1li Ji ■ ■ • H i IS I III i fR I - 3J z ~r i gg IW IH Sordoni Art Callery Wilkes College SORD GA NK6050 J3 1985 „ �Japanese Art: iro, Netsuke, and okimono From Collections Previously Formed by senator Andrew J. Sordoni catalog and selection by Emoretta Yang Exhibition organized by Judith O'Toole, sordoni Art Callery Wilkes College sordoni Art Gallery Wilkes College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania October 20 through December 1,1985 Center Gallery Bucknell University Lewisburg, Pennsylvania January 6 through February 3,1986 E.S. FARLEY LIBRARY WILKES UNIVERSITY WILKES-BARRE, PA Cover 2. Boar Signed: Tbyomasa �Acknowledgements Judith O'Toole .... Andrew J. Sordoni: 1887-1963 Andrew). Sordoni, HI........... Japanese Art: Inro, Netsuke and Okimino from Collections Originally formed by Andrew J. Sordoni Emoretta Yang................................................ Checklist of the Exhibition Emoretta Yang................................................ half in the making and represents an important new step for the Sordoni Art Gallery. For the first time, we have the capability to show small objects and we hope that this will open possibilities for many exhibitions for which we did not have the facility before. The exhibition initially evolved through discussions with Andrew J. Sordoni, 111 about his grandfather. Senator Sordoni’s interest in European art was well known and recognized, but his interest in and knowledge of these Japanese objects was n< >t. The objects themselves, and the collecting of them, became more intriguing with each consideration. Their tiny, intimate format invites and, indeed, intices further investigation. They seem to exist in another world; a world full of myth and legend, aesthetic beauty and diligent craftsmanship. Later, the idea for an exhibition was presented to Joseph Jacobs of the Center Gallery, Bucknell University since Bucknell is caretaker of a part of the collection given to the University by Andrew Sordoni. With Bucknell’s agreement to participate in the exhibition, we proceeded to contact the other collectors who had acquired parts of the collection at the time of its dispersal. a p; Sen Cel prh this exti Yar Un ant cat re a �Acknowledgements 3 4 tions 5 7 This exhibition has been more than a year and a half in the making and represents an important new step for the Sordoni Art Gallery. For the first time, we have the capability to show small objects and we hope that this will open possibilities for many exhibitions for which we did not have the facility before. The exhibition initially evolved through discussions with Andrew J. Sordoni, III about his grandfather. Senator Sordoni’s interest in European art was well known and recognized, but his interest in and knowledge of these Japanese objects was not. The objects themselves, and the collecting of them, became more intriguing with each consideration. Their tiny, intimate format invites and, indeed, intices further investigation. They seem to exist in another world; a world full of myth and legend, aesthetic beauty and diligent craftsmanship. Later, the idea for an exhibition was presented to Joseph Jacobs of the Center Gallery, Bucknell University since Bucknell is caretaker of a part of the collection given to the University by Andrew Sordoni. With Bucknell’s agreement to participate in the exhibition, we proceeded to contact the other collectors who had acquired parts of the collection at the time of its dispersal. This exhibition, then, represents a reassembling of a part of the exceptional collection formed by Senator Sordoni. We would like to thank the Center Gallery of Bucknell University and the private collectors whose generous loans have made this exhibition possible. We would also like to extend gratitude to our guest curator, Emoretta Yang of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Cornell University, whose love for these objects is infectious and whose care and diligence in preparing this catalog has been deeply appreciated. We invite the reader to share in the delight of the following pages. Judith H. O’Toole Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College October, 1985 3 �SB I Andrew Jo Sordoni 1887-1963 introduction 2. Boar Signed; k'A'O’n Senator Sordoni was a man of many talents, moods and accomplishments. His distinguished career in business, public service and philanthropy has been documented by his material accomplishments, leadership and vision especially at the two institutions (which he served simultaneously as a Trustee), Bucknell University and Wilkes College, which have joined in the presentation of these oriental objects. Netsuke and into were very esoteric, even obscure collectibles on the American scene in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Nevertheless, Senator Sordoni undertook to collect these items of Japanese art with all of the energy and passion for which he was noted in his other endeavors. During that period he studied all of the available material that was printed in English and conferred regularly with major dealers, collectors and curators in New York City as he began to assemble his own collection and reflect his growing knowledge and taste. Andrew Sordoni assembled important collections of 19th century academic paintings and 19th century oriental rugs; yet neither of these collections represented the depth and care that was required in assembling the Japanese collection of inro and netsuke (later augmented by okimono and other items). 4 Other than his gift to Bucknell in 1943, there has never been an acknowledgement of this collection nor the role of Senator Sordoni in preserving these fine Japanese pieces. In fact, since World War II the collection has not been shown. It is, therefore, a particular joy that the collection be shared by Bucknell and Wilkes, opening in Wilkes-Barre with special enthusiasm for the 75th anniversary of the businesses that Senator Sordoni created. Andrew J. Sordoni, III Wilkes-Barre October 19, 1985 Why should miniature arts interest us? An anthropologist might remark the number of ways t^iat t^le miniaturizing impulses in art has found expression in a diverse range of cultures. Miniature­ art possesses qualities that ally it with the exotic, so that even when it is found in our own culture — for example, in dollhouses, or in miniature Bibles — one feels it as something other, coming, strangely enough, from another world. Perhaps it is not just historical contingency, then, that has made the miniature arts of Asia as fascinating to the west. Ever since the opening of Japan to general international trade in the middle of the nineteenth century, Japanese miniature arts have engaged western audiences. For those audiences, the miniature pieces of sculpture call netsuke were like charming cultural ambassadors. Appropriately enough, some of the first large collections of netsuke were assembled by individuals sent on the first diplomatic missions. Men such as Robert H. Pruyn, who served as an American minister to Japan from 1862 to 1865, were fascinated by netsuke and were able to collect hundreds of them to send back to relatives in the States, even in spite of the unsteady fortunes of foreigners in Japan in the years before the Meiji Restoration in 1868. One of the initial interests of these collectors seems to have been as much an anthropological one, since netsuke sparked curiosity about the Japanese folk legends and customs which they illustrated. Traditional Japanese dress provided only sleeves or the natural folds of the robe in which to carry­ personal items. Netsuke are toggle ornaments, fastened by means of a cord to any of those personal objects that could be suspended from the belt, such as tobacco pouches, keys, wallets, talismans, sake cups, medicin Chinese toggl natural root, use in Japan i the eighteen! netsuke read its sculptured Inro are be or powdered a series of sta> raised lip tha above. Wher inches high, ’ to back, dimt since it was d would not be against the b lacquered im sixteenth ter young memb extended pet the Tbkugav merchant ck its power. Im personal adc commission! newly empo' Though th together in f bound also I inro-netsuke two forms st miniaturizin and proport and its desig lacquer into �mtraduction ly e d o i s IS I Other than his gift to Bucknell in 1943, there ha« never been an acknowledgement of this collection nor the role of Senator Sordoni in preserving these fine Japanese pieces. In fact, since World War II the collection has not been shown. It is, therefore, a particular joy that the collection be shared bv Bucknell and XX'ilkes, opening in XX’ilkes-Barre with special enthusiasm for the 75th anniversary of the businesses that Senator Sordoni created. Andrew J. Sordoni, III XX ilkes-Barre October 19, 1985 hy should arts interest interest us? XXTiy should miniature miniature arts us? An An anthropologist might remark the number of ways ’ the miniaturizing ----' ■in art->has found that impulses expression in a diverse range of cultures. Miniature art possesses qualities that ally it with the exotic, so that even when it is found in our own culture — for example, in dollhouses, or in miniature Bibles — one feels it as something other, coming, strangely enough, from another world. Perhaps it is not just historical contingency, then, that has made the miniature arts of Asia as fascinating to the west. Ever since the opening of Japan to general international trade in the middle of the nineteenth century, Japanese miniature arts have engaged western audiences. For those audiences, the miniature pieces of sculpture call netsuke were like charming cultural ambassadors. Appropriately enough, some of the first large collections of netsuke were assembled by individuals sent on the first diplomatic missions. Men such as Robert H. Pruyn, who served as an American minister to Japan from 1862 to 1865, were fascinated Ey netsuke and were able to collect hundreds of them to send back to relatives in the States, even in spite of rhe unsteady fortunes of foreigners in Japan in the years before rhe Meiji Restoration in 1868. One of the initial interests of these collectors seems to have been as much an anthropological one, since m-r-.uke sparked curiosity about the Japanese folk legend', and customs whit h they illustrated. Traditional Japanese dress provided only sleeves or the natural folds of the robe in which to carry P' r-onal items. Netsuke are toggle ornament'., fastened by means of a < ord to any of t hose personal objects that could be suspended from the belt, such ' . toba* co pouches, keys, wallets, talismans, sake cups, medicine boxes, or other objects. The first Chinese toggles of this type were simply pieces of natural root. Objects serving this function were in use in Japan in the fourteenth century, but it is in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that netsuke reaches a zenith in the variety and beauty of its sculptured forms. Into are boxes used to carry various types of pills or powdered medicine. They are usually designed as a series of stacked cases, each compartment with a raised lip that fits trimly into the compartment above. When closed, the inro is usually about four inches high, three inches wide, and one inch front to back, dimensions that suit the inro’s purpose, since it was desirable to have a form from which would not be too bulky and which would hang flat against the body. The wearing of highly decorated lacquered inro seems to have begun in the late sixteenth century, and was initially popular with young members of the samurai class. During the extended period of peace in Japan under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate (A.D. 1613-1867), the merchant class prospered and began to consolidate its power. Inro, which were often the only objects of personal adornment worn by men, were also commissioned and purchased by members of the newly empowered commercial classes. Though the netsuke and into are, literally, bound together in function — and ideally the two would be bound also by thematic connections (see the inro-netsuke combinations in Nos. 51 and 57) — the two forms stand in slightly different relation to the miniaturizing impulse. The inro, in its typical form and proportions, offers two “faces” for decoration, and its ilesigns are largely pictorial. Decorations on lac,pier into, though it often branches off in its own �The boar i- onf** ‘ directions, almost as frequently takes its models from the traditions of pictorial art, from the history of painting and prints. The landscape on the reverse of Number 84 imitates the atmospheric effects and designs of paintings in the Mayuyama-Shijo school of painting; the depiction of the Death of Buddha on Number 51 is directly taken from the iconographical traditional of Buddhist religious painting in Japan; the actor portrayed on Number 83 is patterned after a print used to advertise and commemorate well-known kabuki theater actors. Lacquer comes from the sap of a tree found in China and Japan, and working it is a complex and time-consuming process. The Japanese developed techniques that went far beyond those developed in China. (For a brief explanation of two of these techniques, see the discussions for Nos. 51 and 58; for more elucidating discussions, see the Jahss, Pekarik, or Okada works cited in the bibliography.) Humor plays a role in lacquered inro design, but, partly because the medium demands so much more rime than miniature carving, the miniature designs on inro tend toward a more reverent treatment of its subjects. . -eruke has its lyrical expression as well, as in the ear.y ah tract design of three peapods (No. 10), or in rh,; monurnentality of the boar (No. 2), in the domexric intimacy of rhe three puppies (No. 4), or in [ 'h'^lct '/mouse or cicada (Nos. 7 a--.frnn, and perhaps more rhc1r"nch-,"rl>‘enturygoes<>n, ‘ dK,w a humor best caught by a examples of t|m ' ‘ dram an her m No. 17,<irintlie grave visit orsi n No 25 Psv I J... I • i 5SS“”» effect, as in the disgruntled penitence of the demon in No. 21. Netsuke carvers could ally themselves inches: height with the underdog: contrast Zeshin’s into design of All dimensions m inches. eig two demons fleeing from Shoki, the deity in charge preceeds lengthof getting rid of demons (No. 86) with the netsuke 1 Two Quail with Millet Signed: Okatomo shichijushichi showing a demon getting the best of the smugly sleeping demon-queller (No. 22). The irreverence of okina (“77-year old man Okatomo ) a design such as that in No. 17, where one turns the Ivory Dimensions: 1 X 1 "'itnetsuke around to fine a little demon goosing the Lent by Sordoni Family Collection exorcist was an irreverence available only to an Okatomo was a Kyoto carver whose artist working in a form already marginal to loftier first works were notice before 1781. His cultural claims. name is mentioned m the Soken Ki>ho, a late eighteenth century work It lies within the power of the miniature to astonish; we are all familiar with the dizzying effect published in Osaka, which dealt with fine sword accessories and included that the meticulous execution of detail, in miniature netsuke. Okatomo’s work, generally in produces. When one speaks of the “telling detail” in won, depicted animals, birds and a narrative, one means a single minute part that seems to reveal the whole. Susan Stewart writes, in her engaging book, On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection, o: “the hand being thercniiouvSA, miniature, _______________________ b the measure of tux. ^1 ” The fin reiminding us that the impulse to miniaturization in the subtle courT !twn oQcathers and SHail in this net7T?'nr °f tl?e two art is also connected to a dream of total comprehension: a world encompassed in one's hand, a cosmos under control. “There are no JefincTT'?c<lte ^'’’cctions*0 miniatures in nature,” she writes; “the miniature is a -fom; but there J ■ spa. e betu^n cultural product, the product of an eye performing " nd distant e4ually certain operations, manipulating, and attending m - ln-e es th tt ' |*nched, certain ways to, the physical world." Bv its scale am • ■ untm* quality in gW* ,^er>tee the craft of its execution, by................. its pious and its, ....................... irreverent representations, bv its framing of detail I w.;| lir)e<Tenter l°“Wted• l‘-'w ,n hpan. a'k'K>wn which seems to originate in a world alwavs anterior and k'ar to it, tniniature art can only remind us ot the miniature — and cultural — nature ot all art. Emoretta Yang Ithaca. New York system that governs t since each animal cCH year, a month, or a tit Symbolic association: subjects could thus lx was common, for ex# netsuke owner to cho representing the anin his birth. Stunning in its exec offers a clear testimon reputation of its make (177 3-1856) was a Shi whose work, almost a known for its vigor ar this example, the delil meticulousness of the solidity of the animal’ sweep of us movemen Produce a form that is vision. T Water Buffalo u rS‘g^Yukoku,m Wrxd 8Ular rescrve rr in �[Checklist oF the Exhibition MomosHchijushichiokina (“77-year old man Okatomo”! effect, as in the disgruntled penitence of the de~ -r in No. 21. Netsuke carvers could ally themselves *' Japanese Netsuke Birds Animals, Plants S All dimensions in inches: height two demons fleeing from Shoki, the deitv in cncmL- Ik-rezeeds length. of getting rid of demons (No. S6) with the netsuke I 1. Two Quail with Millet showing , . -.a demon getting n ,x.the best of the . smuclv -■ . [Signed: Okatomo shichijushichi sleeping demon-queller he irrev e. er.ee ot oi Kokina (“77-vear old man Okatomo”) Sleeping ucmvu-^Rvui., i.\v. ».-<v. __ — . i, nv mcv urence a design such as that in No. 17. where one turns tr. ■Ivory netsuke around to fine a little demon goosing the K Dimensions: 1 X 11 ‘/ih I Lent bv Sordoni Family Collection exorcist was an irreverence available only rc an I Okatomo was a Kyoto carver whose artist working in a form already marginal to loftier E rzrst works were notice before 1781. His v r.zme is mentioned in the Soken Kisho, cultural claims. late eighteenth century work It lies within the power of the miniature to r atbshed in Osaka, w hich dealt with astonish; we are all familiar with the dizzying effect tins sword accessories and included that the meticulous execution of detail, in mimatun netsuke. Okatomo’s work, generally in depicted animals, birds and produces. When one speaks of the “telling nets.! ... -.egetsb'es and w as greatly admired a narrative, one means- a single minute -parr that .J ____ ,___________ copied during his lifetime and to reveal the whole. Susan Stewart writes s to | ir.tt. I.-, particular, examples of his r vjr.GiL? designs on the theme of “Quail her engaging book, On Longing: 'Carratiiz: o] r| pn provided models for later Minizrure, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the CoUectxm, II rovers. I The fine art? ulation of feathers and “the hand being the measure of the miniature, I ■ i.e j-ibde counterpoint of the two reminding us that the impulse to miniaturi-ation J _ t.* ’■ j ;: netsuke are equal to any of . ’ ’r.'. he t productions. The two art is also connected to a dream of total B\ turned in opposite directions, comprehension: a world encompassed in one ■ J".i- a trm rv.'dving space between hand, a cosmos under control. “There are no < 7. ’' ,.r. ; h;it rj hing equal 1 y miniatures in nature,” she writes; “the min7tr^njns, ; ’'j:. ’ cr.'TJi u.r?. in their hunched, v? *•• r::i r.-< r;<«- rha» ref alb the cultural product, the product of an eye per. >r * ■<'.<.* '-. 'i'■ in die bird certain operations, manipulating, and atre^jnd rv th*-vixentri’ S : • i? jfv ( .bin' < painter certain ways to, the physical world- B- !j . ; ' ; * h'. \vhv«,Tr ;> known and the craft of its execution, by its pious an' • | ■ r> J m ! ;<n. irreverent representations, by it - framingnttT1< r 2. Boar which seems to originate in a world ai •■* • n.- J; [< )•,. a to it, miniature art can only remind u - * 'r f 1, /.i’ll i-.' • of inlaid horn ■ ; rr ion-; 1 / i 7-.. miniature — and cultural — nature o I J 'lit 1 . '-/J.l- Jn | .IJDiiy ( <41e' tl’ril Emoretta Yang Ithaca, New "fork The boar is one of the emblems in the Japanese zodiac, the twelve animals of which were favorite netsuke subjects, being depicted alone or in pairs, or in the entire group. The sign system that governs them is complex, since each animal could stand for a year, a month, or a time of day. Symbolic associations for these zodiac subjects could thus be quite personal; it was common, for example, for a netsuke owner to choose netsuke representing the animal of the year of his birth. Stunning in its execution, this boar offers a clear testimonial to the reputation of its maker. Tbyamasa (1773-1856) was a Shinoyama carver whose work, almost all in wood, is known for its vigor and boldness. In this example, the deliberate meticulousness of the boar’s fur, the solidity of the animal’s body and the sweep of its movement combine to produce a form that is monumental in vision. He was born in Osaka, a pre-eminent city in netsuke carving, living there all his life, but apparently was never formally apprenticed to any teacher. He had a reputation for selecting the best materials for his work; his carving style was distinctive and influential. This group of three puppies is typical of Kaigyokusai in the care and elegance of its execution. The composition shows that he carefully worked out the design from all angles, probably making many preliminary sketches of the front, back and underside. The himotoshi are formed by the natural configurations in the subject, and the fur is carved in raised ridges instead of simple incised lines. 3. Water Buffalo with Calf Signed Yukoku, in rectangular reserve Wood Dimensions: 1 ’/s X 2 '/t Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre 6. Dog Unsigned Ivory Dimensions: 1'/>X2 Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University The dog, too, is one of the tw elve animals of the zodiac (see no. 2); its popularity as a netsuke subject must have been amplified by the closene-.s dogs have with the human family In netsuke they ate usually shown seated, frequently with an object, >u,h as a ball, toy, or, as in No. \ with an abalone shell. One version ot this subjeit shows a more macabre side to I he i .mine alhnity w ith man, as tn No. I where the dog be,omes a j.wk.il .mJ the toy be,omes a skull mask. 4. Three Puppies Signed Kaigyokusai (incised), Masarsugu (seal form) Ivory with eyes of inlaid black coral (miimulsii) 1 )imeiisi< >ns: 1 X 1 /s Lent by Sordoni Family I'ollei tion L iO'V* *f usai (IS 1 1- 1Sn..‘) i*. ivgaided .i . me u( iIn iii.i n r > atv> rs <if net tike. 5. Dog with Abalone Shell Signed: Okatomo, in reserve (probably a follower) Ivory Dimensions: IVsXl1/; Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University �3 Water Buffalo with Calf Signed Yukoku, in rectangular reserve 7. Speckled Mouse Unidentified Ivory with eyes of inlaid dark horn Dimensions: I'/ieX 15/16 Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre In Japanese decorative arts of the Edo period, mice were an emblem for wealth; any middle-class household with the means to keep a full pantry could afford to support a few mice. This mouse netsuke is so lovingly rendered, one feels that the emblematic meaning of the well-stocked cupboard is of less interest to the carver than the gentleness of the animal itself, in its compact, rounded form, and the sleek, soft texture of its fur. 8. Cicada Signed: Naoaki, in oval cartouche Ivory Dimensions: 1% X 11 >/i& Lent by Sordoni Family Collection The cicada is appreciated in Japan as ' ne of the group of “insect musicians”; ■' :ong evokes the stillness and heat of summer. An acoustic charm -7 i-em-mts rhe sculptural grace of this -• ier iHie brittle paperiness of the 'ko leave', underneath frames t; . artfully veined wings in all ilme dimensions. 9. Wasp Inside a Pear L Saiigetsij Wrxxj 1 Uia-|: 11 /,, / iy|( '•r IPrivar<-( Wilk...Barn- An inn ,, , lh ,|t(. U<)» r< in. I,- J .., i.. ‘ 'h' tl. s,,| ,|, The nineteenth century netsuke-maker Sangetsu followed the style of realistic wood carving of Bazan, and both are known for their renderings of rotting pears. The subject of a wasp inside rotting fruit attracted several artists. In its challenge to represent different surfaces — the nubby texture of the nashi pear, the curling edges of the skin, the gauzy veined wings of the insects — it expresses a piquancy not found in more conventional insect-and-flower subjects. 10. Three Peapods Signed: Kiyokatsu Ivory Dimensions: 1X 2 ¥16 Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre The work of Kiyokatsu (early 19th century) depicted groups of nuts or vegetables, designed so that the netsuke cord could pass through openings in the composition. It is typical of his work to take advantage, as he does here, of the color and smooth rich surfaces of unstained, natural ivory. The mute elegance of this piece seems also to derive from an underlying geometry-. The three peapods overlap in such a way as to recall the mitsu-tomoe (“triple-comma”) crest design, with its Buddhist connotations of a cosmos in complementary flux. This own c??’?''1'1 abstract MHalitv finds its r iZ’lTV1'tl'Lrl'V:1Am,uetrKal stents, bulges and Re,rack'Ji„ smi ■^li' hed tnrtois,. shell 1 'iinetisioiis; •/> x 1' t • ^tbySordom Family Collection lananese iconoOTanh°v 15. Frog on a Skull Signed: khivusai I A.uve mid- T'th *'gUre ® netsuke how "eI1 ir that considerations of imagination or }beauty ... . - <from in design. Apart miniature --------sculpture for j„:_designed j r_T religious or votive purposes, okimono were exclusively ornamental. ornamental. In In the the latter part of the nineteenth century, when Japan was eager to assert its place in the burgeoning w orld trade community, many okimono were made 12. Octopus to send to the International Signed: Chokuminsai (?), incised Expositions. Genre and not mythical subjects were favored for these de /octo Ivory with inlaid eyes ambassadors to rhe West, and it is not Dimensions: 1 ‘/16 X1 ’/ie. surprising that their manufacture Lent by Private Collection, became an arena for virtuosic displays Wilkes-Barre in the execution of detail. This snail Though this carver . is not included. was probably not intended for export; --- =--------------standard references, it is possible th." its intimate scale and the reverent he is the same as the Chokusai bom treatment of its attributes aim at a 1877, w whose ’hose work, though rare, is Japanese audience. audience, noted for its high quality. This octo; netsuke with its fully rounded an4* Jackal xy vyitn itn a Skull Nfask intricate design of curled tentacle tentacles bigned. loshimasa indicates a carver of great skill aix. >,rV Dimensions: I'l- xZ sensitivity. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 13. Snail Signature unread Wchimasa was a late eighteenth centurv carver whose work is Ivory; okimono Dimensions: Sx2‘: . .. associated w ith the style of Yoshinaga in Kvoto. For the subject, see Xos. 5 Lent by Sordoni Farnilv C and 0. The extreme delicacy ot th‘ s‘ antennae and the absence el jq. Frog on a Skull cord-holes indicate that m ■ t_. Signed: Ichiyusai (Active mid-Dth not a netsuke but an centurv) ornameiW); its life-like size __________ ____ stain Ivory with dark rust-red naturalistic precisioneh^'”T.!?.< Dimensions: ‘'leXl1 ■ coloring, and shell stnatuxt - ^ . ... Lent bv Sordoni Family Collect ion that the carver here i> ures ot starting in the middle of the muk h tor the pleasures ot tbt’b" ’'ineteenth rather centurv and sontinuing to miniaturizing, but the beginning ot the twentieth, a new deceiving the eve. —............................. . ,re ornJ®31' Iw t'* 91'!x'Jred in traditional Japanese Though netsuke '"A ' taste tor ghost and demon rales; an their primary purpose interest in macabte subjects and their luncnon as toggles, an ■ • collectors still judge the'foundations of the world. This netsuke, showing a tortoise retracted its shell, is simple and compact in its design; in a punning, reflexive use of material, the unknown carver hashcarved his tortoise netsuke out of polished tortoise shell. graphic representation in net'u’ paralleled the rise in popularity subjects in prints. Some of that found expression in netsuke representing human skulls. A dramatizing touch was often ad including a creature closely assc with the earth, such as a snake ■ through the skull’s openings, or case, a toad, to make the moner message all the more potent. Mythical Creatures and 16. Demon Weeping on a Severed Arm Unsigned Ebony, ivory and lacquer Dimensions: l! -tX2 Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre There are several legends in J. history about Watanabe noTsi retainer of Minamonto no Yorir One of the best-know n recount: incident at rhe gate of Rashomo w here a large demon (uni' w as st be threatening villaget' and pas; Watanabe rook up the challenge investigate but after spending a' night waiting bv the gate tn the he began to doze. Something tin his helmet, and abruptly he si as! a dark mis, at the top or rhe gati monster escaped, but ,n the met \\ iranabe found a huge arm at t The legend is illustrated in net ■often, as here, with the added pt ot a smaller .'-ii w ho sit' on the *i .'.rm. mourning. The carver has i three different materials in this netsuke. The ivorv and rhe woo. rich compliments; lacquer br.xel nng provide the means bv w hisb cord could he attached to the ne �< Water Buffalo with Cal: C :r rectangular reserve teen— ce'turv _ _ ker Safest ed - ■ ;;c-“cr>:~1 Ct •ekr..".-.T. kt their -fr-rixpears. .he su~ert k^rc-t^iriri ~.-ez s. in its chadense to sudries — rr.e ;-epear. t.'.c s rithe the rv-v:s rirhe risects — it cv net: _r.c-.7i -r.—jisett-erJ-dc . sr : Peapods yckasu ;-. re L .iec.-.r.. :K: ■ . ■ . --- '' . -.cteig-.'-y - r..t r iesigr<tcs tr.-tthe L: Dtps-:rz.J. ■: z -■: .7 1■> -k7.t: c _i ;r.’sze. i. .. . : ■ i 'C-ii.fe.- • ar. -;.-.ri. -.. The tnute elegante if -t. :. x- tns*r».The three ■ ■ . . . t:. • ■ 'utnpit<c.—.ma~ -.-r Buddr .-t isoi a■■smos in fiux.Tr..' :d a.'c'rj - . finds ;r se Retracted in Shell -- .<•■■ . he rerteise is a popui— hgurc r.etsuke by how well it serves that ’.tpar.ese .ccr.eg’ip.'c.r ; Function, balanced against ’.engevit'., er.iu— a*.; Considerations of imagination or fcur.dcricr.s e: the world. Th.s beaurv in design. Apart from netsuke, she a ingat.'—cist retrccted :tl miniature sculpture designed for its shell, is simple and ccmpa- in n religious or votive purposes, okimono desisn; in a punning. re:.c:a- . ?.were exclusively ornamental. In the material, the unknown career ? hert Etter part of the nineteenth century, carved his tertaise netsuke c . fc her. Japan was eager to assert its place relished tortoise shell. in the burgeoning world trade temmunity, many okimono were made 12. Octopus to send to the International Signed: Chokuminsai ■ 1 . incised Expositions. Genre and not mythical F-b;ects were favored for these de facto Ivory with inlaid eves ambassadors to the West, and it is not Dimensions; J - ■_ - x 1 ■ I -—rising that their manufacture Lent bv Private CoHecricn, ■became an arena for virtuosic displays Wilkes-Barre .- the execution of detail. This snail Tncugh this carver is net in..--.- ’ i * ts probably not intended for export; its intimate scale and the reverent 1 tefe-ence-:, ;t i‘ pts; r._ . z • -; same as the Chokusai born k ttettment of its attributes aim at a Japanese audience. z . : ~ “ ■- : re. the ugr. rs re n^ted mr :t= high csriim. :77:r-: j 14. Jackal with a Skull Mask rc.. ’ ■ u: mu Signed: Yrehimasa :r.":n:e Jeiitn of curled 'er.'. :.e Jv-tr.indicates a carver of' greatt skm. and thmensions: IVaXZ tensitivriv. L'.-r;t by the Center Art Gallery, fe u t k ne! 1 University 13. Snail I a was a late eighteenth Signature unread 'lar/er ..hnse work is JypD’; okimono -.-'. j irh rhe tyle of Yoshinaga Dimensions: "--xZ _ Lent by Si^rdoni Farruiy Colle '• -r- ■ ■ !’. ■ "j. For the ubject, ee Nos. 5 The extreme delicacv ■ -f the vr.JiF' ■:rit'.r..nav ..'nd the absence >r 1 -td-holcs .- J,-are that this pu.-.c ' t'fx : •jke hur an n-..: .'.t.r ‘n;<he rr. inters ; .•■ ,nJ naruralisTR ;i- heli co. Ting, .• r.h'jt rhr arver here .ii'ni: v rx* v .n- -JlKe'' much for rhe pleri-uf' 14 miniaturizing, I r''i-.er r deceiving the eye1 i' .ugfi netsuke were their primary purpose lav m a**" rtw* ihdl J 15. Frog on a Skull Signed: Ichiyusai (Active mid-19th century) Colic. rjrir, fun< t oi, a- t.iggles, utid marry ‘ ollectors t:ll ju J.-: rti'.-'. "r-' ‘ 4 '' 15. Frog on a Skull feigned: 1> hivu'ai (At tive mid-19rh Century) I’-orv nth dark rer r red tain 'ion : • / 1 ■' L'l.t |.y ‘ j r<lotii 1:11 oily Coll''tioli '■ rt ■ :n th- |i id il>- "f ’I■' • .......i.rh ■ et>t.;ry at 1 ■ ontmuing to <■ ' Ji.i • .(the ■ •.»■< HO' di, 'I ie ' ■ ' .; t ■ J in 'r.idiiKHiul).•|..tri« •• for gh ■ • ind Ji mon i .ib , m re ' in n.: . I.|, sulji < t and llii-ll graphic representation in netsuke paralleled the rise in popularity of these subjects in prints. Some of that interest found expression in netsuke representing human skulls. A dramatizing touch was often added by including a creature closely associated with the earth, such as a snake curling through the skull’s openings, or in this case, a toad, to make the memento mori message all the more potent. Mythical Creatures and Tales 16. Demon Weeping on a Severed Arm Unsigned Ebony, ivory and lacquer Dimensions: I’AxZYs Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre There are several legends in Japanese history about Watanabe no Tsuna, a retainer of Minamonto no Yorimitsu. One of the best-known recounts an incident at the gate of Rashomon, where a large demon (oni) was said to be threatening villagers and passers-by. Watanabe took up the challenge to investigate but after spending a weary night waiting by the gate in the rain, he began to doze. Something tugged at his helmet, and abruptly he slashed at a dark mass at the top of the gate. The monster escaped, hut in the morning Watanabe found a huge arm at his leet. I hi- legend is illustrated in netsuke, iiften, as here, with the added presence i i( ,1 ■ mailer uni who sits on the severed .mu, mourning. Ute i aiver has mill ed thrts dilfi'ient ni.itoii.il in this hi i ul , I he iviny and the wood make rn li i utiiphinents; lai qut i ht.Hcli t and ting pri wide du mean-, by wlih h a 11 ad I Olli' I be all.u lii'd Io tin lu lsuki. The sheen of dark wood highlights the skillful carving of the arm, with its muscles and veins still bulging as the three fingers clench. A severed arm in itself would be a macabre object; the weeping oni turns the old legend around by adding a sympathetic and humorously poignant touch. 17. Exorcising Demons Signed: Ikkosai (probably Toun, active 1830-43) Ivory Dimensions: I'/zXlVs Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University The first day of the New fear in Japan is traditionally the time when demon (oni) are cast out of the house in a ceremony called the Oni Yurai, or Oni Tsuina. In this ritual, the chanting householder throws handfuls of dried, roasted beans around the room. Netsuke carvers seem to have been particularly engaged by the idea of the oni fleeing those potent legumes, for they found an infinite number of ways to represent the exorcism, many of them with humorous twists. In this piece, a man of authoritative bearing dressed in dignified ceremonial robes performs the exorcism. Holding a tray of beans on a lacquer table, he gets ready to throw more from his upheld right fist, and his success can be seen in the poses and scared faces of the two demotes running trom him. Not to be outdone, how ever, a third demon crawls behind and ghvs the man a t lear poke in the rear. 18. Demon Hiding in a Box Signed: Mas.itoshi Wood I ■'intensions: 11 i X 11't.. 1 ent by 1't it ate l 'olleetion, \\ ilkes Barn �The design seen here became a standard representation of the Oni Ymii (“demon-exorcising ”) ritual (see No. 17): a terrified oni trying to cram himself into a box too small to hide him, nearly bursting the joints, several of the exorcism beans scattered around. 18a. An identical piece in the Sordoni Family collection, with inlaid ivory eve, bears the signature Isshin, and it is possible that both are the work of a nineteenth century carver, Isshinsai Masatoshi of the Nagoya school, about whom little is known (see Davey, p. 200; Meinertzhagen, p. 46). 19. Demon with Injured Knee Signed: Kincho (?) Wood Dimensions: 1 */s X1 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection More roughly carved, but no less expressive, this netsuke shows a demon grimacing in disgust at an exorcism bean stuck to his knee. 20. Sleeping Shoki and Demon-Thief Signature unread Ivory Dimensions: Lent by the Center Art Gallery, ■ knell University 21. Demon Grinding with Mortar and Pestle ■ >te !;’i:>-d Wood Dimer,Tm : D/txl1/, • <1 ih I !>(♦ >Aor| of master netsuke carvers. A second examination, which ought to include holding it in one’s hand, would convince one otherwise; it possesses all of the qualities that go into making a delightful piece of miniature sculpture and a perfect netsuke. The olive-color wood is light in weight, with more than enough volume for the netsuke to be tucked securely and comfortably into a sash. The design is compact and carved fully in the round, and there is a pleasing way the figure cradles the mortar bowl between his feet. The rough, stylized musculature of rhe demon is articulated through sharp cuts, but the extreme contours show a rounded softness and patina that are the unreplicable marks of ordinary handling. Last but not least is simply the humorous expressiveness of the figure. One does not have to know that a traditional way to dispose of oni was to grind them with mortar and pestle (this oni’s assigned punishment is milder than that) — the disgruntled and disobliging look on the demon’s race in accomplishing his penance would be familiar to anyone. 22. Sumo Wrestler and Demon Signed: Zemin Ivory Dimensions: %X l>/2 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection The work of Zemin (19th century) is rare; he is believed to have been a pupil of Suwa keimin. p 23. Kappa on a Clam Signed: Suketada Cherrywood with eyes of inlaid dark horn Dime nsions: I'/.-xlvn, In Japanese lore, a kappa is a near mythical amphibian whoTiveZ I »Cthe 'Tfeh.* hich 'hLJIV though, and even civil in their Jongarms. In c■J L.t the ferociousness. The eighteenth centun i the Tenaga riJes on carver a .Liman. K - .*1 carver Sukerada Suketada hnq has represented „a kappa here with all its standard attributes: the scaly body of a tortoise, frog-like limbs, and the head of a monkey. At the top of its head, the importance of social cooperation. surrounded by long lanky hair, is a concavity, which, according to myths, For netsuke designers, they were a source of great amusement, by the contains the fluid that gives the variety ofentanglements of limbs and creature its strength. To deflect the attack of a kappa, children are told to torsos that could be envisioned. Here, bow deeply in front of it; its reciprocal a Tenaga. perched on the shoulders of bows will cause its vital fluid to spill an Ashinaga. leans backward to grasp out. the ankles er his carrier, who open* his In netsuke, kappa are sometimes mouth m dismay? or delight? at the shown, as here, with a foot caught in a head now thrust up between his legs. clamshell, rendered harmless and the comical butt of a joke. In this piece both kappa and clam are carved from one piece of wood; Suketada has given Dimensions: 2 X ': us a nicely rendered contrast between Lent by the Cent * A C' the smooth surface of the clamshell D- ’ ••Art (,-,11. and the rough, scaly body of the kappa. /'-ex 26. No Unsigned of inlaid Ivory ■ abalone sh<,! 71/4X17/!; Dimensions: < Lent by Sordonii Family -27. Noh Theater Mok Signed: Gyokuzan(-) Ivory v Dimensions: 1 74 X 1 .8 Lent by Sordoni Family C 28. Noh Theater Mask Signed: Issan Ivory Dimensions: 1 '/<* X 1 ’/j Lent by Sordoni Family ( WuSS***» 24. Ashinaga and Tenaga Signed: Tbmochika Ivory Dimensions: 3 X 7s Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre s-Siaaa**.* ! r^’-nthe h« « haJ Tbmochika is the name signed h J family of Tokyo netsuke carver*", work appeared from the mida"- ■ ; nineteenth venture to the later: ■ the century. One of the pup*',"1' • F^tur, know n in particular ter he' f*Xt. okimono which wereex|xirrt lXrwj Europe and America • Ashinaga (“Long leus 'a1' L (“Long Arms”) are two mvthi.a • . . i ..,,-v ttw. .^hind 14 er "“Ma �M3SK5 1 he design six'll here became a standard repieseiitation ol the Dili L.'.a ("demon exorcising"' ritual (see ,\o. 1 a terrified oni trying to cram himself into a box too small to hide him, nearh bursting the joints, several ot the exorcism beans scattered around. ISa. An identical piece in the Sordoni Family collection, with inlaid ivory eve. bears the signature Isshin, and it is possible that Ix'th are the work ot a nineteenth century carver, Isshinsai XLisatoshi ot the Nagova school, about « horn little is known (see Davey, p. 200; Meinertzhagen, p. 4o). 19. Demon with Injured Knee Signed: Kincho (?) Wood Dimensions: I’. sXl Lent bv Sordoni Family Collection More roughly carved, but no less expressive, this netsuke shows a demon -:T.?cing in disgust at an exorcism bean stuck to his knee. 20. Sleeping Shoki and Demon-Thief ' .mature unread lv< tv D:n n-i.ins; L rr: v ri.v Center Art Gallery, fj'ti , r>. i, I Diversity 21. Demon Grinding with Mortar and Pestle ' .'nsigned !):'• i l, ’ <• y p,-( B ' A’:"' ......... ■ "L i. i,..; s 11< it "•■-'•nx-orda.-.lm, ....... ig '■••wii.s l,nth< w,,r( 10 of master netsuke earvers. A second examination, which ought to include holding it in one’s hand, would convince one otherwise; it possesses all of the qualities that go into making a delightful piece of miniature sculpture and a perfect netsuke. The olive-color wood is light in weight, with more than enough volume for the netsuke to be tucked securely and comfortably into a sash. The design is compact and carved fully in the round, and there is a pleasing way the figure cradles the mortar bowl between his feet. The rough, stylized musculature of the demon is articulated through sharp cuts, but the extreme contours show a rounded softness and patina that are the unreplicable marks of ordinary handling. Last but not least is simply the humorous expressiveness of the figure. One does not have to know that a traditional wav to dispose of oni was to grind them with mortar and pestle (this oni’s assigned punishment is milder than that) — the disgruntled and disobliging look on the demon’s face in accomplishing his penance would be familiar to anyone. 22. Sumo Wrestler and Demon Signed: Zemin Ivory Dimensions: 7s X P/c Lent by Sordoni Family Collection The work of Zemin (19th century) is rare; he is believed to have been a pupil ofSuwaKeimin. p 23. Kappa on a Clam Signed: Suketada Cherry wood with eyes of inlaid dark horn l dimensions: 11 •>- j.,h though, and even civil in their fo^*eh»:k of the ferociousness. The eighteenth center, carver Suketada has represented a kappa here with all its standard 'CL^'CjTenagahadaJhtinct attributes: the scalv body ofatone.se frog-like limbs, and the head of a LLfe^mdiustrating to children monkey. At the top of its head, ihi^^eotstKuCoopera^n. surrounded bv long lanky hair, is a concavity, which, according to mnb Fcrr-^ie designers, thev were a cot great arnuicment, oy t he contains the fluid that gives the vdr.cr. cf entanglements of limbs and creature its strength. To deflect the attack of a kappa, children are told t. tcrscs that could be envisioned. Here, bow deeply in front of it; its redpitxi •i Lr.t;:. retched on the shoulders of bows will cause its \ ita! fluid to sr:'.. ar. A-r..r.c; •...• r.; backward to grasp Jhe ankles of his tamer. who ..pens hiIn netsuke, kappa are sometimes ■rr.xifr. ir, dum n; cr delight? at the shown, as!here, ----- -u.c .-..a..with-ar— foot caught miftacrx e_ up between his less. clamshell, rendered harmless and th; comical butt of a joke. In this piece _.25. Ghost —- Over a Tombstone both kappa and clam are carvedfet” | Unsigned one piece of wood; Suketada ha.- pw p-’ir.s;cr.s: 2 X F; us a nicely rendered contrast her* e-' the smooth surface ot the datnshc and the rough, scaly body of the kappa. ' ' ’ 7- 2 * c;t abalone 17/te 27. Noh Theaier Kiwi Signed: Gyokuzan (.) Iwrv ,.. Dimensions: 11'4 X I Lent by Sordoni Family 28. Noh Theater Masi Signed; ksan Ivory Dimensions: 1 *4 x 1 Vi Lent by Sordoni Family There are many netsuke theater masks; m fact the e . ~ c^XAnGalIerv> 24. Ashinaga and Tenaga Signed: Tomochika Ivory Dimensions: 3 X ■ s Lent bv Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre Tbmochika is the name' g family of Tokyo netsuke ' work appeared from the’ nineteenth century to the late rhe century. Oneot the IJP-1' * known in particular tor h:> ukunono whic h were export " Europe and \merx i .VhmacaCT ong (“Long Arms") are two• ot men whose names ...it "fc’,Sk f ■ cc> . > lr> '^:ntktrsh-s u.. "'•■'■^Utkl tCtr- v dra?CtI’ *ith SdfulcJ’ l ds';tal *•1^ �2* 22. Sumo Wrestler and Demon Signed: Zemin ■ ______ The design seen here became a standard representation of the Oni Yarai (“demon-exorcising”) ritual (see No. 17): a terrified oni trying to cram himself into a box too small to hide him, nearly bursting the joints, several of the exorcism beans scattered around. 18a. An identical piece in the Sordoni Family collection, with inlaid ivory eye, bears the signature Isshin, and it is possible that both are the work of a nineteenth century carver, Isshinsai Masatoshi of the Nagoya school, about whom little is known (see Davey, p. 200; Meinertzhagen, p. 46). 19. Demon with Injured Knee Signed: Kincho (?) Wood Dimensions: 1 ’/a X 1 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection More roughly carved, but no less expressive, this netsuke shows a demon grimacing in disgust at an exorcism bean stuck to his knee. 20. Sleeping Shoki and Demon-Thief Signature unread Ivory Dimensions: 1 'Zt X17/s Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 21. Demon Grinding with Mortar and Pestle Unsigned Wood Dimensions; I'/iXl'Zi Center Art Gallery, nil’ knell I Jnivcrsiry A> Imt gkm. <• thr, lltM,.,||l)r ‘ ogtiurd m fl,, work of master netsuke carvers. A second examination, which ought to include holding it in one’s hand, would convince one otherwise; it possesses all of the qualities that go into making a delightful piece of miniature sculpture and a perfect netsuke. The olive-color wood is light in weight, with more than enough volume for the netsuke to be tucked securely and comfortably into a sash. The design is compact and carved fully in the round, and there is a pleasing way the figure cradles the mortar bowl between his feet. The rough, stylized musculature of the demon is articulated through sharp cuts, but the extreme contours show a rounded softness and patina that are the unreplicable marks of ordinary handling. Last but not least is simply the humorous expressiveness of the figure. One does not have to know that a traditional way to dispose of oni was to grind them with mortar and pestle (this oni s assigned punishment is milder than that) — the disgruntled and disobliging look on the demon’s face in accomplishing his penance would be familiar to anyone. In Japanese lore, a cuppu is a mythical amphibian who Ines rivers, attacking and devouring him,, beings. Kappa were thought to be though, and even civil in their ferociousness. The eighteenth . - carver Suketada has represented a kappa here with all its standard attributes: the scalv bodv of a tottote frog-like limbs, and the head of a monkey. At the top of its head, surrounded by long lanky hair, is a concavity, which, according to m ,tn.. contains the fluid that gives the creature its strength. To deflect the attack of a kappa, children are toH •: bow deeply in front of it; its reciprccd bows will cause its vital fluid to spdi out. In netsuke, kappa are sometimes shown, as here, with a foot caught m. clamshell, rendered harmless and the comical butt of a joke. In this piece both kappa and clam are caned trer one piece of wood; Suketada ha-;'■..' us a nicelv rendered contrast bet- .v the smooth surface of the damsheB and the rough, scaly bodv of the kappa. 22. Sumo Wrestler and Demon Signed: Zemin Ivory Dimensions: % X 11/2 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection The work of Zemin (19th century) is 24. Ashinaga and Tenaga Signed; Tbmochika Ivory Dimensions: ,3x Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre Tom.K'hika i- tlie name--er*- ~t.imih ot Tokvo netsuke cans’ work appeared from the m.-ddJr o* nineteenth centurv to the '.iter ran the centun. One ot the puptb •* known in particular tor hi- i”'n okano'io which were exported'"' Eun >pe and America. , • •Vh 11 ’L<(“Long Arm-"I ate two of men whose name- iJenl’.n t Ts±,S„v'd“l’“«b'““p"p» 23. Kappa on a Clam Signed: Suketada Cherry wood with eyes of inlaid dark horn Dimensions: P'-xj. ttfr*. . . 'X *;thouX^ Adunap- • .Jerable distance. Fornetsukedesigners they wen ’ ... une ■?! great amusement, bs the .. jricw ofentanglements of limbs and tone* that could be envisioned. Here, i Tenagc. ter .hed on rhe shoulders of an Ashinaga, leans backward to grasp the ankles of his earner, who opens his m- jtr. m dbmav I or delight’ at the head now thrust up between his legs. Pimcn-ions: 2 X1A PHxe i$ 'hat ; •■- -Talrr‘1t’nl5ha ^ehtened 2^’1- 26. Unsigned Ivory *'« abalone; pjmensH Lent by> 27- Noli Signed; < Ivon’ DimenSH Lent by I 28. Not Signed: I Ivory Dimensit Lent by There i theater rr netvuke c Ptofessio, whittled i *henthe *<«nrifv,r s'ncethe theater a FunhenT tk?crs<i T,r«>rr 4.1“T“*rr“r»tf Sr . �10 Wrestler and Demon Zemin 29. Eleven Masks of the Noh Theater Signed: Tomochika ■ ______ ,-ers. A second ught to include id, would se; it possesses all i into making a iature sculpture The olive-color :, with more or the netsuke to 1 comfortably i is compact and nd, and there is re cradles the vis feet. The ature of the irough sharp ontours show a latina that are i of ordinary least is simply veness of the ave to know :o dispose of oni t mortar and •d punishment is e disgruntled t the demon's tis penance ivone. In Japanese lore. aU-- -, mythical amphibian who hx-J rivers, attaching and devo beings. KGppu were thcuzH-c though, and even civil intheir rerecicusness. . ne eigb.tee-A -__ carver Suketada has represented “ = '-t Utpiw here with all its standard"' mth-utes: the y . ■ -. frog-like limbs, and the head .- f i ' monkey. At the top of its head, surrounded bv long lankv ham c concavity. which, according t: -. contains the fluid that git es rhe creature its strength. T; det’.e:attack of a children are bew deeply in front of it, t -. hews will cause its vital fim-d :c <. cut. In netsuke, kappa are sonx.uu>u shown, as here, with a n t —x . clarr.sr.eu, rendered harm.rv- - mmitsl butt .: b-In tr. ' ■■■■ both kappa and clam are ~ one piece of wood; Suketada a nicer.' mr.zmet r -r.-r-,_ the smooth surface ot me Ji.;-■■ ■■ and the rough, scaly • kappa. 24- Ashinaga and Tenaga and Demon lily Collection Signed: Tomochka Ivory Dimensions: J x,, inn. Lent by Private Collet 19th century) is ave been a pupil VC'ilkes-Barre Tomochika »the na Mm.lv im nineteenth 1A? rhe century-Gint Bfcurlous characteristics. They were said £ r? live on the coast in northern China 14 nd subsisting on fish, which the Tcr.’ga catches with his exaggeratedly a ky arms. In order to get out to sea, • Tncga rides on the back of the . xsmr.aca, whose long legs allow him ■ v r ede cut a considerable distance. iMhinaga and Tenaga had a distinct R d.ccrnc ro'.e to play in Japanese trythdogv in illustrating to children K$he importance of social cooperation. Mfor netsuke designers, they were a I jjextree c: great amusement, by the ■ i.-.c ci entanglements of limbs and Hfcrsos that could be envisioned. Here, t Tenaga. perched on the shoulders of ■b Asninaga, leans backward to grasp tr e ankles ot his carrier, who opens his r.:n dismay? or delight? at the h-G now thrust up between his legs. 25. Ghost Over a Tombstone jLr.dgned Dtmir.s::'.': 2X1% Lent bv the Center Art Gallery, I put knell University C. Tr-'he ...rvingof this piece is Mbot at oustandmg m. • then in the e>: At 'he im-jg.narion that w: rnr :• i-'-.-r.':-. being a «.'.'de* J '.. '• men by a ■ . .. -r J .u.d frightened -I > it '.a; ■ .r behind '■ 1 a i and and ft*>t in ’ . 'i .'-r t1.1 » . < r In . j a'.d ’ * 1 'is ;'<• ind. < r.i !■" i ' thr< •: ..." 1:1 . . rip tl,' i -.if-.,'i. biriiinp ii- I ’‘ es of inlaid Ktion, d ' known okimom-'vhK h* Europe and A Ashmagal CLongArms of men whose nan the h)5 ,.v . ' * .1 :< < .f 11. i i 11' :d i '. * I j i-i . 1. ■ ,1ti'i ■ f.-11. .1:1 1 ■ ; . . ■ .nd 111:111, '■ Masks 26. Noh Theater Mask Unsigned Ivory with eyes of inlaid abalone shell Dimensions: 2%X 17/16 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection 27. Noh Theater Mask Signed: Gyokuzan (?) Ivory Dimensions: 13Zt X 13/g Lent by Sordoni Family Collection 28. Noh Theater Mask Signed: Issan Ivory Dimensions: 1% X 1>/2 Lent by Sordoni Family Collection There are many netsuke based on theater masks; in fact the earliest netsuke carvers were probably professional theater mask carvers, who whittled netsuke from scrap material when theater work slackened. Identifying a mask is usually difficult, since the number of roles in Noh theater, and in the older drama forms of Gigaku and Bugaku, is enormous. Furthermore, many netsuke mask carvers designed new masks simply for their comic effect, with no allusions to classical drama, so, except for a handful of very well-known types, it becomes nearly impossible to identify most netsuke masks. The .m owling mask here, and the ma k with tongue stuck out may he I11 'in 1 la- lie ire light hearted (iigaku lie in 1, lie di vile,h mask 1 mild be fiulii the Null. Null- lhai tin' eyes of 11,1- Jaliri .in - 111 11 d with an iride-1 ent m.in rial, pn il i.ibly al sib me. 29. Eleven Masks of the Noh Theater Signed: Tomochika Ivory; ryusa netsuke Dimensions: 3/i X 1 ’/z Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Objects from Daily Life 30. Knotted String of Cash Signed: Mitsuhiro, incised and ink-filled in oval reserve Ivory Dimensions: 1x21/6 Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre Metal currency in Japan, minted after the pattern of Chinese coins, was strung together and knotted to facilitate carrying and counting. As toggles for inro and sash pouches, netsuke were closely associated with coins. The netsuke, too, had other connections with money: the use of netsuke reached the height of its popularity during the peaceful Tokugawa era, when most netsuke patrons belonged to the rising middle-class. It's not surprising that netsuke representing strings of coins should have become popular during this period; the wish for continuing wealth expressed itself in rhe personal adornments of a class consolidating its newly acquired economical and commercial power. Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810 1875) was one of the mastei atrists of netsuke carving; his wot k is often copied. I he suppleness of the lope in this piece and the care tn the texturing of each strand suggest a master of keen t'bscn ation and culptural si ill. , 11 �Figure 31. Bov and Mouse Spe± Home: .'.ate Prh-eJih'entuTV vzrtcus :r.._:a ab Tone shed and - —’A: .inea DirsAns: I'-tX 1U 2-j.vte CAectLn. Ties-Barre ” 32. The Story of Urashima Taro —. in aireserve; taseCar . - iraaid -•es D;ve-r.:r.-: T _• .» 2 t..- - ~e Cer.ter Art Gader.; r- r-, t •' cent-r, ■ - • - - ~~ rtcec. '■ ch. .r.:r;r. tnaaxr.il. * :-..e aoan. Urashima returns home, but is imab'lete find any trace of his friends cr familv- In his confusion, he opens the box, and immediately realizes that he has been away not for three but for three hundred years. A puff of smoke rises fcm the box, and in that instant Urashima ages and dies as the last strands of smoke disappear. In Rantei’s depiction, Urashima has not quite opened the box, and his features, expressing consternation, are still those of a younger man. 33. Girl with Rabbit-Shaped Cake Signed: Seiga, late 19th century Ivory with red highlight Dimensions: 1 '/z X1 % Lent by rhe Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 34. The Immortal Tekkai with a karashishi Lion Unsigned Wood Dimentions: Z’AxPA Lent by the Center Art Gallery, E -icknell University A A. Li T’ich-kuai) is one . tlb')' -r Immortals; he is ■ ■ " ■?. ?r' ' nred as a crippled —■ ho.vf h<-Tlujst iron < run h, ‘ ‘(meaning “iron krun.h J derive-. 35. Kadori Myojin and the Aamazu 1 ii'igni.-d »'.<>•, j trk.im, ' ' ’...... I- . The Namazu, accvtumg t apanfi( a«°jdingtoj lore, is the mythical catfish on whT —a on whose ack lie the islands that make makeup up Japan; ’s ^iwvements movements - . . the creature — explained the phenomenon of earthquakes. Kadori Myojin is the deity rharoArl IC tcatfish A‘ charged with keepingdthe calm, a task he accomplishes by it with a o gourd. This netsuke rstroking — __J. T„„.. tuu, alludes to that grand task, but once again, the carver treats his subject wit an amusing, < domesticating ■humor. -Th parody cl catfish’s barbels are a gentle u the man’s extended “handlebar" moustache, which he sports with a bemused, slightly smug expression. The carver has borrow'ed from an old Japanese legend to make his own bemused comment on the new European styles and fashions so intently cultivated in Japan in the 1860’s and 70’s. 36. Man Seated in a Hat Signed: Mitsutoshi (19thcentun Ivory ,., Dimensions: P/aX 1/Lent by the Center Art Gallen. Bucknell University 37. Rat-Catcher Unsigned Ivory Dimensions: If/2x2l5/i<’ Lent by trivare Col|elI'on' Wilkes-Barre 38. Pot-Mender with Box-Bellows Signature unreal W"‘hI I-'-'nend,,!,.. 1'/-,/[ 14 P,';AAr'‘'.. . I1AX1U ..ui. Dimensions:J 1 .rAi(l,J" I ent by rli«-( c" ' Bucknell I hnversitv Another theme found in netsuke Ls labor and the occupations. In this netsuke, a tinker holds a piece of heated metal in his brazier as he prepares to fix a cooking pot. 39. Wrestlers in the Kawazu Hold Signed: Masatoshi (?) Wood Dimensions: 1 % X 1 % Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University' The wrestler Matanogoro Kuni Hisa threw his opponent, the celebrated Kawazu no Saburo Sukeyasu, by lifting him up by the loincloth. The hold became famous and was named the Kawazu throw. It became a popular subject for netsuke. 40. Manzai Dancer Unsigned Wood with polychrome; ittabori style carving Dimensions: 1 Yt X1 ’/a Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Ittobori, or “single-knife carving”, designates a style of wood netsuke carved in angular planes. The sharp contrasts and deep shadows thus achieved make the pieces appear rough and simple; the style manifests a cubist impulse. The subjects of ittub.'n were usually dancers, and this sty le of < irving is particularly good at i onveying the stilt, angular folds ot the hi'.ivy broc ades used in dancers ' •'stnines. 1 he makers alw avs animated the surt.ues by paint mg or I i. qriviuig them 111 colors. vXel time, the poly, luomed suil.K. ' .uquircd .1 1 •■minitable patina « hi. h, joined to the rein ent vigor of ihe. .111 mg, gives 11" . pie, , s a , harm belying their ■' J ‘hi .ti, at ion. Manzai (literally, “lO.OOC-years”, an abbreviation for a congratulatory phrase) dancers were street entertainers who often went around in groups of two or three, dancing and entertaining for patrons. 41. Figure in a Mask with Basket Unsigned Ivory Dimensions: 2 X ’/a Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 42. Man, Woman and Child with Three Blind Men Signed: Masatami, in oval reserve Ivory, with etched and stained textile decoration Dimensions: Paxl'b Lent by the Center Art Galierv, Bucknell University The carver who made this and No. 43 is probablv the Masatami (1853-1928', who livedin Nagova. His lifetime spanned a period which encompassed the opening of Japan to the West, the restoration to Imperial rule, and the earn stages or industrialization. The market tor netsuke declined, as Japanese began to adopt western dress, and some netsuke makers turned to the making ot osiaii'ue (alcov e ornaments) instead. These two pieces bv Masatami reflect some ot the changes in form and siibiect that came about; thev arc still netsuke, since thev possess the requisite cord-hole'. bur the conception underh ing them is closer to that ot ositn.i'm. Both pieces are studies in how groups of figures mav intertwine and desert e to be examined in rhe round - no. 41 ot Hotel and the children. however, is oriented toward one plane, v hile no. 42 of blind and seeing figures. is more like a a hirl, sometime, moving outward. sometimes moving in. 43. Hotei and Children Signed: Masatami. in red kakihan Ivorv with red lacquer accents and textile decoration in gold Dimensions: 1:4X1% Lent bv the Center Art Galierv, Bucknell University Hotel, one of the Sev en Household Gods in Japan, and the god of good fortune in China, is placed here among a group of Chinese children, all dressed tn elaborate robes with gold and red lacquer patterns simulating brocade. One ot the children bends over a low table writing with a brash. See No. 42. for another piece by Masatami. 44. Aboriginal Man with Two Toads Signed: Chikusai, tn inlaid rectangular cartouche Wood Dimensions: 1 : X 1' > Lent bv Sordoni Family Collection 45. Smiling Aboriginal Bov L'nsigned Wood Dimensions: 1:: X 1; 4 Lent bv the Center Art Galierv, Bucknoil University 46. Japanese Child Dressed in Dutch Clothing Signed: Tomomitsu (?) It orv Dimensions: 3 a x 2 ■ Lent b\ the Center Art Galierv, Bucknell University �^1'H^ei&th - early 20th centurvl Signed: Masatoshi (?) L’rashima returns home, but is to find any trace of his mends Jv. In his confusion, he opens t, and immediately realizes that been away not tor three but for undred years. A puff of smoke m the box, and in that instant ma ages and dies as the last ; ofsmoke disappear. ir.teis depiction. L’rashima has ite opened the box. and his s, expressing consternation, are •sc of a vounger man. irl with Rabbit-Shaped I: Seiga, late 19th century >,ith. red highlight Cons: 1‘cXlU iv the Center Art Gaiter;, ell University he Immortal Tekkai with a hishi Lion jcd isions: 2;.-X1;4 v the Center Art Gallery. ell University ai (Chir.Loe. Li Tieh-z jcronciicrr Lorr Imm-nah; he; represented as a ent pied legend re,stc how the Th": •. F!'e “n -r' crun h. r. hi, r.arr.i- imeaning “,rm .’ dcriv v«. l' adori Myojin and the izu ned i he Namazu, according .ore. is the mythical catfish er. rack lie the islands that make —" ' japan; the creature’s movements explained the phenomenon of earthquakes. Kadori Mvojin :s the 2 ' *39- Wrestlers in the Kawazu Hold stroking it with, a gourd. This 1Signed: Masatoshi (?) alludes to that grand task, but cr.tc Wood again, the carver treats his subject Dimensions: 1 % X 1 Vs amusing, k_s.mestu.aL.nx..—nor. p. jLent by the Center Art Gallery, catiish’s barbels are a gentle p;.--c Bucknell University the man’s extended “handlebar­ moustache, which he sports with s The wrestler Matanogoro Kuni Hisa bemused, slight?; smug expressrc n. S' threw his opponent, the celebrated Kawazu no Saburo Sukeyasu, by lifting The carver has borrow ed rrt i?. : 2 S him up by the loincloth. The hold Japanese legend to make his ; wn f became famous and was named the bemused comment on the new Kawazu throw. It became a popular K subject for netsuke. intently culm ated in Japan :r. tr.e 186t?’s and 70’s. 36. Man Seated in a Hat Signed: Mitsutoshi (19th c-.rm.r ■ Ivory Dimensions: 1 - X T '_ Lent by the Center Art Ga.'.er'. Bucknell University 37. Rat-Catcher Unsigned Ivory Dimensions: 1'-cx2‘ Lent by Private Collection, Vi’iikc—Barre 38. Pot-Mender Box-Bellows Signature unread Wood ■‘loth: 1 X 11 . -■ Jhe Center Art Gallery, L nivtrsitv Another theme found in netsuke is I Uber and the occupations. In this (netsuke, a tinker holds a piece of K heated metal in his brazier as he Eprepares to fix a cooking pot. with Dimensions: J - X i ■Lent by the Center Art Bui knell L Diversity ■ | I I i i £ t | g i B 40. Manzai Dancer Unsigned Xood with polychrome; ittabori style carving Dimensions: 1 'A X 1 Ya Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Be knell University I'toburi, or “single-knife carving", i ijuirm , a style of wood netsuke '-r ■' r :n angular planes. The sharp c:’r; o ;r,d deep shadows thus 1 make the piece, appear rough v:. J rhe •■wk: manifests a cubist -l-'ji The subjei of ittobori were c. r-, ruel this'.ryle i >f car’, it.;', ; antcularly g< >< i<l ar ......' rj ■ tiff, angular folds of the I ■ c.' r<x . -ft • h ■ ’ 1' 11 i d in dai.i < i ’ . If- ■: a <-l' al'A'ay ■ da - .also , by pi.timuip or I'a ' i.j if < ii. i. i ofoi- 1 Jo t time, •he ; - I, f.i.,1||...| ■ urf;.' i aiquired.i ft;1 iiifort-n '• [..iritia which, Joined Io I n,. t.-t:i.m iu. ,r of tie ' art ing, gi'/' ■ r *•' ' ; ' ■ • a ' harm I ■ 1, mg their Manzai (literally, “10,000-years”, abbreviation for a congratulatory phrase) dancers were street entertainers who often went around in groups of two or three, dancing and entertaining for patrons. 41. Figure in a Mask with Basket Unsigned Ivory Dimensions: 2 X Jft Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 42. Man, Woman and Child with Three Blind Men Signed: Masatami, in oval reserve Ivory, with etched and stained textile decoration Dimensions: 1 ‘A X 15/s Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University The carver who made this and No. 43 is probably the Masatami (1853-1928), who lived in Nagoya. His lifetime spanned a period which encompassed the opening of Japan to the West, the restoration to Imperial rule, and the early stages of industrialization. The market for netsuke declined, as Japanese began to adopt western dress, and some netsuke makers turned to the making of okimono (alcove ornaments) instead. These two pieces by Masatami reflect some of the changes in form and subject that came about; they are still netsuke, since they possess the tequisiteiord holes, but the . .iiu eption underlying them is closer 1.11hut of <i/.iiiiriin> Both pie< v. are ' indie tn how groups of figure , may inti rtwiliv and deserve to be examined tn the round no. 4 ' of Hotel and the i hlhheii, howevr r, is m tented toward seeing figures, is more like a whirl, sometimes moving outward, sometimes moving in. 43. Hotel and Children Signed: Masatami, in red kakihan Ivory with red lacquer accents and textile decoration in gold Dimensions: P/sXlYs Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Hotei, one of the Seven Household Gods in Japan, and the god of good fortune in China, is placed here among a group of Chinese children, all dressed in elaborate robes with gold and red lacquer patterns simulating brocade. One of the children bends over a low table writing with a brush. See No. 42, for another piece by Masatami. 44. Aboriginal Man with Two Toads Signed: Chikusai, in inlaid rectangular cartouche Wood Dimensions: 1 V'z X15/s Lent by Sordoni Family Collection 45. Smiling Aboriginal Boy Unsigned Wood Dimensions: 11■ X 11 t Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 46. Japanese Child Dressed in Dutch Clothing Signed: Ibmomitsu (?) Ivory Dimensions: <' i X2 ■ Lent by the (.'enter Art Gallery, Bn. knell I 'diversity I -;lot,< B �ttiv.. ■. 47. Momotaro Emerging from a Basket Unsigned Wood; ryusa-type Dimensions: % X1 ’/z Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University pastoral feeling but sometimes becoming more mechanical in execution. In this finely carved example, fishermen stand in a boat, drawing their nets and gathering their catch, while swans swim nearby. The | lines of the nets, and the limbs of the i trees are carved with a fine delicacy. 48. Dragon Unsigned Ivory; ryusa-type Dimensions: I%x2'/s Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 49. Swarm of Mice with Drum, Tengu Masks and Daruma Iby Signed: Masamitsu (late 19th century) Ivory Dimensions: 13/16X2’/s Lent by Private Collection, Wilkes-Barre 4. Three Puppies S:needKa<gvoku>aiimcised), Masatsugu (Seal form I 50. Miniature Landscape in a Shell Signed: Masayama (?) Ivory Dimensions: I’/sXlVie Lent by Sordoni Family Collection Miniature landscapes, carved as if contained in clamshells, allude to the beautiful sea kingdom of the Dragon King Hytljin. According to Chinese b gend, the < astle of the Dragon King would appear in a vapor issuing from an open < lam, ami many netsuke < arvi-r. took this ■ ubjei i as a natural <.pi>orrunity to display their miniaturizing'kill By the middle and Inn r ntm n i ndn ctilury, • pi t ifit ref'.reuo to th. Dragon King’s Palace mdi' - ‘■l.mr‘.ip< ” had ■■'oltened, and rhe land ■ a; . . drpit li d I n’t aim moreg. tieralizt d, till n t.lining tin ir 10. Phree Peapods '’Uimd: Kiyokatsu �Signed: Masayama (?) 5. Dog with Abalone Shell Signed: Okatomo, in reserve (probably a follower) ding but sometimes note mechanical in in this finely carved shermen s:and in a bent. □rawing their nets and 6. Dog Unsigned - trees are carved with a 4. Three Puppies Singed Kaigyokusai (incised), Masatsugu (seal form) Cicada 7. Speckled Mouse Unidentified 9, Wasp inside a Pear Signed: Sangetsu 14. Jackal with a Skull Mask Signed: Yoshimasa �55. Rescue < Fa Japanese inro All dimensions in inches: height p-eceeds length. If only one dimension is given, it represents height. Hasegawa Shigeyoshi 51. Amida Raigo *Five-case saya-into (sheath inro), with design on exterior case of Amida Buddha descending on a cloud, the design continuing on the reverse with two attendants accompanying him. The inside cases bear a design of lotus flowers. Signed: Hasegawa Shigeyoshi, in gold, with red pot-form seal. Lacquer; gold hiramakie, takamakie and polychrome togidashi on a deep black ground. Dimensions: 27s X 2 ‘A Oj-rr.e: Round bead. Gold lacquer. *.\enuke: Figure of a flying tennin 'Buddhist angeljcarrying a mendicant’s bowl. Unsigned. Carved ivory' with painted gold text.le design. L'-t.th . ^ rddn; Family Collection p “Bute land”, wet of ouddhum became one of the most f"! :;.k .-..hr.i. ■ I'. i.r ; '.’i ’ .m lm,!;, '"mg ■vCLL-t'l... the Western Paradise to welcome the soul of the believer, and it is this event, called Amida Raigo, that is depicted here. The figure of Amida is shown on one side, a ray of light emating from the sacred mark on his forehead. On the other side, two bodhisattvas preceed Amida: Fugen with palms pressed in reverence, and Kannon, bearing the lotus that will receive the new soul. All three deities stand on lotus pedestals borne on clouds, while lotus petals drift about, an allusion to the important Buddhist scripture known as the Lotus Sutra. In a particularly felicitous combination, the netsuke attached to this into shows a rennin, the Buddhist equivalent of an angel, carved in ivory and decorated with gold with a delicacy that matches the delicacy of the inro. Hasegawa Shigeyoshi was a well-known lacquer artist of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century; he came from the famous Kajikawa line of lacquer workers, setting up his own workshop. He was particularly skilled in all the techniquiles illustrated here, including gold takamakie (raised relief) and polychrome togidashi work, Togidashi (“to bring out by rubbing”) involves a process of filling in the design with pulverized metal or colored lacquer, building up layers of black lacquer over the design and polishing down to brine out the design before covering the entire surface with a clear lacquer. This repeated process of layering and pohshim. down is what makes togidashi hr'“ [l'e radiant and subtle ^■’rmgolth!. piece .onus from the •'non. ''ngles and depths from which ^'/'"'''-"’VthemmutegoU ‘ Amida k' .nJm8(1„tll 1 *• •M"l'ulationsmI|u hj,, depend on the size of the panicles and on how they are applied, whether sprinkled as in the halo or in the bear: of light coming from the Buddha's forehead, or graded from dense to sparse as in the cloud-texture (a technique called mura-nashiji), or layered thickly as in the denser gold powdering of the bodies. .Jokasai 52. Duck in Flight *Three-case saya-inrO (sheath inn? with exterior sheath design of duck taking flight from a shore with grasses and various colorfr stones. Inside design of a red-leaved poinsettia plant. Signed: Jokasai Lacquer; sheath design with inlaid ivory, coral, abalone^ other stones, and cloisonn&lik treatment of duck; inside desff in polychrome togidashi on a deep brownish-red ground. Dimensions: 3 VJX 3 *Ojime: Oblong bead with carp- relief. Silver. Lent by Shep Brocman ; Yamada Jokasai was an out>ta.*lacquer artist of the late : century training under the - ** ,. family. He established the of lacquerworkers; m;>stott^ j.J ; coned ••lokasai”. worked, a-'heJ signed ‘’Jokasai . the shogunate. Duck in Flight Jokasai �3 55. Rescue of an Avvabi Diver Kajikawa Family n Paradise to welcome the believer, and it is this event, Lr Raigo, that is depicted igure of Amida is shown on ray of light emating from nark on his forehead. On de, two bodhisattvas nida: Fugen with palms everence, and Kannon, lotus that will receive the dl three deities stand on tals bome on clouds, while drift about, an allusion to int Buddhist scripture re Lotus Sutra. In a felicitous combination, the iched to this inro shows a Buddhist equivalent of an d in ivory and decorated ith a delicacy that matches of the inro. •higeyoshi was a lacquer artist of the late and early nineteenth came from the famous re of lacquer workers, is own workshop. He was skilled in all the techniques ere, including gold ■aised relief) and ’ tqpdaslii work. Togidashi ut by rubbing") involves a lling in the design with netal or colored lacquer, lasers of black lacquer over nd polishing down to bring ?n before covering the e A;f-h_a clear lacquer. This Kess ,Jf layering and ■■’nisiihatmakes togidashi « deeper than the surface radiant and ^btle Piece c?mes from the depths from which thc minute gold -^'d at different ievels - ■’•‘"■d'Jiations in the light TT ?ey are whether spnnkled as in the halo or in the be of light coming from the Buddha’< -am ' forehead, or graded from dense to sparse as in the cloud-texture (a technique called mura-nashiji), or layered thickly as in the denser gold powdering of the bodies. Jokasai 52. Duck in Flight *Three-case saya-inrO (sheath inro), with exterior sheath design of duck taking flight from a shore with grasses and various colorful stones. Inside design of a red-leaved poinsettia plant. Signed: Jokasai Lacquer; sheath design with inlaid ivory, coral, abalone, and other stones, and cloisonne-like treatment of duck; inside esign in polychrome togidashi on a deep brownish-red ground. relief. Silver. Lent by Shep Brozman 52. Duck in Flight Jokasai Yamada Jokasai was an ^nth lacquer artist of the late £'£ajikaw3 cen tury training ’Jnder the da linfamily. He established the „ho of lacquerworkers; mo kejjd, ft signed "Jokasai”, worked, as the shogunate. 17 �51. Amida Raigo Hasegawa Shigeyoshi �I ■’S I i ’«» :• vi ip - 61. Chinese Woman at Loom Koma Kansai 1*4. I In. R<4 t ; F' ana K'< t ,i, V 63. Raiden, the Thunder God Koma KoryTT. ’ uRHh; ; Pr«vrJr) �I *'•< sJhoui. Kajikawa Family 53. Sporting Falcons ♦Four-case inr5, showing a falcon tied to a perch with lion-mask base; on the reverse, there is another falcon tied toadrum perch with lion’s-head finial. Unsigned. Lacquer; gold and silver takamakie, with polychrome and mother-of-pearl inlay on a deep black ground. Dimensions: 3% ♦Ojime: Oval base with flying cranes in red on a white ground. Porcelain with overglaze red enamel. *Netsuke: Pierced manjit-form, with design of lion among clouds, with whisk. Unsigned. Ivory. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Xlembers of the samurai class hunted birds, and rhe subject of a tethered hawk or falcon is found in traditional Japanese painting, going back to Chinese models. It was a persuasive emblem for the values samurai placed on physical strength, military savvy and baity of service. The motif seems in inro. They were patronized by the shogunate from rhe seventeenth to the nineteenth century and were, along with their contemporaries, the Koma family, the best-known lacquerers of their day. [See Wrangham collection catalogue (1972), no. 18 for a Kajikawa school inro dated to the 18th century, with identical design.] 54. General Kuan-yu and his attendant Chou-ts’ang *Five-case inro, showing the Chinese general Kuan-yu and his horse, the landscape continuing on the reverse, showing his scowling attendant Chou-ts'ang bearing his halberd. Signed: Kajikawa tsuku, in gold on nashiji ground, with red pot seal. Lacquer; figures in gold and polychrome takamakie, on a gold ground. Dimensions: 3’Zi *Ojime: Bead with butterfly motifs, metal. ' Netsuke: Cowherd playing flute on back of water buffalo. Signed: Tomotada Wood. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University General Kuan-yu (Japanese, grapple with its own image in the ™i'maltmdefOiteXft 2^ntCl’7hhishorsGina d T'<S llnJrar'e-°n the other ho khKSVa et,thcgruffChou-t/ana of the fine-t ZcmZ'' .produced »me , q artl-E'specializing OSSS: J <t - >H as thL. prominent, tableau, niuj» . ‘ ^• Rescueof anA(,^ , ’^r I^^it 1r...,h «nc mtmuT"8' ■•■■■ r ' ■■ -i. 70. J hum linginar .... ! ‘ Lacquer; dv.-r, ,U ' | ’.with mura-nos/ii;i ;• tonadeet black ground with streaked undertones. Duneiision-: *Ojime: Be.id with floral *’lcr<ed tm r.il. Netsuke: Murqn-form with butterfly designs. GolJp.^i on a darl to light brown<- gr< iund. Lent by the Center Arr Gallen, Bucknell 1 diversity Awahi, or ,,j ,tl.- Jj.-Et; considered a de!:, .u . in Chimx Japanese cuisine. The abaloriff ■ along with mother-of-pearl. 1* til“ in decorative art a« inlay mate': i shells were gathered 1”. women J and one of the most famousprm: designs bv the eighteenth century Utamaro depicts the abalone J- y , Ise. The design of this inrm esecaa fine togidashi (see No. '1 ffr explanation of the technique have been based on an treating uuubt-divers. It V. j men in a boat pulling an ■ from rough waters. Onee-1 dressed in a noble’s cictly^' • .. . illustrated event is probjO. from a folktale. fy. Shoju Drinking Sake Koma Yasuhide uu a 1 >r.n?»n t:»ud �I I J. I l.iil.ot u Watchc .Mi 72. Insects Ryushin Shll'.iy.nn i' 1. 76. Daruma Stretching Shinmin I Lutin.;j IS Ji .h �■■■> 1 * * ■ : ._•« -p 4 _____ 74. Raiden the Thunder God and Shoki the Demon-Quell Shibayama School <H. 1 In-1 itner,il K ,,r-. ,,,, Imii li'p V �88. Archer and Young Woman Zeshin �I 81. Crows in A Night Land Toys [Kanshosai] 56. Blackbirds in Winter *Four-case inro, showing blackbirds perched on a wintry branch silhouetted against a silver moot >n among vines, the design continuing on the reverse, showing a barren branch with red leaves and tendrils. Signed: Kajikawa Lacquer; red, black, gold takamakie on smooth gold ground. Dimensions: 3]Zt *Ojime: Red bead *Netsuke: Kagamnibuta with design of moon and bamboo. Signature illegible. Carved ivory. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Koami Choko 57. Illustration to the Tongue-cut Sparrow *Five-case inro, showing on one side a man with an open basket of treasures; on the reverse, a person confronting an opened basket full of demons. Signed: (“the standing branch of the name, 15th generation”) Koami Gen Choko, with kakihan Lacquer; takamakie and polychrome togidashi, and with mother-of-pearl inlay, against a matte hlac k and gray i hcckerhr >ard ground. Dimensions: PZt *Ojtme: Small head. Gold lac<l“er' *Netsuke: Figure of a peasant Jigging up a. sack while a dog looks on (illustrated to the folktale, “The Old Man Who Made Withering Trees Flowre”) Unsigned. Polychrome lacquer. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University The story of the tongue-cut sparrow (Shitakiri Suzume) is a popular Japanese fable illustrating the themes of humility’ rewarded because of the actions of his neighbor, an ill-humored old woman; after a long search in the forest, he finds the sparrow, who now receives his former owner with great hospitality. When the old man is getting ready to leave, the sparrow offers him the choice of two baskets, one large and heavy, the other small, as a gift to take home. The old man chooses the smaller, saying that he will find it easier to carry because of his age. He opens the box at home and finds it full of an inexhaustible supply of precious things. Hearing of the old man s fortune, his bad-tempered neighbor goes to the forest. She finds the sparrow, who receives her politely, and who offers her the choice of two baskets at the end of her visit; the woman chooses the larger, which she «n bearly lift. Unable to wait, she ? on the way home, and a host emons and goblins fly out to ftptent and torture her. In 1° °ne S.’^e t^e inro, the old man ] ' s °n w'th surprised pleasure at his tri' i’ Of,en5’l-Ito reveal the various Th' Trers *n°wn as the Etkurumont’. |v1i„.lkr|Ucr.’lr'ist llils clearly and u>nv' represented these |e',t"’,”a|D'd emblematu objects, if,a' 'ln' '"de the hat ol tn\ isibilitv l.r,;« rolls (mukinu.no) the hr. ■md ''Ur'e "I gold (kunc/'itkim'), """ around, horn cups, the sacred tama-jewels, cowrie-shells (used as cash), and Daikoku’s mallet (tsuchi). On the reverse, the neighbor’s box is opened, from which issues a variety of demons and goblins. The Koami family of lacquer makers was founded in the fifteenth century and continued successfully through the Momoyama period (1573-1615) and Edo period (1615-1868) into the twentieth, receiving commissions from both the shogunate and from the imperial court. Choko, who worked in the nineteenth century, is designated as the fifteenth generational head of the family. This inro is exquisitely rendered in a low raised gold relief, making it as golden as the riches in its theme. The theme of virtue rewarded is aptly extended in the accompanying netsuke which illustrates the folktale known as Hanasaka Jij~f‘The Old Man who makes withering trees blossom"). It too tells of an old couple rewarded through the interventions of an animal, in this case, a dog, who leads them to a sack of money butted in the ground; and also of envious neighbors whose greed leads them to a more disastrous end. Lacquer netsuke are rarer than ivory or wood pieces, and figural lacquer work as mastertu as that in this example even rarer. Roma Kansai 58. Fishes of the Sea *Four-case inro, showing varieties of ocean life, including a lobster, living fish, sea bream, blowfish, flounder, and sea robin, among waving underwater plants, barnacles, rocks. Signed: Koma Kansai Lacquer;.gold and silver takamakie Dimensions: 3 Vs ’Ojime: Bead in form of shell cluster, Carved ivory. *Netsuke: boat with removable thatched roof. Gold lacquer. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University The technique called takamakie (literally, "high, sprinkled picture”) involves building up selected figures tn the ground design through a repeated process of lacquering, sprinkling of gold-powder, drying and polishing. Since the ground is executed in the same way, tuLtma.kie is really a wav of extending the same process in chosen areas, to make a three-dimensional, sculptured effect against the surrounding flat surface. Each fish and specimen of sea life illustrated here is executed in a sharply articulated takamakie that projects the figure forward in its space, isolating it, giving it the feel of a precious gem in a golden setting. The Koma family of lacquer artists was, with the Kajikawa familv, one of the most skilled and best-known families of lacquermakers. They were founded in the seventeenth centurv and worked from then until the nineteenth under the patronage ot the shoguns- The first Koma Kansai 1U2)" as not born into the tamilv, but was allowed to use rhe familv name bv his teacher, Koma Korea (see Kos. o2-o5': his ow n son and grandson continued to use the name Kansai. 59. Ferryboat 'Four-ease inro, showing a ferryboat bearing a monk, a courtesan,.'. samurai, a monkey showman, and an old man. Signed; Koma Kansai Lacquer; polychrome tegi.Uh: -1 �"Li cn a deep -Li Dimeri-ms ■•Has cord but no crime or netsuke. , ~ „ LcDI ~V ihc <.73.777 Art kJHiiC. •■• f BudsxZUivsstv Theisne ;:".e:"it;? .'T.e 7J7- _ Z’_7S 27 27 27. 257 7 217.37.2’- - z "L “372-3.’..277 371 OCC3S--27: ZO -"■". - ■ mrssar.ts ” ri .-. - :::s: ir; -- :s s-Z ■.. .- ■—; -• -. ri-.n-acKrs - sr.per:p'r_.3r .-. .-..q-. one actor xcHcn, the roles of dsaaesns =s : l._ .. r.-pe :: enter: ’- -. ■ ' ' ■ - . ’ ■ ' T -”--d : ^■•F.r>ei’s Dream j r-’ “ •' L' a .. . ' .J " " '.r-.-n zz ♦Netsuke: Kapmibatu with metal relief plaque show ing woman, probably the Immortal Benten, holding a peach and minus blossom. Ivory with metal. Signed. Lent bv Shep Brozman A Chinese myth recounts the story ot'Rsei Chao Lu-sheng), a m e—--stricken scholar, who, hearing 3 the emperor’s call for councillors, sets tor the capital. Stopping at an inn on the wav. Rosei falls asleep at the table and dreams. Accounts of the dream . —but Rosei understands it be a cautionary dream, warning of trie transitoriness of earthly possessions and accomplishments. This elegantly designed inro is made n the shape of a suzuribako, a box that .: :.ted stere letters and carry writing it-.p>.-r.er.t-. and its thematic subject, "r at of the s.tzqting Rosei, was —*r"-:d man-, rimes in inro and netsuke. ol. Chinese Woman at Loom * o-e inrt showing a Chinese ■■■ oman dressed in black robe and green trousers, seated in a •e <.yrd -.kin ar a loom, cutting ’tv- ..rap with a knife. A young ’t:r' r‘ dr< be attends beside i'.om. '2 Kan ai and Jugyoku w ith kakihan T*r; inlaid polychrome ironic ::'1Y..:‘r!'!.'-!'!'^-3ron1..on ia 1 ^'-d-hut" textured ground. . Lhmer, '|J,"nAd. '.vhih-y.nl, Lueqik-ryctR - d'j ; . J 7-: , P:’;A 2‘.^ : ”‘u ear-. :.,.f , 7 1 ";J- Pop el„in 62. The Death of Buddha ♦Four-case inro depicting the mourners attending the death of Buddha: sages, monks, pilgrims samurai, and animals including’ deer, elephant, dog, cat, white fox, birds, and on the reverse: rat, peacock, ram, snake, rooster, rabbit, boar, tortoise, crane, tiger, horse. Signed: Koma Koryu Lacquer; gold and polychrome togidashi on a smooth black ground. Dimensions: 3%x21/-t *Ojime: Bead, gold lacquer Lent by Shep Brozman Paintings representing the death of the historical Buddha, called Nehanno Buddha, or Buddha entering Nirvana, have existed in Japan for centuries. The delicately executed design on tni. inro follows the iconography established by the painting tra Stretched on his right side on a platform under a moonlit7^ figure of Shakyamum, the h. • a Buddha, is attended and mou host of figures: sages, monks, rennin (Buddhist ange )> , c]uding Animals have come as tvell. onC rhe animals of the zo 13 \-viduattd is rendered in specific, ■nd,vl 63. Raiden, *F3t1r-< ast-inrodepi,-t S sJrii1'’ IliimderGod1^'1 and hciidiii!!1’11' ‘(llllhi'|f'1,1,1’ hghteningwhu >. muniie pat daily reveal H|T' storm- Signed: Koma Koryu. Lacquer; gold hirame nashiji and polychrome togidashi against a deep red-brown ground. Dimensions: 2% X 2 Vs ♦Ojime: Round bead. Coral (?) Lent by Shep Brozman The Thunder God takes on the features of a demon, with a red body and clawed hands. When the Mongols attempted to invade Japan, they were repelled in the midst of a fierce storm, from which only three men escaped. The Japanese victory is often celebrated in inro and nersuke designs by representations showing Raiden in the clouds throwing lightening bolts at the invaders. 64. The Rokkasen (“The Six Poets”) ’Three-case inro depicting half-length portraits of the six famous poets of Japanese literature, three on each side, with raised chrysanthemum crest and pawlonia crest in the background. Signed: Koma Koryu. Lacquer; gold and silver iramakie on a black ground; crests in raised black lacquer jvhef, as if embossed, on smooth black ground. dimensions: 3%x2'A -1’me: Carved ivory. L^^y Shep Brozman fanuL, ka^‘n ilre the six most I hev .,J"’o Sk'panese literature, ^atih'i l'n"i1'denjo, Ariw. ra no Hlls| lr'\BunVn no Yasuhide, Risen "'"man i IU| "O Komaehi (the only Liii,,|U, j'.f 'L'Kr,,up), and Otomo no ' he six are frequently encountered as a group subject in many of the decorative arts. The Koma family of lacquer artists were court lacquerers for many generations, and the first Koma Koryu is known as a highly skilled lacquerer working from about 1764 to 1786. The sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum is the crest of the Emperor and the pawlonia crest is associated with the Empress; given the high quality of this inrS, it would not be surprising if it had been made for the imperial family. 65. Silhouetted Strollers ♦Four-case inro, showing a samurai and woman silhouetted in a night scene, looking up at a bat; the design continuing on the reverse, showing a woman with a baby on her back and holding a red lantern. A man smoking and three children in procession accompanying her. The moon is shown on top of the lid. Signed: Koma Koryu, with kakihan . Lacquer; black and red togictohi on a mura-nashiji ground. Dimensions: T s ♦Ojime: Bead of red stone ♦Netsuke: Noh theater mask. Negoro-lacquer. Cinnabar ten lacquer burnished to a black Lent bv the Center Art Gallerv, Bucknell University This is a delicate example of the effects of light possible in lacquenu rk. A night scene, it shows people of different ages silhouetted as thev about m the night am a woman holding a lantern partialis lights tm wawalouplepausetog^-'--- bat. The black figures gradually become visible against the dark background in much the same wav that figures at night gradually take shape as the pupils of the eve adjust to the surrounding dimness. The varying depths at which light is reflected in lacquer make subtle light effects such as these much more successful in lacquer than in painting or prints. It is clear that the artisans from a family as accomplished and established as the Koma lineage knew this and deliberately exploited these effects in their work. [Seejahss (1971), no. 228 for a three-case into of nearly identical design, signed by Koma Koryu.] Koma Yasuaki 66. Cats ♦Four-case inro, showing a cat scampering under a floral festoon; on the reverse, the design shows a cat crouching before a bamboo screen with another cat silhouetted on the screen. Signed: Koma Aasuaki Lacquer; cats in a high silver mkonwkie, other elements in gold and polychrome tukumukte. against a flat gold ground. Dimensions; 4 *Ojime: Bead with floral motifs. Tsuishu (carved red cinnabar' ♦Netsuke: Crouching cat holding mouse in mouth. L nsigned. Lent bv the Center Art Gallerv. Bucknell University �W. The Carrial'ge of Prince Genji ~ eSKts-iU T-Ga wAi-GALTT6 -CA-A rt-S. shewn throudi rx f-s x a xrsrr.. vr.Ke . ■ pseace ~rkes the scene into crrr.2. Ver :r.: the ricr..- . ::'-7-2-c---..— ,c.r. LA: sri Ariew :r. ceatrig r.:: sometimes shown with faces like mcmkevs or, as here, are made to look like wild human beings, with their long, straight hair. Here a Shojo is seen dressed in a richly decorated robe, leaning over a large wine jar and ~i~kin£ from a red lacquer cup. His patterned kimono shows patterns of reaves, of overlapping lappets, flowers and fence design. The additional inscription indicates that the design was copied from a ri—ere bv the well-known seventeenth centurv painter Kano lan'yu. ~£i:i.cftr.jrx^e □tf-yricstsm is Korin School 7--~ . .■ _r.d ... ...ira-’-.T :i..- .33 Koma umuhide 67. bhoju Drinking Sake ' •’";-ar-.--J . G'j-J c . ■ JN. I-;..., At: B -.j.,.. 68. Irises *Four<ase inro, showing iris plants in bloom Unsigned: Korin style. Meiji period. Lacquer; gold takamakie, with miaid abalone shell on a deep black ground. Dimensions: 37-.■•me: Round head. Coral-colored is or,’. . u.T uke: .Munju-shaped with ' r- thatching. Ivory with gold (inc j$C(j filled with gold.) j-' -enter Art Gallery, L’i! Ftlell University . J7' ir’r~: ',;'--<inb,.7;<n1pJ1inthe ’’'"••h.hilhrtmt, ^W’swria.;^ vy ■ R’v '.o’ 7':’,b.... r.-w, . , ’<■ own pupil RitXUOtfollow1edh^ndfe subject as well as technique. Characteristic of Ksrin-style design is the boldness of this pattern, the hioh contrast in level of the inlaid encrustation, and the use of relatively large pieces of abalone shell for the inlay material. The pattern of the relatively flat gold in the repeated clumps of iris leaves, and the sparkling, raised mosaic effects of the iris blossoms create a surface rhythm that is almost musical in its abstraction. The effect has been called impressionistic, and such designs indeed were to go on to influence European art of the late nineteenth century. Kozan 69. Painted Folding Fans ♦Four-case inro with curved corners, bearing on each M three folding fans op show a landscape p | Signed: Kozan, with pot - . , ' ' .... ' ■ • nuedand ' ^hi-n. hr|,v 70. Drum-gong on a Dragon-stand ♦Three-case inro showing two red cinnabar dragons encircling a drum set on a stand, the face of the drum bearing the mitsu-tomoe (triple comma) crest, and the dragons grasping the finial in the form of a green tama (sacred jewel) with flame aura. On the reverse: a white phoenix. Signed: Masanaga Lacquer; gold and cinnabar lacquer, with inlaid ivory and stones; different oki-hirame ground on each case, of gold, silver, copper, or mother-of-pearl. Dimensions: 3’A X 2‘A Ojime: Bead with Hannya mask (character of the evil hag in Noh theater), gold lacquer in takamakie. Netsuke: In the shape of a round-cornered box, showing a father, a cosmetic box and a rocade bag. Gold and polychrome L"Sti8»id.*-to'i'h nashiji groundDimensions: 3 A npillIo;' ♦Ojime: O1 topus nub" (p1’1 l,aP '~ |d,bO'' metal alloys: 1‘ > shakudo, asli'1’"11 ■ mu-ldl'1-' ..... i, 7'1'' ' 'L 1’nyinal ..we‘M-innngandlmquer • Masanaga Irises were a favorite subject of ..... Ryusai Zodhic e ^We*ve Animals of the *Si ■ of ti'Se inI°’ !>ho\ving the animals a|t ?^‘»G placed on siurt ' "’^Wartmenrs, hate 77tOp with ra,i snake’ anu ram: tk.-r Jr.,___ ...... and dog?; rooster and boar. On reverse, on alternating compartments, starting with second from top: monkey; spotted horse; ox. Top and bottom in gold swastikas. Signed: RyQsai, on bottom. Lacquer; gold hiramakie diaper patterns, animals in gold, silver and polychrome takamakie (imitating menuki, or hilt ornaments) Dimensions: 3'/s *Ojime: Four-cornered flat bead. Metal. *Netsuke: Box and lid cherry blossom motif. Lacquer on wood. Worn. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Ryushin 72. Insects ♦Four-case inro depicting various insects, including a stag beetie, dragonfly, lightning bugs, grasshoppers, lady bug and, on the verso, a praying mantis. Signed: Ryushin Lacquer; gold and silv er takamakie with polychrome lacquer on a bright gold nashiji ground. Dimensions: 3’/4X '4 ♦Ojime: Oblong bead with plum blossom design. Silver. ♦Netsuke: Muniu-form with design of grasshopper and fly Gold lacquer takamakie on a smooth gold ground. Shibayama School 73. Daikoku Watches Mice Hauling a Radish ♦Soya-inro (sheath into) with scene depicting Daikoku, seated with his mallet and bag, looking on while four mice dressed in coats pull on a rope, the design continuing on the reverse to show the rope tied around a white root vegetable, as three mice celebrate the proceedings. Signed: Shibavama Lacquer; inlaid ivory, abalone shell and other substances on a smooth kin-fundume (gold-powder) ground. Dimensions: 3x2’4 ♦No ojime or netsuke. Lent bv Shep Brorman One of the most popular ofthe Seven Household Gods of Japanese lore, Daikoku is the god of wealth and prosperity. His domain is the kitchen, where he guarantees a well-steciced pantn7. He is often shown wath his messengers, rats and mice. Since these household rodents eat toodstores, m particular, the staple rice, their representation in art senes as a constant reminder to watch or er one s storehouses and to husband onewealth. The jovial Daikoku is ofen shown with bales ofnce and a treasure baa. which contains the tucurumono. His other important attribute is he. mallet, whose strike is beaeved to bang b-f. and mallet, watching with The figures are all inlaid with stna.l �94. Gentoku, Kwanyu andChohi Zesnin mxmmxrUstmrs cr.c tits c: s.tm. seme c: r—' inched uimgecmemmrcttem?. > . TmeUnym - cs mrncpopmer rv ■- . <---- — m_m_’. memter . ;?mm rm.■azisxmSL-rczs erk r-mr.e r re mi m me eiezmate m its ae; mmm the enmustations mere - .r.-te.. im the cm. mg ~ me mmmmm- mem-c .res mmmg at an m .me maaaruried realism. 74. Raiden the Thunder God and Shcki rhe Demon-Queller *r m-7 mg. on one :.t;. me . .-.mrner God, Raiden, mm m m mm imm long in 3 —■ rm r.g his beeves up in ~;-=rr.-r. -anarm-wrestins n-n;.- :m a samurai. On the ’ i-U. th Time “‘ ■ ■ : ’. cl ir. 2 -2-“ cat. and a -rd- mUr). lir.g towar^ die hibiscus, prunus. etc.). Unsigned: Late Shibayama school style. Lacquer, inlaid bits of colorful shell and stone on a black and gold tcgiicsii: ground. Dimensions: 4: s X 3-/s ’Qjime: Round bead. White translucent stone. Lent bv Shep Brorman Constructed in the shape of an mem the oblong, lobed fan which was ccnsidaed an emblem of axhorr.; this inro is decorated in the nineteenth century style typical of the •tie ghftt- =ma school. In contrast to ir.i=v cf the Korin school (see No. - t . the encrustations used in this style are themselves incised or carved in mder te match as closely as possible me textures and shapes of the subjects resented. It. this piece, for example, earn leaf:s separately carved and is tntre the veining; feathers -n tne bodies of the birds are etched. Sira,ama Shinmin ’--h -mces x. a tttxxzr. b-g''-urd. ♦Ojsme.R'JU Let.tb'. -:.-r'r r-' - --“• ma! 75. Birds and Flow tn Among Hills and Streams ♦Three-.aseir---. 4aped iike an u-m-cfj-. - A.<•.t.s.-JW-edUhi, dec?-atedwitti > er.e ofbirds 'fi;.'tgi*Be,p -m, "*-< 7--'tdctl. am■mdpianr>tdar\.carrarlk.a. ■ 76. Daruma Stretching ’Four-case inrb, showing the monk Daruma stretching, inside a partial cin ular reserve; on rhe reverse, a fly whisk lying on the open pages of a Buddhist book • Signed: Shinmin, carved on un inlaid abalone reserve. La quer; inlaid bits of abalone •hell, i oral, and [xrlyi hrurne i .or; on a ■ mooth gold ground. Dimension ; Fl’Ojime Kuund b< ad with black q-irahng line on a brown ground, qutrr. ♦Netsuke: Manju-form with nine theater masks Unsigned. Carved gold, black, red lacquer. Lent by Sordoni Family Collection Daruma (or Bodhidharma) was a sixth century Buddhist adept, the twentieth-eighth patriarch of Buddhism, who was said to have introduced the Zen sect of Buddhism into China. The most famous legend about Daruma is of his nine years spent meditating in a cave, and both netsuke and inro artists found amusing ways to treat the subject. In the design of this inro, the sage is seen through a curved aperture, yawning and stretching, a particularly humanized and funny figure when contrasted with the austere portraits of the scowling Bodhidharma known from Zen painting. Shiomi Masanari 77. Fishing Boat and Mount Fuji *Four-case inro, showing a fishing boat with set net; on the reverse, Mount Fuji. Signature in seal-characters: Shiomi Masanari, on back among rushes. Lacquer; Boat in sumi-e (ink .. painting) togidashi, Mount Fuji in silver togidashi on a brilliant gold surface; nashiji interiors- Dimensions: FA *C Ijime: Pewtei colored l:W‘ll“r head ♦Netsuke: Manjti form 'vith. 1 1 birds in clouds; ivory with chikin l>oii (incised lines) filled with gold). z-,|i..rv, Lent by ihe ( enter Ar< '■ Buckn< .11 University Shiomi Masanari was a famous lacquer artist born in Kyoto in 1647. He learned lacquermaking under the Koma family, specializing in togidashi (see No. 51 for an explanation of the technique), and worked there until the early 1720’s. His followers maintained a level of high quality in their work throughout the eighteenth and into the nineteenth century, so it is difficult to assign any pieces with certainty to any individual in the lineage. This inro possesses the qualities associated with Masanari’s work: refinement of design, delicacy in execution and a brilliant transparency of color. The fishing boats and nets are rendered in an ink-black togidashi which imitates painting in the monochromatic painting tradition (sumi-e) and their asymmetrical placement on the inro is extremely well conceived. The subtlety Of the silver, hazy Mount Fuji accentuates all the more the lucidity of the gold ground. Shunshui 78. The General Kato Kiyomasa ’Five-case inro dipicting a samurai wrestler warrior with raised halberd leading a charge through a building in ruins with fallen beams, rubble and smoke, the design continuing on the reverse. Signed; Shunsui, inside top case Lacquer; gold and black I’i’umukie and tukanuikie with Polychrome highlights. .'^’’tensions: 4x2 I l"Vl"Ki>und bead. Corah '111 by Shep Brotman Military events from Japanese history are more commonly encountered on sword furnishings than on inro, so the subject of this inr~ along with its stunning condition make it doubly' unusual. The hero shown leading his warriors into a building in ruins is Kato Kiyomasa, a celebrated sixteenth century general, who gained fame for his role in directing under Hideyoshi the conquest of Korea in the 1590’s. He later served the Tokugawa shogun leyasu, but his impetuous, wild courage and ambition made him suspect to some, and he was later poisoned in a teahouse. In this scene, Kiyomasa is depicted probably in an episode during the Korean campaign. He is said to have possessed a helmet three feet high, and the ring-like crest on his breastplate identifies him easily. The design of this inro is also unusual in that it represents a continuous “wrap-around’ scene of an interior space: the fallen beams and posts, the smoke and dust of debris, hide and reveal the entering warriors, heightening the drama by the density of the space. Shunsui was known as a talented lacquer artist of the carlv nineteenth centurv. Somada School 79. Landscape ’Four-case narrow inro, showing a landscape with islands and distant mountains, continuing on the reverse. Geometric designs on the top and bottom. I 'nsigned: Somada school stvle. Lacquer; gold and mother-of-pearl inlav on a black ground. Dimensions: 4 4 *Ojime: Scored and lobed bead. Olive-colored lacquer. ♦Netsuke: Eggplants on a leaf. Unsigned. Wood. Lent by the Center Art Gallerv, Bucknell L niversitv The Somada family of lacquennakers continued a tradinor. which originated in China and which consisted of inh. ing thin fasts of indescent mother-of-pearl in designs on a dark, usually black, lacquer ground. Abalone shell, as well as other kinds of shell, was also used. The French term for this type of lacquerware is laqae bargutfe. Its popularity increased throughout the nineteenth century. Most pieces are unsigned, and the term Somada is non used as much to teler to the technique as the family or specific individuals who practiced it. Tbyo [Kanshosai] 80. Sparrows ’Four-case into, showing a pair of spotted sparrows among flowers; on the reverse, a large spider spinning its web. Signed: Toto Lacquer; polychrome n;U;-r...<c with inlaid abalone shell; copper and gold hiramakie, on a fine nashiji ground. Dimensions: V: *Ojime: Bead with design of pomegranate and leaves. Carved ivorv. ♦Netsuke: Sparrow.•_ Polychrome lacquer. Lent bv the Center Art Gallerv, Bucknell University >7 �r 99. River [_and «5hin ■ •>44 ■■ -oworked :r. me -7K's "a -?v. He - -j U tec.-miques. "epfecesinthe kuc-ccs-ne a w.de range ot trthaiK®. Tne fcst Tcve was raaoe a L hs patron Lera Hadusuka. me-r-a£ford':rA-v ct'Awa rr: “•5 ft p-r2s ard: rDwers r~z=d m st his name and his art r.zne. Karstass. Their -wrk is similar tc -rd maintams the high quarry ?: his pieces. 81. Crews in A Night Landscape "Fvcr-tas zr.tr. sr.:wipg a ■ settee unOer the moon on tU rrantr. z rrur.es tree, red floaers in iUzm; the design ’-t-rr-w-1 r. -r.e re:erse to sher. - it: - in fughtagamst right red ri-.-iz. L --nt.aA’-dgdd ■—■'r -' T: er mtzn. inlaid •-tit-f’eZa.;.- -/ '.J 7'-”r srd..or. g :L;'-' ■ <^d®gn. Z: 82. Crows and Wintry Trees *Five-c..$e into, showing crows perched on barren branches, amid red maple leaves. Signed: Kanshosai, in gold, with kakihan. Lacquer, sumf-e (ink painting) technique on flat rose-hued metallic gray ground. Dimensions: 3% *Ojime Oval bead with design of butterfly and flowers. *Netsuke: Kagamibuta with design of quail and flowers. Ivory and metal alloys. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University 83. Ichikawa Actor in a Shibaraku Role ’Tour-case rounded-corner mru, depicting a masked kabuki actor dressed in reddish-brown robes bearing crest of three concentric squares in gold, with Us sword thrust behind him. I r.e actor image overlaps another rectangle behind with geometric design. Signed: Kamhcsai '-^aer; actor image in gold an(J - j ,t :rome Ujgida-hi, against a ground; lapped q*Jar'f in im’aid gold and liver; U^nd?LJr,,;.,r, ground. .,Theficr«ton the actor’s sleeve I *Netsuke: Three monkeys. Signed Miwa. Wood. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University the shibaraku roIe-Tn ordTr'to^Jhe villain, the protagonist at a certain moment calls out "Shibaraku" (“Wait= moment!”). As the role provided an occasion for elaborate declamations and posturings, it became popular with the public, and was re-created many times by subsequent Ichikawa actors. The design of the actor’s pose is similar to that of Ichikawa Ebizo in a print dated to 1772 by Katsukawa Shunsho, and it is possible that the inro artist based his design loosely on that print. [See Stern (1972), no. 64, for an I8th century inro from the Greenfield collection, with a similar design by Koma Kyuhaku. The pose of the actor is identical, and the background roughly the same color, but the composition in the present piece frames the actor against a suzuribako-Iike box lid.] 85. Buddha Meditation/Benten Playing the Biwa *Three-case saya-inro (sheath into), with design of Buddha seated in meditation, visible through a circular window in the sheath; on the reverse, the female Immortal Benten playing the biwa (Japanese lute) seated on an elephant. Signed: Toju Lacquer; gold hiramakie, takamakie; gold, silver, and polychrome togidashi. Dimensions: 4 Ojime: Round bead with floral motifs on a light blue ground. 84. The Three Sake Tasters *Four-case inro, showing three sages representing Confucianism, Taoism and 01s,0nne enamel. (RiTm ■ ^',gure a harashishi Buddhist lion) with a drum. Lent hv^edLCarve^ ivory’ ent by Sordoni Family Collection Buddhism. On the reverse, landscape with retu.rnl-7® style fisherman in the pain g^ oftheMaruyama-bhiJos Signed: Kanshosai, with cinnabar red Ibju (pupil of Toyo) Zeshiim ‘^>Se‘he-Drmon'OueIler .... ... Signed: Zeshin, on bottom. Lacquer; silver fundame ground with dull matte finish; Shoki in gold hiramakie; demons in ink togidashi outline. Dimensions: 3'/i6 *Ojime: Scored oval bead. ^Netsuke: Demon squatting by washtub washing cloth. Unsigned. Wood. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University’ Shoki the Demon-Queller is the Japanese form of the Chinese Ch’ung-k’uei. The myths of his origins vary, but for lacquer and netsuke artists, Shoki’s most important function was in his charge to get rid of demons, or oni. In Zeshin’s finely wrought inro, an angry and intimidating Shoki is seen framed and lit by a large moon, while two demons scurry away in fright. Netsuke artists often played humorously with the theme, showing a demon getting the best of Shoki (see No. 20), but in Zeshin’s work, Shoki still has the upper hand. 87. Grasses *lbbacco-box shape inro, showing a design of grasses with a ceremonial Shinto image hung on a bamboo staff. Signed: Zeshin Lacquer; polychrome and gold takamakic, on a matte gray metallic ground. Dimensions: 2's *Ojime: Bead in form of a techniques ..... fleeinj, 3t stone. sho"’ two demons blossom motif; wood withgt lacquer and Jcingune (gold ti ■ Lent by the Center Art Gallery Bucknell University Shibata Zeshin (1807-1901) was one Ot the most gifted and innovative Japanese artists; he is known for his paintings and prints as well as his lacquer work. These two inro emplov some of the forms he was known for in lacquer, the tobacco-pouch shape, and the dark-gray olive-hued matte surface he achieves, known as “tea-dust green”. 88. Archer and Young Woman *Four-case into showing the scene of a young woman in a rose-colored kimono bowing and kneeling by a wattle fence-gate, offering a tray of flowers; the design continuing on the other side to show a huntsman-archer acknowledging her offering, in elaborate hunting dress of straw hat, animal skin, with sword, bow and quiver. Signed, but unread. Lacquer; gold and polychrome hiramakie, on a fine gold-powder ground. Dimensions: 4x 2’, s *Ojime: Round bead, gold lacquer. Lent by Shep Brotman 89. Buddhist Temple Bell ^Four-case inro in the shape of a Buddhist temple bell, with a double dragon-head handle, four rows of bosses on top and a scenes m rexcuv * . Jeer, demons in procession, monkey, demon pulling rope on �r = Zei1narrOWSS'rU8glin=in T a banner; Chinese archaic style ■mscripticns- .7.the texture of ^ie^heveril dull dark green patina. _ DiroenaoBsJ *No Nune. ‘Net-ukc; A s mythical seaside mature in a turtle s.ne.1. Unsigned. Wood with inlaid eves : ur: tangs. Silver-lined ttnctwrv in herd. Lent rr the Center Art Gallery, B_tkntll tniverhr.Tro:~.t. grist has succeeded •. nnir-'.ru - li._u-r thetexnne of cn sntan: bmnertrina. 9C. The Carriage of Prince Genji - .n-_ - ■ ingar •.r.Jthed nt th-tn_■ chariot ■ .- r-: endrit-Hr.:, under a pme tree, the design . t-’-T.-.n; tntrtreverse*’? tree. I- n-raVed. ^uer.goJdtaUnaLieona ■ ground with red undert .r>es. Dimer,.:,j H.a '-;: — 17/ vth •• ?; H £7 ; 91. Cockatoos in a Cage ’Four-case inro in the shape of a bird cage on a red-lacquer stand. On the bottom of the esse is a panel showing chrysanthemums on a nashiji ground. On the upper three cases and lid, the design gives the illusion of two cockatoos or parrots perched behind bars, one in silver, one in gold. Gold Finial ar top of cage. Unsigned. Lacquer: gold hiramakie on a deep smooth black ground, gold takamakie on the base on a njshijp ground. Hirame treatment ot perch and ground. Dimensions: 2%X PA ’Opine: Round Bead. Gold lacqi[tier. ’Netsuke: Peacock preening on a block. Carved ivory. Lent by Shep Brozman 92. Demonstration/sampler inro ’Nine-case inr?5, with each decorated in a different ci’jsonne-liye diaper pattern, and with each case interior executed in different styles. Unsigned. Lacquer; gold hiramakie and PjTjhrometwidu-.hi. Dimensions; 4x2 Ojime; Round bead. Red-< olored ivory, ^"^^-landsi ape inside ^,rn(-J by eight ’’D-j -ufdln rimting Srjmada-styJe, inlaid mother-of-pearl on black lacquer ground. Lent by Shep Brozman An inro such as this, with its virtuosic variety of diaper groundsand patterns, was probably made as a demonstration piece for the artisan to show to prospective patrons. The patron could commission his inro, choosing from the patterns shown, ot view the demonstration piece as a kind of credential, as a testimonial to the craftman’s skill. 93. The Foxes’ Wedding Procession *Four-case inro, showing a night scene with red torii gate amid pine trees, the design continuing on the reverse, showing a procession of silhouetted foxes, bearing a wedding palanquin, lanterns and banners. Signed, but unread. . Lacquer; togidashi and hiramakie in black, red and gold on a matte silver fundume ground. Dimensions: 3 3A .... ’Netsuke: Figure of a karoshi (Chinese lion) with ball. Unsigned. IvorytvithstmrungLent by the Center Art Gallery. - I I and in the foxes’ dream-like procession. 94. Gentoku, Kwanyu and Chohi *Three-case inro, the front showing imperial intendant Gentoku with his generals Kwanyu and Chohi taking the oath of brotherhood, enclosed in a circular reserve; on the reverse, a branch bearing two peaches, in circular reserve; on the top, a dragon in gold waves. Unsigned. Lacquer; gold, silver and polychrome takamakie, inlaid abalone shell and other substances, in black reserves, framed by a mottled red and black ground imitating the texture of tree bark. *pP™eils'ot4S: 3 Jjime: Bead with carved spirals. Coral, hetsuke: Flattened manju-form with design of flowers and leaves, with inset bronze filigree lid, held with a clear translucent stone. !si,,shu (carved red cinnabar) lacquer. Bucknell University and one of them, K"'13'3 trilll.llb-1‘,j (Th-.JUx Wedding). I'^iiight^1 Some of the ‘.UUieregH- ■ nightly uinxrpix ie ■l" ’ () n as in No. 65, but ■" u'“ the lonely isolaiion"11,1 Phce in m '-b*na assumed a special Chines.. >n fl?pular imagination of the u‘se. Wrilteti hv1?!tf,t' 7h,ree L-rngdoms, 1'hiiwJ |r .Urtecnth century aii.|orili ''pH’F on official documents ■lx.se ’ I n isavi' id retelling ot '" “I'l'tur ,i"V mid intrigues, ■itu| “r‘,lt“ that story is the fraternal bond between the three heroes, Gentoku, Kwanyu, and Chohi (Chinese names: Hsuan-te, or Lie Pei, Kuan-yu, and Chang-Fei). The latter’ two were commoners, each endowed with a native military intelligence; they became generals to Gentoku in his attempt to restore the country’ to Han rule. It is the values of fraternity and loyalty within military struggle that seems to interest later Japanese, for the scene of the three heroes taking the oath of brotherhood in the peach grove recurs in painting as well as in the decorative arts. Inside the circular reserve, Gentoku is seen behind his two generals with the winged cap of a noble or official; at the lower right, a red-skinned Kwanyu stroking his long pointed beard, and to the left, a blue-skinned Chohi with his short fan-like beard, holding the goblet with which the three make their vow. On the reverse in a circular reserve, a peacn peach sprig sprig oearuig bearing two fruits a^u^e5 to UIC the jJCciy.il peach 5grove setting -in which theLU 1 ---------heroes made their fraternal v ou es. i ne jewel-like inlay of the pictorial reserves contrasts with the rusticated red and black texture of the framing ground, made to resemble tree-bark; the material contrast is perhaps in some wav intended to underscore another contrast; the jewel-like endurance o the vow framed against the roug cr military values of struggle and conquest. 95. Illustration to “The Red Cliff .. *Three-case into, with t\\< reserve scenes, one showing scholars in a boat by a chtf. a crane in flight under the m<jn framed by a six pomt star diape pattern; on the reverse, a boat by cliffs under moon and clouds, framed by a swatiska/keyfret diaper pattern. Dragon on top, crosses and octagons on bottom. Wood carved in tsuishu style. Unsigned. Dimensions: 3% ’Ojime: Two hares on fret background. ivory. Signed Kozan. Wood. ’Netsuke: Theater mask. Signed Gyoku do. Wood. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University This inro is interesting because it is carved out of wood in the tsuishu style, which is normally executed in red cinnabar lacquer. Japanese lacquer artists learned tsuishu techniques directly from Chinese sources and examples. The production of carved red cinnabar lacquers in China goes back to the Ming dynasty. The theme, too, is Chinese and illustrates a famous prose-poem by the scholar Su Shih (SuTung-po, 1031-1101). A boat excursion the writer takes with friends to the place called Red Cliff becomes the occasion for a poetic meditation and reflection on the natural world. The scene ot scholarsmaKsatbyaclitt.watdffltga passing crane, became femwar and repeated m both Chinese and Japanese painting and decorative arts. 96. Lobster *Four-case inro, showing a dark lobster among water plants. L.KqmJrJdavkUr.U’uUeonred ground. One leguh1??^ • Dimensions: ? * ♦Ojime: Green bead. 41 �j Bibliography 99. River Landscape ’Four-case infO, showing lush river landscape, with pine and wisteria along banks, the design continuing on the “Netsuke: ran cancer. Ittene.. style. Polychrome wood. Lent bv the Center .Art Gailerv, Bucknell University 97. Mountain Landscape ’Large three-case inro. shewing a mountain landscape. the design rentinuing rn both sides. Unsigned. Lacquer: red-tened sur-.:-e •.nk-painringAcq-ter tegidasra -- srr..v-hrtse-huedmetafile grav ground. Dimen-: ons: ’C ;a-r.e: Bead in rbnn cf a tiger in c - i~» gr<_.-. e. Unsigned. Car.edor.-. ’N-iL.stand ;th Chinese .e landscape of sage and vrendar.t .vatdr.ng bird. Un--.gr.ed. : :ua- ‘ T"-"— .t.Juer. L-.-1 r: Center Art Gailerv. Buck tetris Lnivcr--. 98. Pilgrim ’F:-.e-<;.~eir.r~ ... . _-ga papjm with pack, staff, 5worj. 'ja bag nr ,<:-d. Unsigned. “fl'' ' i ‘ ■ reverse. Unsigned. Lacquer, gold hiramakie with on a glossy deep black ground. Small cracking on bottom. Dimensions: 3 s.’Qime: Figure cf Bodhidharma. Carved ivory. ’Netsuke: Fisherman in a kilt of dried leaves, with pole and basket, holding hand of woman •■•.-.th fan, an allusion to Ebisu and Benten, two of the Seven Household Gods. L nsigned. Carved ivory. Lent bv the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University ICO. Shojo and Sake Jar ’Two-case inr<5 in the shape of a flattened u ine jar with '.imukred dripped glaze; on one ■’.de, a long-haired Shojo sits leaning on a jar. Unsigned. Lacquer; gold, silver and idvchrome takamakie on a flat '4 J J ground. Dimension.; 3 ’No ojime. +-‘.er uke; MornotarGemerging ■' * d t-' h vith leav< 1. Gold, silver and ... . -n.ln- a for 4. 101. Sparrows Struggling in Flight *Three-case into, showing two sparrows struggling in flight; on the reverse, a sparrow in flight carrying a grass blade. Unsigned. Lacquer; black, brown, hiramakie with gold on a silver gray matte ground. Dimensions: 3 *Ojime: Round bead. Amber. ♦Netsuke: Quail and millet. Wood. Signed: Okatomom, in inlaid rectangular cartouche. Lent by the Center Art Gallery, Bucknell University Rover Martha. Catalogue of Japanese Lacquers. The Walters Art Gallery. Baltimore: the Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, 1970. ’Bushell, Raymond, adaptor. The Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi. Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1961. Bushell, Raymond, adaptor. The Wonderful World of Netsuke. Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1964. Davey, Neil K. Netsuke: A comprehensive study based on the M T. Hindson Collection. New York: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1974. Feddersen, Martin. Japanese Decorative Art. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1962. ’Jahss, Melvin; and Betty Jahss. Inro and Other Miniature Forms of Japanese Lacquer Art. Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1971. Rsyksmusciim. Rijkisprentenkabinet. The Age of Hanmobu. Early Japanese Prints c. 1/ 00-1 /80. Catalogue of the collection of Japanese prints, part 1. Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum, 1977. Stern, Harold P. The Magnificent Three: Lacquer, Netsuke and Tsuba. Selections from the Collections of Charles A. Greenfield. Neu %rk: Japan Society, Inc., 1972. Steuart, Susan. On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1984Wrangham, E. A. Inro: An exhibition of Japanese into from the collection of E. A. Wranghom. Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1972. ’Recommended for general introductions to the subjects given in the titles. Joly, Henri L. Legend in Japanese Art. London: John Lane and the Bodley Head, 1908. Reprinted (Rutland, Vt.) Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1967. Jonas, F. M. Netsuke. London and Kobe: Kegan Paul, Trench, Thibner and Company, 1928. Reprinted (Rutland, Vt.) Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1960. Kakudo, Yoshiko. Netsuke: Myth, and Nature in Miniature, an Francisco: The Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 1981. Lazarnick George. The Signature Book of Netsuke, Inro and ^ime Artists in Photographs. Honolulu: Reed Publishers, Rurin’^wV Louise. Netsuke: A Guide for Collectors. Jutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1965. Hi-rm ^ar^ala Teri- “Japanese Netsuke and Ojime from the K(u an Jae^ne Collection of the Newark &ulrterly 27:L 2 Museum" A Sprinkling of Gold: the Lacquer Box LKrcnkran;. Newark: The Newark *b:karjk A > from thJ'-t J' laPanese Lacquer. lOlW-1 AM Selection Metrn.. )■ '“r , Greenfield Collection. New York: The R.18Ue ^>l,tan Museum of Art. 1980. V\'"’ ‘5 history of Japanese Lacquer Work, ^'lifulir i\ ' Annie R. de Wasserman. Toronto and ■nversity of Toronto Press, 1976. 45 �20. Sleeping Sheki and Demon-Thief Signature unread 11. Tbacise Retracted in Shell L 7-EgSed ^‘•’topus I 44 13. Snail Signature unread 17. Exorcising Demons 11 1 O'Jll (probably loun, •" tivc 1X10-4 1) ��I____ _ 44. Aboriginal Man with Two Toads Signed: Chikusai, in inlaid rectangular cartouche 46. Japanese Child Dressed in Dutch Clothing Signed: Ibmomitsu (?) 4* �1000173447 WILKES COLLEGE LIBRARY g ■HMH �g ’ \ :' . V ■ ; ? g ■ 1SB ■ OS klkg �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 October 20 Japanese Art: Inro, Netsuke, and Okimono Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Okatomo Toyomasa Yukoku Kaigyokusai Naoaki Songetsu Kiyukatsu Chokuminsai Yoshimasa Ichiysuai Masatoshi Kincho Zemin Suketadu Tomochika Gyokuzan Issan Tomochika Mitsuhiro Homei Rantie Seiga Mitutoshi Masatami Chiusai Tomomitsu Masamitsu Masuyama Hasegawa Shigeyochi Jakasai Kajikawa Family KomaKansai Koma Koryu Koma Yasuhide Masanaga Ryushin Shinmin Korin School Shibayama School Shunshui Zeshin Toyo [Kanshosai] KoamiChoko Koma Kansai KomaKoryu Koma Yasuaki KomaYashihde Kozan Ryusai Shiomi Masanari Shunshui Somada School Toju Zeshira Emoretta Yang Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 October 20 - December 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource The miniature arts of Japan are on display in this exhibition dedicated to Netsuke, toggle ornaments; Inro, pill boxes; and Okimono, decorative objects. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/0c36d810f6b7862fa8525414ed8a4148.pdf 4986464ca2d57237330d4d7d464174a7 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 June 30 Gary Erbe: Magic Realist Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gary Erbe David L. Shirey Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 June 30 - August 4 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource Gary Erbe's paintings can be described as ethereal representations of magic realism. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/58304fe82507bded7dd2cccabf569602.pdf 96240476fba642525467ab78f8e7f732 PDF Text Text ���������������������������������� https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/42c6ed296966aeb48c314551ce90c2b8.pdf db296f754e2559016b56e63cf7b0ad86 PDF Text Text irlheNew ExpressiveLandscape I I-' I April 21 through May 19,1985 r r - rdoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College 50RD GA ND1351.6I S66N48 < il �! The New ExpressiveLandscape April 21 through May 19,1985 Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College t Exhibition selection and essay by William H. Sterling Exhibition organized by Judith H. O'Toole I 5 Funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. E.S. FARLEY LIBRARY WILKES UNIVERSITY WILKES-BARRE, FA 1 �Lenders to the EAibitton Introduction It is surprising how we so easily take landscape painting for granted considering that, in the context of the whole of art history, it is a relatively new concern of artists. Painting and sculpture began as a form of communication as much as a form of decoration. Until comparatively recent times, landscape elements were used in art only as a backdrop for the unfolding of human drama. Abstracted botanical motifs were used in Greek vase painting to set the scene for great battles and important historical or mythological moments. All throughout European art history’ landscape themes — mountains, trees, clouds — are the stage settings for historical and religious events. In fact, great artists such as Rubens would delegate the painting of background landscapes to their apprentices because it was not the important part of the picture. Even the great Dutch landscapists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were interested in recording specific geographical places rather than in responding to or interpreting the natural world. True, the seventeenth r c; /E5 2 century Frenchmen, Poussin and Lorraine, created huge, lush landscapes which dwarfed the figures of their central theme, but the great expanses were lifeless, idealized and sentimental. It was not until the nineteenth century that the evocative aspect of nature was explored by western artists on both sides of the Atlantic. It was then that an emphatic shift began and landscape was used to express internal rather than external phenomena — emotions, ideas, perceptions. William H. Sterling has recognized an important new movement in contemporary painting which concerns landscape. I am grateful to him for his careful selection of the artists represented here and for his insightful comments in the following essay. As always I am grateful to the artists and lenders involved in the exhibition and to the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts for its support. Judith H. O'Toole Director Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York Sharpe Gallery, New York Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York Mr. and Mrs. Sid Singer CDS Gallery, New York SoHo 20 Gallery, New York Berenice D'Vorzon Ann Taylor Fabric Workshop, New York and Philadelphia Edward Thorp Gallery', New York Ingber Gallery, New York Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery Kraushaar Galleries, New York Bette and Herman Ziegler Robert Miller Gallery, New York �:tion o easily take landscape painting at, in the context of the whole of new concern of arfcsrs. «gan as a form of s a form of decoration. Until s, landscape elements were used >r the unfolding of human al motifs were used tn Greek ne for great battles and thological moments. All listory landscape themes — - are the stage settings for nts. In fact, great artists such the painting of background tices because it w as not the re. dscapists of the seventeenth ■ere interested in recording s rather than in responding to world. True, the seventeenth century Frenchmen, Poussin and Lorraine, created huge, lush landscapes which dwarfed the figures of their central theme, but the great expanses were lifeless, idealized and sentimental. It was not until the nineteenth century that the evocative aspect of nature was ex-plcred by western artists on both sides of the Atlantic. It was then that an emphatic shift began and landscape was used to express internal rather than external phenomena — emotions, ideas, perceptions. William H. Sterling has recognized an important new movement in contemporary' painting which concerns landscape. I am grateful to him for his careful selection of the artists represented here and for his insightful comments in the following essay. As always I am grateful to the artists and lenders involved in the exhibition and to the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts for its support. Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York Sharpe Gallery, New York Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York Mr. and Mrs. Sid Singer CDS Gallery, New York SoHo 20 Gallery, New York Berenice D'Vorzon Ann Taylor Fabric Workshop, New York and Philadelphia Edward Thorp Gallery, New York Ingber Gallery, New York Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery, New York Kraushaar Galleries, New York Bette and Herman Ziegler Robert Miller Gallery, New York Judith H. O'Toole Director 3 �1. Gregory Amenoff Pre-jige (On Loop Road), 1983 Oil on canvas, 55 x 60 Collection Mr. and Mrs. Sid Singer 4 3- Louisa Chase Storm, 1982 Oil on canvas, 72 x 72 Collection Bette and Herman Ziegler �■ •r 5 �The New ExpressiveLandscape ■ ..zs ivc?: a visible renewal of : .—..'and inspiration, by - ■ •. <'.ssicc rather than ..re to capture some of the ■. and logistical parameters, ?. established American ■ landscape appears to be both the :of strongly evocative a-; assertively avant-garde, while —. dc—i styles. In all of them, : -1 vision and a profound .. . ~.ult only in the sense that there .? painters of landscape, and so : - - -a personal choices. IVc wish to : : artists, collectors, and :: for this exhibition. The ■ . -i the Pennsylvania Council •, "i st grateful. u !h:n nature." . ■ 1-1 <s-Barrenative rd the world of the ' ■ . . ast and often ddwww. <_*tim wm primarily a portraitist, but ■ ' ' toward : . -ri ■ •• ' ■ ’' ’ ’ ■ r ‘ - ’ '■ ■ : .: 'i kj, 1 ranz ’ ... ... ( ntury |al,.r e one of the leaders oi the New Ifork Khool of - r ’' ■ : ■ ■ ‘ ‘ ‘ J i.,';, f;.< of i-i,i<vd The point we are stressing is that few American painters of prominence have been uninspired, to some degree, by the landscape. In the nineteenth century, American painting was coming of age at the very time landscape w'as emerging as a preeminent theme in the Romantic movement (not only in the visual arts but in music and literature as well). Nature's vast repertory of dramatic, exotic, and mysterious images reflected the Romantic spirit in all its facets, from the spiritual to the sensual, the pastoral to the demonic. The Hudson River School, the Luminists, Allston, Cole, Homer, and Inness - almost every prominent name in the 19th century American art is profoundly linked to the landscape tradition. Toward the end of the century, the Realists and the Impressionists charted a new course toward more objective interpretations of the physical world, while the Romantic spirit veered into territory of a more deeply psychological kind, giving rise to the Symbolist and Expressionist movements. In Europe, painters such as Van Gogh and Gauguin, and in America Ryder and Eilshemius, announced this important shift which fed directly into the stream of twentieth century Modernism. Many forms of abstraction, in fact, arose out of landscape imagery. Kandinsky, Mondrian, and the Americans Arthur Dove and Georgia O'Keeffe, artists who created some of the first non-objective works in Modern art, had been primarily painters of landscape. The evocative and unpredictable aspects of nature have always made it an ideal foil for human feelings. In America during the twenties and thirties, painters as diverse as Marin, Hartley, Burchfield, and Hopper found their voice in the landscape. Whether we call them Expressionists, Surrealists, or something else, these artists openly shaft' an empathy with nature. In the fifties, many of the Gorky among them — drew much of their energy and inspiration from nature. Although we don't call them landscapists as such, these artists perpetuated America's long devotion to that spirit. The subsequent rise of Pop Art. Color Field Painting, Minimalism, Conceptualism, and other fashions marked a decided turn toward other concerns in the sixties and seventies. The only significant avant-garde movement -i-1- j — —j------ ->during • . .. ............................ associated with ilandscape that period belonged to the sculptors of Earthworks, who employed the actual (and sometimes inaccessible) landscape as their medium. Toward the end of the seventies, a new force appeared in the art world, bringing with it a context in which landscape could once again flourish. Usually called Neo-Expressionism, this force has become the pervasive fashion of the eighties, even as it revives many of the characteristics of earlv twentieth century art. * * * The foregoing overview of past American landscape painting is, of course, grossly simplified. The pluralistic character of contemporary art does not allow for easy generalizations, either. Individualism reigns healthily supreme in Modern art. Because landscape, as a subject, has different meanings and purposes for different artists, little homogeneity can be expected at the individual level. Nevertheless, the artists in this exhibition do have in common their basic historical circumstances, as painters working in America in the 1980's and as artists very much aware ot their artistic heritage. These are inescapable factors which, in various conscious and unconscious ways u'fluence their perceptions and attitudes. Certain fieiieralizations, then, may be extracted from the variety u hich confronts us. One thing immediately nt of typical pre-twentieth cen infrequency of panoramic v Most of the artists here foct a few rocks, a cluster of tree sharing an intimacy with th spirit of identity between ar work. As Louisa Chase rect storms, "During the proces — yet not lost. An amazing remaining totally conscious Landscape becomes virtt paintings, embodying emo which we can empathize. I work: I am trying to removt avoiding distancing tot sometimes impacting t undermine the natural and the viewed. I wan physical than looking, specific feelings in thei position in relation to t idea is to suck the view space, to other physics viewer back to themse are a body primarily. 1 alienation. In my work so I'm starting with th The mystery and potenc usually felt most strongly . a degree of removal from t necessarily a total transfer landscapists seen here ret: �I cpressive Landscape £ ■wt tew »n Mt the « rrn. -,jT7. -t - • - c>. . : . snj\-,r;v . -t-im •' ihcmt " .he T» n the arts but in □n >. turr «■ x*st rc’ix’r .mr . : eb 1 .-. „ -pint y -int he scr.-' .c th. «c TWHuds.' Rn'erScb v H >m« .-’w ’r.cwss — t :r tm . rtor Arftb-ncrtri he lanctM'^pv trac :■ - kt uWry theReafiats and the : a new ;. *r. : aacrrn tatiors .a the r ‘ ■ e the k _ " . • :am.-re-’ -pL MjAj^gjEiltand, pnaf’ntt ti ■»,< r-vr'.tx ~"d m.nrmrrits ir : ; •’.teras Gq0tand and tri vder er d fitohMM «wn-un.»-c tn& i-f.iit whkn led dbadh'wto ttor-stream ■ • . MayimataMtracon*. intact, arose kWMTf fiaaafcad'JLMrrnrin r~, *ndtiw -■'paCHtadfe. Yu Hl-' ~ Artnur thrtew«eu»si.o«-iwr a .>■»’ :• M .c.-r- an hid prwjfiir z ,ar»ds:ape B®^Hwi>®a,®andunp«*d»ctibk I r .■ ’ d»w» ---a- r ar- »*■«; i.■'{.t, -» > untan feeling • In—’-’' ar,dtturtw- puMwh, Hartlry *ut-:hf«rid *r»d H< ppe: i-cidth' r . . . ; WWlcrwcan them £ .pres-.e . ■ ■■, 'JttWiittofcriy «rt.£’-. 'h ’ ’’ i- , • (,,*, j-y14a»jv -.4*t :k\ among them — drew much of their energy and i nation from nature. Although we don't call them -,J-<apL-ts as such, these artists perpetuated America’s . ng devotion to that spirit. The subsequent rise of Pop Art, Color Field Painting, • nimalism, Conceptualism, and other fashions marked a j Jed turn toward other concerns in the sixties and \rnties. The only significant avant-garde movement .. «iated with landscape during that period belonged to wulptors of Earthworks, w'ho employed the actual rd sometimes inaccessible) landscape as their medium, .ard tiie end of the seventies, a new force appeared in art world, bringing with it a context in which landscape uld once again flourish. Usually called Neo-Expressionism, i- >rce has become the pervasive fashion of the eighties, n as it revives many of the characteristics of early s iitieth century' art. Tr ☆ it h- foregoing overview of past American landscape '.ting is, of course, grossly simplified. The pluralistic trader of contemporary art does not allow for easy ■ '■ ralrzations, either. Individualism reigns healthily -preme in Modern art. Because landscape, as a subject, o different meanings and purposes for different artists, ' - homogeneity can be expected at the individual level, tvertheles-i, the artists in this exhibition do have in ■' on their basic historical circumstances, as painters •Wk ng m America in the 1980’s and as artists very much ■ .! thi-ir artistic heritage. These are inescapable *' f b, in various conscious and unconscious ways, t .. p< r( options and attitudes. Certain ■gjrahzatjuns then, may be extracted from the variety ■ ■ i,ii ms us One thing immediately noticeable to anyone who thinks of typical pre-twentieth century landscapes is the infrequency of panoramic views in our present works. Most of the artists here focus on fragments of nature — a few rocks, a cluster of trees, or a bank of clouds — sharing an intimacy with those things. There is even a spirit of identity between artist and nature in much of this work. As Louisa Chase recorded while painting one of her storms, "During the process, 1 do become the storm — lost — yet not lost. An amazing feeling of losing myself yet remaining totally conscious."2 Landscape becomes virtually animate in many of these paintings, embodying emotional and physical forces with which we can empathize. Deborah Kass remarks of her work: I am trying to remove distance in my work. By avoiding distancing tools (like perspective) and sometimes impacting the space, I am seeking to undermine the natural separation between the viewer and the viewed. I want the experience to be more physical than looking. I want the viewer to have specific feelings in their body — to be aware of their position in relation to the activity in the painting. The idea is to suck the viewer into another subjective space, to other physical feelings in order to return the viewer back to themselves with an awareness that they are a body primarily. 1 have equated distance with alienation. In my work I’m trying to find a way back, so I'm starting with the body. I'he mystery and potency of nature expressed here are usually fell most strongly at close range. I hey also involve a degree of remot al from topographical reality, but not necessarily a total transformation. Many of the landscapists seen here retain a strong sense of place in f fi I ■ i ■ f �their works. As Berenice D'Vorzon says of her Louse Point" painting, "Very often my works refer to specific places . . . but it is a particular or an all pervasive experience that I respond to at these places." Ben Frank Moss describes the origin of "Silver Trees:" All of my work is based on a memory — a recollection of an impression. Although my mind holds very specific settings and visual material, I don t set about to illustrate what is already realized in my mind. Rather a work develops on its own terms. It's only after the completion of the work that I am reminded of someplace I've lived or traveled. The painting "Silver Trees" was so named because it reminded me of a grove of beautiful trees I remember visiting and being amazed by almost daily. These remarkable trees were on a grand scale with milky white trunks and leaves that were green on top and white on the under-side. When the wind blew the whole tree would become an atmosphere of light — like flickering silver. I didn't set out to paint this subject and the titled work at best is an echo of what I would like to believe was in part the source — the subconscious attachment to something that repeatedly moved me. In any case the painting was born in the studio miles away from those trees as well as years after we had left the beauty of that place by the Little Spokane River. Less tranquil phenomena of nature are also associated with the Expressive Landscape. Storm clouds and churning seas, for example, as already described by Louisa Chase and Deborah Kass, are spectacles which never fail to arouse awe or excitement. They are natural mirrors of human passions, which become kinesthetically alive through the painter's manipulation of pigment and color. 8 As a matter of purposeful selection, none of the paintings ..................................................................... . os black sun and Gregory Amenoff's organic apparition in this group contains a human figure (except one), but the exemplify this approach, of which Ernest Silva has written: artists are still palpably present through their vision and My recent works continue to represent landscape style. in a language indebted to abstraction. (They) refer to One of the few artists among the Expressive stages, inhabitable spaces, objects as props, and to Landscapists who deals with the traditional panoramic the viewer, as potential participant. All of the work view is Eve Ingalls, who has written of her work: present themselves as the balance of conflicting forces. Trees move in dance-like rhythm, blown by strong In this landscape the only set of coordinates that winds and driven by internal force. Logs lie scattered holds for me is a body-based one. I have always been in the landscape, remnants of wounds inflicted by intensely aware of the vertical center of my body as an some agent that is now absent. Fires burn in a feverish active orienting device. Marking off left from right, up infinite moment. Figures are called forth by our from down, front from back, it helps me to grasp the awareness of their absence or presence as the shadowy cardinal points and to transform space into place. witness to these scenes. The objects are, at once, This vertical has been projected onto the canvases, toy-like and malevolent. They invite playful appearing as the crack between the panels which examination, but lead to the conclusion that the divide each drawing. These strong verticals challenge moment is suspended in potential drama. and experience the strains, the tugs, the tears that the discontinuities of time and space force across the This drama becomes truly Surrealistic in the case of Cheryl surface of the canvas. Laemmle's "Red Spruce." She creates a veritable icon, I often feel that I am standing in the midst of a where the centered subject is protected from secular modern sublime, marked by a vast and unbounded ___by j_________ intrusion a real fence,;_________________ attached to the canvas like an landscape. This landscape almost overwhelms and, in altar rail. The virgin spruce stands in its own hortus so doing, works to stretch the mind and body beyond conclusus. But the bizarre incongruity of the child's wagon their normal capacity; It 'gives us courage to measure and the vaguely naif style in which the entire scene is cast —■’—' transport the picture from religious metaphor to ourselves.' psychological allusion. These words could almost have been written by some The exact relationship of the artist to nature is never Transcendental landscapist in the nineteenth century. clear. The one picture here with a human figure is Vera Only the emphasis upon the self fixes them in the moder11 Element's, but her figure is not in the landscape; it is era. outside of it, as we are. It is apart from it in space, yet a part For many painters in this exhibition, the Expressive °f it in substance and energy. For Klement, the apartness is Landscape is an imaginary one, where nature may be Poignant: transmuted into a set of symbols, coded images of My paintings always have two parts, a comfortable particularly affecting visual experiences. Elena Sisto s resolution between them avoided. The landscape is never alone, b . . . the landsci always generii fields. They hi unattainable, alienation froi relation to a f i; Generalizations from works prodi most prevalent st) austere geometric Minimalism. The Photorealism and positions in that c Minimalism a pre mechanical techn: In reaction to th present generatio and physically ag the term Neo-Expi images of figures severe geometries texture, and prim of the artist as cle; as diverse as Amt employ such tech a debt to Expressi DeKooning and C One thing whic and the present g generated by Pop neon and Chase': rain draw upon tl �’Vorzon says of her "Louse n my works refer to specific lar or an all pervasive experience aces." Ben Frank Moss ter Trees:" ed on a memory — ression. Although my mind ngs and visual material, I don't hat is already realized in my ivelops on its own terms. It's >n of the work that 1 am ! I've lived or traveled. Frees" was so named because it : of beautiful trees I remember ted by almost daily. These >n a grand scale with milky s that were green on top and e. When the wind blew the ne an atmosphere of light — idn't set out to paint this ork at best is an echo of what I as in part the source — the nt to something that repeatedly the painting was bom in the those trees as well as years auty of that place by the Little I of nature are also associated ape. Storm clouds and , as already described by Louisa re spectacles which never fail to They are natural mirrors of :ome kinesthetically alive aulation of pigment and color. As a matter of purposeful selection, none of the paintings in this group contains a human figure (except one), but the artists are still palpably present through their vision and stvle. One of the few artists among the Expressive Landscapists who deals with the traditional panoramic Hew is Eve Ingalls, who has written of her work: In this landscape the only set of coordinates that holds for me is a body-based one. I have always been intensely aware of the vertical center of my body as an active orienting device. Marking off left from right, up from down, front from back, it helps me to grasp the cardinal points and to transform space into place. This vertical has been projected onto the canvases, appearing as the crack between the panels which divide each drawing. These strong verticals challenge and experience the strains, the tugs, the tears that the discontinuities of time and space force across the surface of the canvas. I often feel that I am standing in the midst of a modem sublime, marked by a vast and unbounded landscape. This landscape almost overwhelms and, in so doing, works to stretch the mind and body beyond their normal capacity; It 'gives us courage to measure ourselves.' These words could almost have been written by some Transcendental landscapist in the nineteenth century. Only the emphasis upon the self fixes them in the moder era. For many painters in this exhibition, the Expressive Landscape is an imaginary one, where nature may be transmuted into a set of symbols, coded images of , particularly affecting visual experiences. Elena Sisto s black sun and Gregory Amenoff's organic apparition exemplify this approach, of which Ernest Silva has written: My recent works continue to represent landscape in a language indebted to abstraction. (They) refer to stages, inhabitable spaces, objects as props, and to the viewer, as potential participant. All of the work present themselves as the balance of conflicting forces. Trees move in dance-like rhythm, blown by strong winds and driven by internal force. Logs lie scattered in the landscape, remnants of wounds inflicted by some agent that is now absent. Fires burn in a feverish infinite moment. Figures are called forth by our awareness of their absence or presence as the shadowy witness to these scenes. The objects are, at once, toy-like and malevolent. They invite playful examination, but lead to the conclusion that the moment is suspended in potential drama. This drama becomes truly Surrealistic in the case of Cheryl Laemmle's "Red Spruce." She creates a veritable icon, where the centered subject is protected from secular intrusion by a real fence, attached to the canvas like an altar rail. The virgin spruce stands in its own hortus conclusus. But the bizarre incongruity of the child s wagon and the vaguely naif style in which the entire scene is cast transport the picture from religious metaphor to psychological allusion. The exact relationship of the artist to nature is never dear. The one picture here with a human figure is Vera Ament's, but her figure is not in the landscape; it is outside of it, as we are. It is apart from it in space, yet a par 0 it in substance and energy. For Klement, the apartness is Poignant: My paintings always have two parts, a comfortable resolution between them avoided. The landscape is never alone, but in relation always to another object . . . the landscapes can provide many roles. They are always generic, not specific places. They are usually fields. They have to do with the distant, the unattainable, the longing for the unattainable, and the alienation from the longed-for place. When it is in relation to a figure, it refers also to Expulsion. ☆ * ☆ Generalizations about artistic style may also be drawn from works produced in a particular era. In the 1970's, the most prevalent style among progressive artists was that austere geometric mode called, in its most extreme forms, Minimalism. The seemingly very divergent movements of Photorealism and Conceptualism also held strong positions in that decade; nevertheless, they shared with Minimalism a preference for cool detachment and almost mechanical technique. In reaction to those ascetic qualities, many artists of the present generation have turned to more hotly emotional and physically aggressive manners (now collected under the term Neo-Expressionism). Brashly painted or sculpted images of figures and places have succeeded those clean, severe geometries of the last decade. Garish color, clotted texture, and primitive drawing reveal the emotional pulse of the artist as clearly as they do his energetic hand. Artists as diverse as Amenoff, Campbell, and Steir variously employ such techniques in their individual ways, but with a debt to Expressionist forebears like Hartley and Marin, or DeKooning and Guston. One thing which has interceded between those masters and the present generation is the "vulgar" aesthetic first generated by Pop Art. Silva's "cartoon" trees outlined in neon and Chase's "comic book" clouds spitting day-glo rain draw upon the images projected in mass media as 9 I - ■ •- �much as they do upon earlier art. Perhaps the most extreme use of Pop Culture aesthetics appears in Jedd Caret's "Properties", where a deliberately amateurish technique has been manipulated into a perversely evocative image. The more austere values cherished in the seventies have not been entirely abandoned in our decade, however. Almost Minimalist simplicity remains a significant factor in the contemplative works of Warren Rohrer and Ann Taylor. Rohrer says that his abstract paintings are deeply indebted to the landscape response in their concerns for matters of air, light, and space. Certainly the processes of my work over the last ten to twelve years have paralleled the various processes that relate to the land, its appearance, how it is worked, seasonal changes, and most of all are responses to that glow of the landscape which is so often hard to believe. My paintings have to do with hard, meticulous work, are nurtured by patience and accompanied by risk. In the work of the last several years the painting usually begins when a color idea is triggered by an experience — it could be as simple as placing a color in a blank. space or naming the color of a day. The painting germinates from that seed through layered shifts of color in its attempt to arrive at some altered state, a metaphor for that original bloom. No profuse or agitated style could satisfy this spirit. Geometry also persists. Rohrer's canvases are square. Taylor works on cylinders. Her rectalinear planes, like Sylvia Plimack Mangold's rectangular overlays, sufficient unto themselves for artists in the seventies, now act as rationalist foils to indeterminate nature. Eve Ingalls on the other hand, has retained something of a Photorealist's cool 10 and precise technique to express a similar dichotomy. But whether the style is cool or hot, precisionist or raw, the Expressive Landscape is invariably about a person's relationship with nature. ☆ ☆ ☆ Why has landscape returned as a force in contemporary art? A few years ago, some critics pronounced painting dead, in the belief that the medium had run its full course. Certainly landscape had been put through every conceivable permutation, or so it seemed. The easy answer to our query is that history circles upon itself. The human need for change and the equally human bent for nostalgia eventually uproot those interred styles and find new life in them. But more specific and contemporary motives may also be involved. It is often suggested that as man poisons and desecrates his natural environment to an unprecedented degree, the artist has been moved to portray it out of fear for its survival. This must certainly be true for some, especially those who adopt realistic and idealistic styles. But for the Expressive Landscapists, the fear may be for their own survival, not so much physically as psychologically and humanistically. It may be that they once again seek salvation in nature. William Sterling Qiairman, Department of Art Notes 1. Julien Levy, Arshile Gorky, New York, 1968, p.30. 2. The words of Louisa Chase and Eve Ingalls are drawn from exM’' catalogues produced by the Robert Miller Gallen- and Unn«’“ . Bridgeport, respectively. We are indebted to the other artists qu here for their remarks. s- Deborah Ka Stormy Weather, 1984 Oil on canvas. 70 x 100 Courtesy Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York �n earlier art. Perhaps the most ulture aesthetics appears in Jedd where a deliberately amateurish lanipulated into a perversely alues cherished in the seventies have idoned in our decade, however, nplicitv remains a significant factor in rks of Warren Rohrer and Ann Taylor, bstract paintings bted to the landscape response m matters of air, light, and space, resses of my work over the last ten to ! paralleled the various processes that its appearance,, how it is worked, , and most of all are responses to that tape which is sc often hard to ive to do with hard, meticulous d by patience and accompanied bv if the last several years the painting len a color idea is triggered bv an iuld be as simple as placing a color in anting the color of a day. The tes from that seed through layered :s attempt to arrive at some altered for that original bloom. 1 style could satisfy this spirit, ists. Rohrer's canvases are square, ders. Her rectalinear planes, like aid's rectangular overlays, sufficient rtists in the seventies, now act as terminate nature. Eve Ingalls, on the ied something of a Photorealist's cool $ 5 1 and precise technique to express a similar dichotomy. But whether the style is cool or hot, precisionist or raw, the Expressive Landscape is invariably about a person's relationship with nature. ! 1 ’ATiv has landscape returned as a force in contemporary art? A few years ago, some critics pronounced painting dead, in the belief that the medium had run its full course. Certainly landscape had been put through every conceivable permutation, or so it seemed. The easy answer to our query is that history circles upon itself. The human need for change and the equally' human bent for nostalgia eventually uproot those interred styles and find new life in them. But mere specific and contemporary motives may also be involved. It is often suggested that as man poisons and desecrates his natural environment to an unprecedented degree, the artist has been moved to portray it out of fear for its survival. This must certainly be true for some, especially those who adopt realistic and idealistic styles. But for the Expressive Landscapists, the fear may be for their own survival, not so much physically as psychologically and humanistically. It may be that they once again seek salvation in nature. William Sterling CJiairman, Department of Art Notes 1- Julien Levy, Arshile Gorky. New York, 1968, p.30. n The v.ords of Louisa Chase and Eve Ingalls are drawn from ex 1 oj catalogue! produced by the Robert Miller Gallery and Univy'5 Y , undgeport, respectively. We are indebted to the other artists q for their remarks. s ■■ e I fg ; 'i s- Deborah Kass Stormy Weather, 1984 Oil on canvas, 70 x 100 tourtesy Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York I 11 - �Checklist of the Exhibition All dimensions in inches unless otherwise noted. Height precedes width. ■ 1. Gregory Amenoff Presage (On Loop Road), 1983 Oil on canvas, 55 x 60 Collection Mr. and Mrs. Sid Singer 2. Gretna Campbell Arbor in Snow, 1984 Oil on canvas, 45 x 56 Courtesy Ingber Gallery, New York 3. Louisa Chase Storm, 1982 Oil on canvas, 72 x 72 Collection Bette and Herman Ziegler 4. Berenice D'Vorzon Louse Point Low, 1984 Watercolor, 22 x 30 Courtesy of the artist 7. Eve Ingalls Moving Through, 1984 Ink, graphite, acrylic on canvas, 80x60 Courtesy SoHo 20 Gallery, New York 8. Deborah Kass Stormy Weather, 1984 Oil on canvas, 70 x 100 Courtesy Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York 9. Vera Klement Far Away, 1983 Encaustic on canvas, 503/4 x 98 */z Courtesy CDS Gallery, New' York 10. Cheryl Laemmle Red Spruce, 1984 Oil, 84 x 56 Courtesy Sharpe Gallery, New York 5. Jedd Garet Properties, 1982 Acrylic on canvas, 5492 x 54x/z Courtesy Robert Miller Gallery, New York 11. Sylvia Piemack Mangold June 2,1984,1984 Pastel on paper, 19V2x30 CourtesyBrooke Alexander, Inc., 6. April Gomik Trees in a Storm, 1982 Oil on canvas, 60 x T2 Courtesy Edward Thorp Gallery New York 12. Ben Frank Moss Silver Trees, 1983 Oil on paper, 335/s x 273/.i V, 12 ?“XKl“shaa'G*ries- 13. Warren Rohrer Recollection, 1983 Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 Courtesy of CDS Gallery, New York 14. Ernest Silva Beneath Fiery Clouds, 1982 Oil on canvas, 48 x 60 Courtesy Vandenvoude Tananbaum Gallery, New York 15. Elena Sisto Landscape in a High Place, 1984 Oil on wood, diptych, 28 x 48 Courtesy Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery, New York 16. Pat Steir Calligraphy Screen, 1983 Silkscreen on linen mounted in wooden frame, 63 x 80 x 191 Courtesy Fabric Workshop, New York 17. Ann Taylor Boundless, 1984 Oil on canvas, 70 x 15 (diameter Courtesy of the artist 18. David True Cross China, 1983 Oil on canvas, 78 x 108 Courtesy Edward Thorp Galled New York 2- Gretna Campbell Arbor in Snow. 1984 Oil on canvas, 45 x 56 Courtesy Ingber Gallery, New York �• the Exhibition rwise noted. Height precedes width. 7. Eve Ingalls Moving Through, 1984 Ink. graphite, acry lic on canvas, 80x60 Conrtesv SoHo 20 Gallen', New York 8. Deborah Kass Stormy Weather, 1984 Oil on canvas, 70 x 100 Courtesy Baskerville Watson Gallery, New York 9. VeraKlement Far Au.au, 1983 Encaustic on canvas, 503i< x 981/2 Courtesy CDS Gallery, New York 10. Cheryl Laemmle Red Spruce, 1984 Oil, 84x56 Courtesy Sharpe Gallery', New York 11. Sylvia Piemack .Mangold lune 2,1984,1984 Pasteion paper, 19'wx30 Courtesy Brooke Alexander, Inc New York 12. Ben Frank Moss Silver Trees, 1983 Oil on paper, 33s,'6 x 273i4 Courtesy Kraushaar Galleries, New York 13. Warren Rohrer Recollection, 1983 Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 Courtesy of CDS Gallery, New York 14. Ernest Silva Beneath Fiery Clouds, 1982 Oil on canvas, 48 x 60 Courtesy Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery, New York 15. Elena Sisto Landscape in a High Place, 1984 Oil on wood, diptych, 28 x 48 Courtesy Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery, New York 16. Pat Steir Calligraphy Screen, 1983 Silkscreen on linen mounted in wooden frame, 63 x 80 x 191 Courtesy Fabric Workshop, New York 17. Ann Taylor Boundless, 1984 > OU on canvas, 70 x 15 (diameter; Courtesy of the artist 18. David True Cross China, 1983 Oil on canvas, 78 x 108 GalleryCourtesy Edward Thorp New York 2 Gretna Campbell Mor in Snow, 1984 Oil on canvas, 45 x 56 Courtesy Ingber Gallery, New York ��I 12 Ben Frank Moss Silver Trees, 1983 Oil on paper, 33^/hz 27 Courtesy Kraushaar Galleries, New York ■ 15 I �Caret Properties, 1982 Vni,conCanvas 5412 x 541, OUrtes.v Robert Miller Gallerj-, New V'rk �■ *} t -4; t ui-v.is, 54*7, X r>4’/? "■- , i’’> •.-. rt Milk j f I k-w York 17 i? ��id 'ry. New York April Gomik Trees in a Storm, 1982 Oil on canvas, 60x72 Courtesy Edward Thorp Gallery, New York 19 �Eve Ingalls Mown? Through. 1984 Ini graphite. acrylic on canvas, 80x60 C ourtesy Sol Io 20 Gallery. New York 10. Cheryl Laemmle /'• J Spruce. 1984 Oil, 84 x 56 Courtesy Sharpe Callery, ” llllllllllll IHllIlllllilHIlHilHilllilHIHIIili! �- _ - 10. Cheryl Laemmle Red Spruce, 1984 7. Eve Ingalls Moving Through. 1984 Ink, graphite, acrylic on canvas, 80 x 60 Courtesy SoHo 20 Gallery, New York Oil, 84x56 Courtesy Sharpe Gallery; New York niiiiiiiiiiiiiiimHhmimimiiimmmmmr ■ 21 �4 11. Sylvia Piemack Mangold June 2, 1984,1984 Pastel on paper, 1992 x 30 Courtesy Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York !-■» Elena Sisto Lt nd- cape in a High Place, 1984 Oil on wood, diptych, 28 x 48 Courtesy Vandcrwoude Tananbaurn Gallery, New York �23 �t“l fJavid True 'f'1 '.kina, 1983 Chhin can>a ,, 7k x V/k e '> Edward fhorp Galil:ry, "h-w York �IS David True C\x>- CAn.’j. 1983 Oil on canvas, 78 x 108 Courtesy Edward Thorp Gallery, NW York ��I 17. Ann Taylor Boundless, 1984 Oil on canvas, 70 x 15 (diameter) Courtesy of the artist me. Mx 89 k bl 'I •1 �SordoniArt Gallery Advisory Commission,1984-85 Andrew J. Sordoni, HI, Chairman Judith H. O'Toole, Director Christopher N. Breiseth, Ph.D. Deane Berger Richard E Charles Aleta Connell Sordoni Art Gallery Wilkes College 150 South River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 (717)8244651, Ext. 388 Lou Conyngham Yvonne Eckman Charles Flack Gerald E. Hartdagen, Ph.D. Oscar Jones Charlotte Lord, Ph.D. Marilyn Maslow Arnold Rifkin Jill Evans Saporito Judith Schall Helen Farr Sloan William H. Sterling, Ph.D. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 April 21 The New Expressive Landscape Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gregory Amenoff Greta Campell Louisa Chase Bernece D'Vorzon Jedd Garet April Gornik Eve Ingalls Deborah Kass Vera Klement Cheryl Laemmle Sylvia Plemack Mangold Ben Frank Moss Warren Rohser Earnest Silvia Elena Sisto Pat Stein Ann Taylor David Tress William Sterling Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 April 21 - May 19 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource New Expressive Landscapes is an homage to the new landscape painters of our time. Featured in this exhibition includes thrunderous portrayals of mountainscapes, vivacious sunsets, and other incredible depictions of the land. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/909767f9477a215eabe9681e405563ff.pdf 4ef7dad72f4d43c8166e25f5d1901915 PDF Text Text ���� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 January 13 Wilkes College Arts Faculty Exhibition Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mark Cohen Dennis Deane Bernice D'Vorzon Richard A. Fuller Herbert B. Simon William H. Sterling Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 January 13 - February 3 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource The 1985 Wilkes College Art Faculty Exhibition included artists the like of Mark Cohen, Richard A. Fuller, and William H. Sterling. This exhibition spanned across multiple mediums including painting and sculpture Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/9cbf6327527ddf51fb0ba738c00e5a57.pdf 42e1770a97db4ef1d8a09367477bea8e PDF Text Text ����� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1985 Theodore Earl Butler: Emergence from Monet's Shadow Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Theodore Earl Butler Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource Following in the footsteps of artists like Monet, Theodore Earl Butler made his name as an impressionist and post-impressionist painter. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived R.H. Love Galleriies, Inc. https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/844bfe6590c17c9f22f4839aeadb6163.pdf 663f3644b0e787996329c5fad9bbba57 PDF Text Text ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 August 26 A Survey of American Art 1815-1980 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rembrant Paule Jacob Eichholtz Gilbert Stuart Robert Solomon Thomas Hinckley William Sonntag Max Weber John Singer Sargent Fredrick Carl Frieseke Kaniyoshi Marsden Hatley LeonKelly konrad Cramer OscarBluemner Paul Cadmess PhilipEvergood Aurthor Dove Francis Speight Thomas Hast Benton Waldo Peirce Milton Avery Lennart Anderson John Koch David Levine Hobson Pittman Moses Sayer Jerome Paul Witkin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 August 26 - September 23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource This survey on American Art spans from 1815 to 1980. It includes some pieces from movements such as Dada, Abstract Expressionism, and Modernism. It is on loan from the Pennsylvania State University's Museum of Art. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/f416f2099b5dcd9b73e84eef712f42b1.pdf d946c5978b7ea68fdabab93619d9df6f PDF Text Text ���� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 June 24 Two from Wilkes-Barre Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource John Ramsey Betsy Fulton Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 June 24 - July 22 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource John Ramsey and Betsy Fulton are both Wilkes-Barre natives whose contributions to the art world are immense in and of themselves. Ramsey, a painter, and Fulton, a printmaker have affected their collective fields vastly. Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/204db4699cc0ff9845135368cb05cc08.pdf 462c849a978c4e60a60055def926b3c6 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 April 15 Simca and Parasol: Two Presses/Two Processes Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource William Baily Me lBochner Ralph Humphrey Barry LeVa Sol LeWitt Robert Mangold BriceMarden Susan Rothenbery Robert Ryman Julian Schnabel Jennifer Bartlett Mel Bochner Johnathan Borofsky JasperJohns Alex Katz Mark Lancaster Brice Marden Robert Markowitz Elizabeth Marray Larry Rivers Joel Shapiro Lizbeth Marano Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 April 15 - May 13 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/7a95612ca718db0c2cbe3b549d83cb9f.pdf ea996c82b4291475a792397e107133be PDF Text Text A Lfj BOB HAGGARD PAINTINGS Sordoni Art Gallery Wilkes College SORD GA ND237 H185A4 1984 �Bob Haggart: Paintings Sordoni Art Gallery Wilkes College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania March 11 through April 8, 1984 Front Cover Photo: Days of Wine and Roses, 1983 Oil on board 12 x 16 Copyright © 1984 Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College All rights reserved. i �IntrodJ Others who have lent their assistance to this program are: Jerome Campbell, Bob Wilber, Al Groh, and my father, Chadwick Hansen, who first explained “The Big Moise from Winnetka.” To the artist, Bob Haggart, and to his wife, Windy, we extend our gratitude for their enthusiastic help in organizing this exhibition. A great love is felt by these two people for all manifestations of the fine arts. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Sordoni III have expressed their own love for music and painting through commitment and support for this exhibition, for which we are also grateful. Judith H. Toole Director 2 The invitation to Bob Haggart for a Celebration of his Music and Art comes as a result of two happy circumstances. First, the artist is a world-class musician and accomplished painter; and, secondly, Wilkes College is dedicated, in spirit and facility, to presenting worthwhile, cultural experiences to its students and to the community at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts and at the Sordoni Art Gallery. In one major artist, then, and at one location in Wilkes-Barre, Bob Haggart and the administration of Wilkes College through both its Department of Music. Jerome Campbell, Chairman; and the Sordoni Art Gallery, Judith O'Toole, Director, could come together in a balanced program of music and art. From his own comments, students and community alike will learn 3 �Introduction assistance to this program /ilber, Al Groh, and my 5 first explained “The Big Judith H. Toole Director The invitation to Bob Haggart for a Celebration of his Music and Art comes as a result of two happy circumstances. First, the artist is a world-class musician and accomplished painter; and, secondly, Wilkes College is dedicated, in spirit and facility, to presenting worthwhile, cultural experiences to its students and to the community at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts and at the Sordoni Art Gallery. In one major artist, then, and at one location in Wilkes-Barre, Bob Haggart and the administration of Wilkes College through both its Department of Music, Jerome Campbell, Chairman; and the Sordoni Art Gallery, Judith O'Toole, Director, could come together in a balanced program of music and art. From his own comments, students and community alike will learn that Haggart uses the same creative impulses and sensitivities in creating arrangements, compositions and paintings. Through direct experiences, listeners and viewers can form their personal impressions of the message that is contained in each and every Haggart expression. We are pleased to present this major talent in his sixth decade as a performer and to know that the college and the community will enjoy his music, his paintings and his friendship. Andrew J. Sordoni III Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyluania February, 1984 3 �The Music and Paintiil Recently, I visited the home of a friend who owns one of my early paintings. When I saw the painting, I got the same kick that I get when I hear one of my early arrangements. When the Sarasota Jazz Festival asked me to bring some of my paintings to exhibit, my first reaction was to show things along musical lines. I have many small still life pictures which do suggest music to me. My initial thought was to show this relationship by using song titles to describe the paintings. This idea seemed to be provocative and often amusing and added another dimension to the still-life subjects which often have a very calming effect on the viewer. Sometime the titles get a laugh, which isn’t all bad. Bob Haggart To me, there is a definite parallel between composing a piece of music and painting a still life. The play of light in figurative art is very similar to the play of counterpoint in music. As one attempts to create these effects of light and shade, music and painting seem to go hand in hand. In forming a still life, or in orchestrating a beautiful piece of music, there is an identical search for good balance, color, form, and space. The end results seem to have a similarity as well. The finished painting will acquire a life of its own, living on, hopefully, to give pleasure to the viewer. The written arrangement or newly composed melody will lie dormant until it is performed by a group of musicians. Only in performance can it spring to life, bringing excitement and joy to the listener. Whether putting notes on a sheet of score paper, or daubing a loaded brush on a canvas, its the same trip! At the turn of the century there was a great discussion among creative people about the inter­ relationship of all the arts. Struggling to break free from the bonds of representation, painters and sculptors looked with envy to their counterparts in music. Here was a medium totally free from the concrete world of the object. The inherently abstract quality of a musical composition created a parallel to the world of reality rather than a dependency on that world, as in the visual arts, for images with which to convey their meaning. The Russian modernist, Wassily Kandinsky, wrote about the link between music, literature, and the visual arts in his book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. As a child, Kandinsky had been equally fascinated by painting and by music. He used musical terms such as melodic and symphonic to describe his own paintings, which he hoped would, like music, speak to the soul of a subject rather than simply describe the outer image. Similarly, Bob Haggart found himself torn between his two great loves, painting and music, when he had to choose a career, A student under Kimon Nicolaides at the Art Student’s League since high school, Haggart nevertheless chose jazz. This decision was prompted by his first gainful employment as a bass player for a band touring the Bahamas.1 Haggart never abandoned his painting, however, and throughout a busy and prominent career in music he has still devoted many hours to his other passion. Haggart joined the Bob Crosby Big Band, led by a brother of Bing Crosby, in 1935 and was a member of the smaller inner circle called the Bobcats. It was during breaks in their program that Haggart began to compose on the piano. His first composition was later recorded by Bing Crosby under the title of "What s 5 4 �The Music and Paintings of Bob Haggart iend who owns one e painting, I got one of my early sked me to bring first reaction was have many small lusic to me. My ionship by using This idea seemed I and added another nich often have a ametime the titles laggart At the turn of the century there was a great discussion among creative people about the inter­ relationship of all the arts. Struggling to break free from the bonds of representation, painters and sculptors looked with envy to their counterparts in music. Here was a medium totally free from the concrete world of the object. The inherently abstract quality of a musical composition created a parallel to the world of reality rather than a dependency on that world, as in the visual arts, for images with which to convey their meaning. The Russian modernist, Wassily Kandinsky, wrote about the link between music, literature, and the visual arts in his book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. As a child, Kandinsky had been equally fascinated by painting and by music. He used musical terms such as melodic and symphonic to describe his own paintings, which he hoped would, like music, speak to the soul of a subject rather than simply describe the outer image. Similarly, Bob Haggart found himself torn between his two great loves, painting and music, when he had to choose a career. A student under Kimon Nicolaides at the Art Student’s League since high school, Haggart nevertheless chose jazz. This decision was prompted by his first gainful employment as a bass player for a band touring the Bahamas.1 Haggart never abandoned his painting, however, and throughout a busy and prominent career in music he has still devoted many hours to his other passion. Haggart joined the Bob Crosby Big Band, led by a brother of Bing Crosby, in 1935 and was a member of the smaller inner circle called the Bobcats. It was during breaks in their program that Haggart began to compose on the piano. His first composition was later recorded by Bing Crosby under the title of “What s New? and has since become a hit song for Linda Ronstadt. Haggart is perhaps best known for his “Big Noise From Winnetka" in which he whistles and picks the strings of his bass while a drummer plays on the strings. Another of Haggart’s originals is the wellknown "South Rampart Street Parade." Haggart has worked with many famous singers including Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. In 1968 Haggart and trumpeter Yank Lawson organized the World's Greatest Jazz Band which featured some of the legendary players in jazz. Even as Haggart’s reputation as a musician brought him public notice and fame, he continued, privately, to paint. Not only during his more quiet winters in San Miguel, Mexico, but also on the road and while at home in New York City, Haggart is always at work on a few paintings. Although he has experimented with a variety of techniques, such as the post-impressionist squares of color in Provence and the Cezanne inspired Take Five, Haggart has achieved a distinctive style marked by strong, well-structured compositions and a brilliant use of color. The two art forms, music and painting, are further united when he titles his pictures after a musical composition. More easily adapted to still-life than to landscape, some titles include: Take Five, Stealing Apples, Apple Honey. Horse's Tail Blues, and Melon Time in Dixie Land. Not restricting himself to jazz tunes, Haggart also names his images after classical music — Love for Three Oranges, Prokofiev, and Pop — Days of Wine and Roses (by Henry Mancini). Haggart’s paintings have long been admired. His works are in numerous private collections in this country, Mexico, and Canada. However, the priorities of his musical career have not allowed him the time to 5 �■M cz ■■Ml Checklist of the I I organize and exhibit his paintings. This exhibition is the first significant opportunity to view over forty of his works in one gallery. Although Haggart's images are more realistic in nature than those of Kandisky, they are similarly interpretations of the visual world. Heightened color, unusual perspective and refined shapes draw the images away from a specific time and place and make them open to fresh examination and interpretation as in a piece of music. Rarh<T than rnir.ir. b.-ing : painting, perhaps for Hoggart, pahitt.-.g to understand music. All dirnt-n . on , .b1 >n inc The New York Paintings Judith H. O’Toole Direr lor I. Variations 1976 ■1 The. European Paintin; I W ///; i/j, • 10 Proierr c 1969 Oil on canvas, 24 i Oil on canvas, ’>() • 40 I Th.-, and other biographical cdarrmr > .. .. by Mary Lm Hester for The M, .e-.-.i;.;.: pj., , J...... •'”‘3 f>> rin 193 Ij |h ?. Koi 1 I. View of Morttrnjrtn Bae, 1967 Oil on canvas, 16 7, "’ll T.l-flld, 1968 Oil on < .inv.r., height prec edes width. AV 1 x 27 12 Cite Moder nc. 19f Oil on canvas, 25 3. Tii’iif Yoik Inlerioi. 1970 < III on < anva... .‘A >. 14 Collection Mrs. Rota-it H .in 4. Th-ui York Interior. II. 1970 Oil on canva 24 x 30 13. (.b- k Tower in U9 1982 Oil on canvas boa 5. I ii-.l Ruif'r, 'jii.’fri-.!. ;/<• 1972 Oil on canva ., 23 z 26 14. < I'j'k Tower tn A' 1982 Oil on canvas boa 6. r.rj'.l Rioi-r I ookinrj c Trihoro 1972 Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 7. Kooseue/t Island, 1969 Oil on canvas, 16 x 24 8. Churr h on 42nd Streel, 1983 Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 9. Sunday Morning on 43rd Street, 1983 Oil on canvas, 16 z 12 15. Ctor 1 Touerir ?/ 1982 Oil on canvas bos The Mexican Paintinj 16. /gfesij Atotorui- s, or. ' i- _ i 7. DllSpWe, :a !.• :■_ :4 Rain/. 1983 Oi: or. canvas 20 �Checklist of the Exhibition : being a way to better understand r Haggart, painting is a better way Judith H. O’Toole Director hical information was provided by an article The Mississippi Rag (December 1983). All dimensions in inches; height precedes width. All works for sale unless otherwise indicated. The New York Paintings 1. Variations on a VW Theme, 1976 Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 2. Rooseuelt Island, East Riuer, 1968 Oil on canvas, 21 x 27 3. New York Interior, 1970 Oil on canvas, 24 x 34 Collection Mrs. Robert Haggart 4. New York Interior, No. Il, 1970 Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 5. East River, Queensboro Bridge, 1972 Oil on canvas, 23 x 26 6. East Riuer Looking at Triboro, 1972 Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 7. Rooseuelt Island, 1969 Oil on canvas, 16 x 24 8. Church on 42nd Street, 1983 Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 9. Sunday Morning on 43rd Street, 1983 Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 The European Paintings 10. Provence, 1969 Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 11. View of Montmartre, Rue de Bac, 1967 Oil on canvas, 16 x 14 12. Cite Moderne, 1967 Oil on canvas, 25 x 20 13. Clock Tower in Waiblingen, I, 1982 Oil on canvas board, 10x8 14. Clock Tower in Waiblingen, II, 1982 Oil on canvas board, 10x8 15. Clock Tower in Waiblingen, III, 1982 Oil on canvas board, 10x8 18. Las Casas de Atotonilco, 1983 Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 19. Capilla Vieja, Old Chapel, 1983 Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 20. Vista de la Aldea, (View from our house), 1981 Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 21. Atardecer de San Miguel, (San Miguel Sunset), 1977 Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 22 22. Templo de San Francisco, 1977 Acrylic on canvas, 18x14 23. Las Ninas Tristes, 1982 Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 24. Calle de San Miguel, 1981 Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 The Mexican Paintings 25. La Poerta de la Hacienda, 1979 Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 16. Iglesia Atotonilco, 1983 Acrylic on canvas, 22 x 18 26. La Samaritana, 1982 Oil on canvas, 24 x 16 17. Duspues la Lluuia, (After the Rain), 1983 Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 27. Parque Juarez (French Park), 1978-79 Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 Collection Mr. and Mrs . Henry Haegg �The Still-Lifes 34. Baby Face, 1983 Oil on board, 14x18 28. Composition for Brass, 1975 Oil on canvas, 29 x 26 29. Tangerine, 1982 Oil on canvas, 12x16 30. Take Flue, 1975 Oil on canvas, 14x18 31. The Old Master Painter, 1981 Oil on canvas, 12x16 32. Stealing Apples, 1981 Oil on board, 8x10 33. Strange Fruit, 1982 Oil on canvas, 14x18 35. Rosey Apples, 1983 Oil on board, 14x18 36. Loue for Three Oranges, Prokofiev, 1983 Oil on board, 14 x 18 37. Red Onion Blues, 1982 Oil on board, 14 x 18 38. Tea for Two, 1982 Oil on board, 14 x 18 39. Apple Honey, 1982 Oil on board, 12 x 16 40. Days of Wine and Roses, 1983 Oil on board, 12 x 16 41. Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, 1983 Oil on board, 12 x 16 42. A Tisket A Tasket, A Little Yellow Basket, 1982 Oil on board, 16 x 20 43. Melon Time in Dixie Land, 1983 Oil on board, 16 x 20 44. Red Grapes, 1983 Oil on board, 14 x 18 ^983^ ‘n ^emon and Bme, Oil on board, 14 x 18 46. Horse's Tail Blues, 1983 Oil on board, 14 x 18 �t a Bowl of Cherries, ird, 12 x 16 A Tasket, A Little sket, 1982 ird, 16 x 20 e in Dixie Land, 1983 ird, 16 x 20 ■s, 1983 ird, 14x18 ny Lemon and Lime, ird, 14 x 18 il Blues, 1983 rd, 14 x 18 11 16. Iglesia Atotonilco, 1983 Acrylic on canvas, 22 x 18 ����i I i I■ - .s 1933 0.1 o' board. 14 x 18 13 ����1D0017B43B HUKES COLLEGE LIBRARY I �� https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/e4453a71e8b2f921529195e24a5c6e5b.pdf 9b76b9e96293c3497937aea31136acec PDF Text Text �������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 March 11 Bob Haggart: Paintings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bob Haggart Andrew J. Sordoni III Bob Haggart Judith H. O'Toole Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 March 11 - April 8 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/8680930413174923e9b96ea2c0ec0c5f.pdf c383cb2c4e3c8638a6ff901fa7af44a7 PDF Text Text tfft -rq s ffi t *$ ts ril IIII lw ,A, i'rlt .} GI el ru {1 s; N Ix �iflr? trW Sordoni Art Gailery HtI"i,*?'r'i,ti,, wlr",-eu,,e, pA 18766 7t7-824-465t join us for an opening reception Sunday, March 23 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Please The Art of Satire: Artists as Caricaturists and Cartoonists From Delacroix to Picasso This exhibition was organized by the Pratt Graphics Center, New York City, and is sponsored in \,1/ilkes-Barre by a grant given in honor of Dr. Roy E. Morgan. An illustrated catalog will accompany this exhibition. On the verso: Stuart Davis, May Day, Art Front, May, 1935 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 March 23 The Art of Satire: :Artists as Caricaturists and Cartoonists from Delacroix to Picasso Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 March 23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/15b86f8650f4b3fc5166b53b14d8f9cd.pdf b35c81e709ff8c38f86fbd9065d09c40 PDF Text Text 198/ Scholastlc Art fiy6ds Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Exhibition Sordoni Art Gallery Wilkes College February 19 to March 4,1984 �EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RICHARD A. FULLER, Chairman Associate Professor of Art I Art Education Wilkes College IUDITH O'TOOLE Director, Sordoni Gallery Wilkes College NANCY HONTZ Art lnstructor Dallas Junior High School IILL EVANS SAPORITO Art lnstructor W. CURTIS MONTZ Coordinator, Public Relations Boscov's, The Boston Store THOMAS ]ACOBS Manager Boscov's, The Boston Store ALBERT SARKAS Coughlin High School Art Education Hazleton Area School Dist. SANDRA LEIBMAN ]OHANNA ROBBINS Supensisor of Art lnstructor Wyoming Valley West Middle School Art Instructor Pittston Area Junior High School BEVERLY GLENNON Art Instructor BETSY MORRIS Art lnstructor Seton Catholic High School Wyoming Seminary GERARD ZEZZA Superoisor of Art Education MAXINE WATTER-SILVA Artist-Consultant Wyoming Area Schools IN APPRECIATION: The Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Regional Advisory Committee and Boscov's, The Boston Store, wish to thank Wilkes College for hosting the 1984 Art Awards Program. Among the many individuals who helped make this year's exhibition a reality, a special vote of appreciation to Iudith O'Toole, Director of the Sordoni Art Gallery. THIS YEAR is the 57th year that Scholastic Magazines,lnc., with the cooperation of civic-minded sponsors, is conducting an art awards program for the high school students of America. With its aim of encouraging student achievement in creative art at an age when encouragement is important, the project has started many worthy students on their way toward advanced study and careers in the art field. �BOSCOV'S, THE BOSTON STORE, celebrates its fourth anniversary year of Scholastic Art Awards regional sponsorship in 1984. Central Pennsylvania's largest department store, Boscov's, The Boston Store, joins in a long history of Boscov's community involvement and concern for the youth of our region. REGIONAL HONORS in the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards include the Certificate of Merit, for honorable mention, and the gold achievement key, for work deserving extra commendation. All the pieces shown in the Regional Exhibition have been awarded the Certificate of Merit. Gold Key and finalist selections were made by the regional jury. NATIONAL HONORS include special prizes and gold medals, mounted on plaques and engraved and given in all art classifications. In addition, seniors who have submitted portfolios of their best work are eligible to win scholarships to art schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country. Regional juries choose individual pieces and senior portfolios to go on to the national competition. SPECIAL AWARDS, given for outstanding achievement in the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Exhibition, are listed below. HALLMARK HONOR PRIZE * a $100 purchase prize for the best dratoing or painting, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, lncorporated. Selected by the national judges from fit:e pieces nominated by the regional iury. KODAK MEDALLION OF EXCELLENCE - a gold medallion for the best photograph, sponsored by Eastman Kodak Company. Selected by the national judges from fit:e photographs nominated by the regional iury. WYOMING VALLEY ART LEAGUE AWARDS - four cash awards, sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Art League, and presented for achieoement in dratoing and painting. Auards selected by the regional judges. WILKES COLLEGE ART DEPARTMENT AWARDS - setseral cash atoards, sponsored by the art department, gioen for meritorious achieoement in any of the thirteen classifications. Awards selected by the Wilkes Art Faculty, LLEWELLYN & McKANE AWARD - an auard of $ZS for achieoement in the graphic design classification, sponsored by Lleuellyn & McKane lnc., manufacturers of fine printing. Auard selected by the regional iudges. KEN POLLOCK AWARD - an engralred sterling siloer medallion atoard for outstanding ability demonstrated in the jeuelry classification. Sponsored by Frank Clark, lncorporated. Atoard selected by regional iudges. DOROTHY BRACE BARBER MEMORIAL WATERCOLOR AWARDS - four cash autards of $25 each, sponsored by Sue Hand's lmagery and presented for achieoement in usatercolors. Auards selected by the regional iudges. MARQUIS AWARDS FOR ARTISTIC MERIT - four gift certificates for the best oil and acrylic painting for a Senior High School and ]unior High School student. Atoards selected by regional judges. REGIONAL SPONSORS AWARD - $25 uorth of art or photography supplies from Boscoo's, The Boston Store, Presented to the student utho submits the most outstanding portfolio. Azoard selected by regional iudges. SWEET BASIL GRAPHICS AWARD - a $25 autard for a greeting card design, sponsored by Sueet Basil Graphics. Atoard selected by regional iudges. �SONDOXI ABT OALLERY . Wilkes College 150 South River Streel . Wilkes-Batre, Pennsylvania 18766 GALLERY HOURS: Sunday through Friday 1-5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday evenings until 9 COVER Counterclockuise from top ight Oil Painting by Thomre Mayshock Hazleton High School Photograph by Mark Vi*otski Coughlin High School Oil Painting by Loi Mreon Freeland High School Mixed Media by Patrizia Boob Dallre lunior High Watercolor by Chis Boyes Wyoming Seminary Prep � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. 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Title A name given to the resource 1984 February 19 Scholastic Art Awards Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 February 19 - March 4 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/06f98c225b504a3a1d55b106c89c1dc1.pdf f8bed8e988f3e5724b65d7a4217f77db PDF Text Text i i �J Harry Gottlieb The silkscreen and social concern in the WPA era organized by The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey with essays by Sheryl Conkelton and Gregory Gilbert EXHIBITION SCHEDULE The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey November 6 to December 31, 1983 Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania January 8 to February 12, 1984 i t-S. FARLEY UBRAftY h'JfES UNIVERSITY I I W'ES-BARRE, PA I —-------—— _ cover: Change of Shift, c. 1940 (cat. 7) Copyright © 1983 by Rutgers University Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 83-82368 All rights reserved for all countries, including the right of translation. No part of this catalogue may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission of the publisher Manufactured in the United States of America By Microtone Corporation I hr Jane Voorhrrs Zintmrrli Art Museum is supported in pan by a giant from Johnson Johnson Fatmh ol Companies �Harry Gottlieb and the Development of Serigraphy Gregory Gilbert 1. Bootleg Mining, 1937, color lithograph, 14 x 18 1/8. The Syracuse University An Collections, (cat. 14) During the 1930s. a number of innovations in osior printmaking were developed under the aegis of the WPA's Federal Art Project. Encouraged by these technical strides, Project administrators organized a special unit in 1938 to experiment with silkscreen as a fine art medium: the unit's effort, resulted in the development of serigraphy, which has become one of the WPA’s most popular and enduring contributions to modern printmaking. Of the unit's six founding members, Harry Gottlieb was one of the most prolific, and in 1940 he achieved the distinction of having the first one-man exhibition devoted to serigraphy. ' Throughout the forties he lectured widely on the new process, playing a crucial role in promoting serigraphy as a major graphic art form. Although Gottlieb is a central figure in the history of serigraphy, no previous studs has focused on his pioneering works in the medium and his early efforts to broaden and enrich its technical capabilities. In 1935. Gottlieb settled in New York Citv, and in the following year he was assigned to the WPA/FAP's newlv formed graphics division. Like many of the Project’s programs, the division was established to produce original works of an for schools and other public institutions. With the excessive cost of materials for painting and sculpture during the Depression years. Project administrators quickly realized that pnntmaking afforded the cheapest mode of artistic production and multiple print editions made possible distribution on a national scale. During its six years of existence, me graphics division handled a large percentage of the Project's allocations and functioned as a veritable laboratorv for stvlistic interchange and technical exploration. While many artists worked in etching and other copper plate media, a number ot printmakers investigated the artistic potential of relief and planographic techniques, making significant advances m lithographs’, woodblock printing, and serigraphy During the 1930s Gottlieb was drawn to printmaking, as it allowed him to translate the spontaneous application and textural effects of his drawings into various graphic art processes Gottlieb h»d mastered lithographs in the early part of the decade, and after entering the graphics division in I11'1 lie resumed working tn the medium However. he qukki, adopted the experimental techniques that were circulating m the workshop. freeh apphmg tusche "ashes and scraping his stone to achieve vaned modulations m ink tone. hi m :: ex to D cc Pi ■i G b tl it :i t< it 1< 3 �Harry Gottlieb and the Development of Serigraphy ... Gregory Gilbert Collections, (cat. 14) During the 1930s, a number of innovations in color printmaking were developed under the aegis of the WPA’s Federal Art Project. Encouraged by these technical strides, Project administrators organized a special unit in 1938 to experiment with silkscreen as a fine art medium; the unit’s efforts resulted in the development of serigraphy, which has become one of the WPA’s most popular and enduring contributions to modern printmaking. Of the unit's six founding members, Harry Gottlieb was one of the most prolific, and in 1940 he achieved the distinction of having the first one-man exhibition devoted to serigraphy.1 Throughout the forties he lectured widely on the new process, playing a crucial role in promoting serigraphy as a major graphic an form. Although Gottlieb is a central figure in the history of serigraphy, no previous study has focused on his pioneering works in the medium and his early efforts to broaden and enrich its technical capabilities. In 1935, Gottlieb settled in New York City, and in the following year he w>as assigned to the WPA/FAP’s newly formed graphics division. Like many of the Project's programs, the division was established to produce original works of art for schools and other public institutions. With the excessive cost of materials for painting and sculpture during the Depression years. Project administrators quickly realized that printmaking afforded the cheapest mode of artistic production and multiple print editions made possible distribution on a national scale. During its six years of existence, the graphics division handled a large percentage of the Project’s allocations and functioned as a veritable laboratory for stylistic interchange and technical exploration. While many artists worked in etching and other copper plate media, a number of printmakers investigated the artistic potential of relief and planographic techniques, making significant advances in lithography, woodblock printing, and serigraphy. During the 1930s Gottlieb was drawn to printmaking, as it allowed him to translate the spontaneous application and textural effects of his drawings into various graphic art processes. Gottlieb had mastered lithography in the early part of the decade, and after entering the graphics division in 1936 he resumed working in the medium. However, he quickly adopted the experimental techniques that were circulating in the workshop, freely applying tusche washes and scraping his stone to achieve varied modulations in ink tone. In the late 1930s, the graphics division perfected several color printmaking methods, beginning in 193~ with the revitalization of color lithography.’’ This process had been used since the early 19th century for manufacturing commercial reproductions, yet Project artists began to exploit the technique for its own expressive potential, combining color with liquid tusche to create a wide range of painterly effects in their prints. During this period, Gottlieb produced a number of color lithographs, such as Afoierr of Steel (cat. 1ft) and Pittsburgh at Night (fig. 7) of 1937. One of his most successful and celebrated efforts was Bootleg Mining (fig. 1), a five color print of rhe same year. In this work. Gottlieb executed the design in tusche crayon and wash, balancing the translucent passages in the landscape with the powerful, linear markings of rhe figures and industrial machinery. Despite the popularity of color lithography in the division, it was a difficult process to master, requiring specialized equipment and the supervision of a skilled printer. Similarly, the color methods devised for woodblock printing and carborundum etching were costly and posed an array of technical problems to the artist. The burgeoning interest in color printmaking necessitated rhe development of a less expensive, less laborious technique, and in 1938 silkscrccn emerged as a viable alternative medium. Like lithography, silkscreen had been employed as a commercial process and was generally used for printing signs and labels. In producing a silkscreen print, the artist prepares a hinged box-like frame, which holds a tightly stretched screen of silk or nylon. The design is created by placing an impervious lacquer or cut stencil on the screen, blocking out the areas not to be printed Once the stencil or masking agent is in place, the artist then uses a squeegee to force ink through the open areas of the screen onto a piece of paper. If several colors are to be printed, a scries of stencils for each color must be cut and the finished work is created through successive applications of different inks; these separate steps are called progressive proofs and it is not until every color has been applied that a coherent design is produced. While attending an executive committee meeting for the Artists Union in 1938. Gottlieb heard a recommendation to utilize silkscreen as a fine an medium. The proposal had been submitted by Anthony Vclonis, an artist assigned to the Project's poster division. Velonis. who was aware of the widespread interest in color processes, used silkscreen in executing posters for the WPA and was interested in modifying 3 �I the technique for printmaking purposes. In his recommendation to the Artists Union Committee, Velonis outlined the many advantages of using silkscrceri for fine art printmaking that had attracted Gottlieb to the medium. Unlike lithography, etching and woodblock printing, silkscrcen did not require unwieldy presses, merely a frame and a modest assortment of hand tools. Because the equipment used in silkscrcen printing was portable and easily stored, it was possible for artists to perfect the craft in their own studios. This was an important benefit, as many printmakers felt that their creativity was hampered by working in the bustling, public atmosphere of the division workshop. The method was also economical, as stencils and inks were inexpensive and an untreated, low-grade paper or cardboard could be used for printing. Furthermore, an almost unlimited number of prints could be produced using a resilient nylon screen; in many intaglio processes, the incised areas of the plate are extremely fragile and often become worn down with repeated printings, resulting in the output of small editions. Perhaps the most radical aspect of the silkscrcen technique was its ability to emulate various graphic art processes and painting mediums. Depending on the viscosity and tone of the ink, the silkscreen print could assume the dense luster of a work in oils, or the subtle translucency of a tempera or watercolor. As Velonis remarked, “In a sense it is not a graphic medium at all, but lies somewhere between the duplicating process and easel painting.”1 Velonis' knowledge of the process was extensive, as he had worked closely with silkscreen techniques on the Project’s poster division. From its inception in the early thirties, the division attempted to transcend the pedestrian nature of the poster, promoting it as a legitimate form of creative expression. Indeed, many of the staff designers were painters, not commercial technicians, and they were concerned with the aesthetic as well as the functional aspects of their work? While the growing popularity of color printmaking contributed to the development of serigraphy, the artistic character of the FAP posters may have also prompted Velonis to consider utilizing silkscreen as a print medium. During his tenure on the poster division, Vclonb. wrote a series of silkscreen manuals for the WPA/FAP. Entitled Technical Problems of the Artist: Techniques nr the Silkscreen, these brief primers explained the pro-filn method and various other techniques that could be utilized in conjunction with cut stencil printing ’ The pro-film stencil method was used widely for lornmtn ul purposes, as it allowed for the printing of evenly cut designs and uniform applications of color However, printmaking required a greater modulation in line and ink rone, and in the late 1930s Velom attempted to combat the planar character of the silk i reen medium hi developing more flexible stenciling rechniqu' 1 wo of the most effective were the- glue stop-out and the tu . In­ wash-out methods, which employed masking fluid- that had to be brushed onto the screen to harden into a stencil, giving printed images a more fluent, painterly quality. It was also possible to achieve a varied range of textures with the tusche wash-out merhexi, „ the surface impressions of toss board or sandpaper could be transferred to the screen Often, all three techniques were combined to produce a single print the artist relied on pro-film to delineate his composition and u r d the other methods to add details or effects of modeling In his technical brochures. Velonis also maintained that more subtle tones could be produced by thinning viscid silkscreen paints with a transparent base or varnish The WPA office in Washington received an overwhelming number of requests for Velonis' manual, from regional FAP centers, and his writings served as the basts for much of the technical experimentation that later occurred in the Silk Screen Unit? Velonis formally submitted his silkscreen proposal the WPA/FAP in 1938, and with the support of the Public Use of Arts Committee and the United American Artists, the Project approved an experiment to utilize the technique as a fine an process In November of 'Ta year, a special Silk Screen Unit comprised of six FAP artists was organized, and Velonis was selected to supervise the group; the six artists were Harry Gottlieb Hyman Warsager. Ruth Chaney, Eugene Merely. U-u* Lozowick. and Elizabeth Olds: even earlier, Gottlieb expressed his immediate interest in the tec hnique n executive comrnittri i.| :i,< Ari, ' l'm,,n AuditMcMahon, ihr director »t th- \i.,v Y"rk \\ i‘A f VP responsible fot launching the .ib.u rt ii, |-rc-;«.: recommending ilui < .<>h ,.iri ' produ.t n-ar irul prinw I he enure I - mt w.i. then n quirt J i ■ • ubn n n - u'y four works io McMahon and t" dclni r a I’l'.'.p report -u, t He viability of silks, teen a a print medium Bv August of 1939. Projec t adtninistraroi dremt d rio n t flom j success and the Sdk Screen I tui wa-. !|i< .-.JI, "c.-i-mzcd as a branch of the WPA/FAP Although the silk .< reen group *4-. dr ignored d. : unit, this was something of a misnomer After Velonis trained each artist in the technique, they were pr-. to execute print m their o vn -.nidiot. a; no centralized silkscrceri workshop had been established,' Ii sa. riot until the Unit r.ucd it, official report to th- Projr'i tha’ the prinrrnakers met ro di-tu". their pr ,gt",: Consequently, the Silk Screen Unit can only partly be viewed a a toiler rive experiment ... the ;,r-i t worker 1 independently ro advance 'h'ir own ;r;r. oxtr.r "Juri'.re in the medium. It should be -rre-cd that rear,- l.’-iit members continued to employ otbtr f ontmaking methods during th, , period 'rearing ilk■< rren a; mtrr-iy one process in their re.hnital ,-eperroire For r.-ramp <• both Hyman War.agrr and Ruth Chaney were noted for their per i'tent interest in the -dur woodcut. E'lzatit’r. Olds remained a proiifi' lithographer, and the famed modernist Loui- Lozowick produced only onesilkscreen while on the Project Gottlieb on rhe other hand worked "xclusr.el» in stlkscreen from throughout the ear!’, form- me majority ot his output was devoted to the process. The stylistic diversity evident m the Unit s produce underscored the adaptable nature of the -.iksercen medium, While some of the art.-t- worked in ar. abstract Realism [e’fltl.il tlx lair amalgai cartoon m.»t ru Kamen work ' Realist express) G-trlrc Got for w< ro doq used tf the BrJ rigid <z< emphx dime re tone- ti printed prmrm dcvign apply ir expand with a and and gr. �poster division, Velonis rnuals for the WPA/FAP. if the Artist: Techniques of mere explained the pro-film hniques that could be ut stencil printing.5 The ised widely for commercial : printing of evenly cut ions of color. However, :r modulation in line and 3s Velonis attempted to >f the silkscreen medium by citing techniques. Two of lue stop-out and the tusche ployed masking fluids that creen to harden into a ; a more fluent, painterly a achieve a varied range of -out method, as the surface andpaper could be en, all three techniques single print: the artist :e his composition and used tails or effects of modeling. :lonis also maintained that roduced by thinning viscid >arent base or varnish. The :ceived an overwhelming is’ manuals from regional served as the basis for Dentation that later nit.6 d his silkscreen proposal to with the support of the e and the United American an experiment to utilize :ocess. In November of that tit comprised of six FAP lonis was selected to trusts were Harry Gottlieb, icy. Eugene Morely. Louis Is; even earlier. Gottlieb had rest tn the technique to the On the Beach, 1939. serigraph, 12 1/2 x 14 3/8. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of WPA New York Project, 1943. feat- 1) executive committee of the Artists Union. Audrey McMahon, the director of the New York WPA/FAP, was responsible for launching the silkscreen project, recommending that each artist produce four trial prints. The entire Unit was then required to submit twenty-four works to McMahon and to deliver a group report on the viability of silkscreen as a print medium.7 By August of 1939, Project administrators deemed their efforts a success and the Silk Screen Unit was officially recognized as a branch of the WPA/FAP. Although the silkscreen group was designated as a unit, this was something of a misnomer. After Velonis trained each artist in the technique, they were permitted to execute prints in their own studios, as no centralized silkscreen workshop had been established." It was not until the Unit issued its official report to the Project that the printmakers met to discuss their progress. Consequently, the Silk Screen Unit can only partly be viewed as a collective experiment, as the artists worked independendv to advance their owm innovative solutions in the medium. It should be stressed that many Unit members continued to employ other printmaking methods during this period, treating silkscreen as merely one process in their technical repertoires. For example, both Hyman Warsager and Ruth Chaney were noted for their persistent interest in the color woodcut, Elizabeth Olds remained a prolific lithographer, and the famed modernist Louis Lozowick produced only one silkscreen while on the Project. Gottlieb, on the other hand, worked exclusively in silkscreen from 1938 to 1940, and throughout the early forties the majority of his output was devoted to the process. The stylistic diversity evident in the Unit's products underscored the adaptable nature of the silkscreen medium. While some of the artists worked in an abstract idiom, Gottlieb was an exponent of Social Realism, and a number of his prints dealt with the political and economic crises of the Depression era Social Realism, emerging in the United Slates during the late twenties and thirties, was derived from an amalgam of styles, including militant political cartooning, the German Neue Sachlichkeit. and perhaps most notably, Mexican proletarian art. In fact, Jacob Kainen has asserted that Gottlieb's prints from the 1930s reflect an affinity for Jose Clemente Orozco’s work.’ Several of the stylistic traits associated with Social Realist art, such as a simplification of forms and an expressive distortion of the figure, can be detected in Gottlieb's prints from the 1930s. Gottlieb’s expressionistic manner was perfectly suited for working in silkscreen, as stencil printing lends itself to designs based on simplified cut-out shapes. Gottlieb used this to excellent advantage in his first silkscreen On the Beach of 1939 (fig. 2). Here, he has stressed the rigid outline of the stencil by employing a forcefully cut stroke, which gives the elements in his composition an emphatic, plastic quality. This sense of three dimensionality was reinforced by the layering of vibrant tones in bold, curvilinear shapes. On the Beach was printed in nine colors, an ambitious undertaking for Gottlieb’s first essay in the medium; however, he used ;a rather thick paint mixture, which resulted in the printing of flat, highly saturated hues. In executing his design he relied heavily on the cut stencil method, applying a limited range of textures to suggest the granular surface of the beach and to animate the broad expanses of flat color. In later prints he experimented with a wider range of brushed stencils and pigments, and soon he was able to imitate a variety of painterly and graphic effects with equal fluency. 5 �3. Fishermen's Luck, 1939, serigraph, 15 1/8 x 20 1/4. The Syracuse University Art Collection,. (cat. 2) flecks of pigment resemble the spattered marking’ of an ink and brush drawing. In th-, work, th.- swarthy figure-, of two rock drillers dominate the composition, giving these silhouetted forms an almost monumental quality. This was one of Gottlieb's few attempt, to aggrandize the worker, in the majority of his prints he incorporated figures into the industrial landscape, and often used them as compositional foils for the larger elements in the scene. As in On the Beach, a sense of figural solidity has been conveyed through the use of a forceful rounded stroke and the application of unmodeled tones Like the previous two silkscree ns, Driller; was primed in nine colors, yet Gottlieb reverted to using more opaque pigments to enhance rhe graphic character of this a The Strike is Won of 1940 (fig. 6). one of the ar.m s most celebrated political images, represents another experimental effort to extend the graphic range of the medium. Here, the sharply articulated forms and she layered planes of stippled color were used to imitate woodcut printing. Gottlieb relied on the expressive t >xc of his Social Realist vocabulary to convev the exuberant of the strikers, rendering their faces and gesturing b>xbes Gottlieb’s second silkscreen. Fishermen's Luck of 1939 (fig- 3), displays his increasing mastery of the process. Unlike the dense tones used in On the Beach, Gottlieb employed thinner pigments to emulate the transparent quality of watercolor or tempera. He was also able to mimic the fluid motion of a brush by cutting the stencil with a more rhythmic stroke. Although Gottlieb worked in a representational style, he imbued the elements in his prints with an abstract energy in order to convey a sense of dynamic motion. As Sidney Alexander observed, “A realist, he is deeply involved with his subject, but he struggles against being chained to it... the picture is a subjective-objective vision.”10 in Fishermen's Luck. Gottlieb expressed vigorous figural action by transforming the fishermen into a series of energetically curved lines. This sweeping stroke was also used to suggest the thrusting force of the waves, which were reduced to stylized bands of color in the manner of a Japanese woodcut. With Drillers of 1939 (cat. 4), Gottlieb eschewed a painterly approach for a more graphic effect. The colors have been applied in uniform layers and the stenciled 6 4. Minter nn th' < rri /• I <»«» -n^iq-b . and I ilden I oundation. ' • -) U ) print I ..Hr, I with ihe bluni minom. -4 .< ,- >lm- I f:. >r, the .inking pi<n>rul il'-nm an-1 . bm-t hoc were effective in c'.okmg th' r..u".-> of rhe derr.-.i.-irarmi< n- It? . ,,-i- >' Gi ,, GotrlieL maintained an uin,' n '■•rrct n il.r, =<ibie, r issuing th' Strike h !c ,n .t. bmb n.ir- aiul ten- ui-.r editions A’ -ilkurecn d'cign. arc nor reversed m printing Gottlieb was able to execute detailed preliminary drawings that were '-a it. trarnfemd r . the -fe'.'U The artist often prepared hi, sketch?, in olot indicating the printing various color separations that would be use: he produced each progre-,51.'- proof for in preparator. color studies in gouache for such ulkscreen work; a Mending the .\et, .’.or Rain Ram i'-.r ,\eti and Sior (cats. 3, 9. 23. 24). 'While Gottlieb executed prelirrunar. ketches for entire silkureen Cumpc’U'.iur. •udie : indr-.tduai figure- , o .r s jb' -u : example ;• ., sensitive!; re' : red pen, n dra;i.rg f ’-t ■ ■ "-i-l Kan whishdepi. i rhe tided-, w rm r. right of the print/cat W hen . t-mpartd rhe bold!- incised figure in rhe --iKwrecn in:. w '• r*.-ra • J .. fM IT./' qua �K I is. (cat. 2) the spattered markings of an his work, the swarthy figures e the composition, giving Imost monumental quality, ew attempts to aggrandize of his prints he incorporated ndscape, and often used for the larger elements in ch. a sense of figural solidity the use of a forceful, lication of unmodeled tones, eens, Drillers was printed in erred to using more opaque phic character of this work. iO (fig. 6), one of the artist’s tges, represents another d the graphic range of the aruculated forms and the >lor were used to imitate relied on the expressive force try to convey the exuberance sir faces and gesturing bodies 4. \V inter on the Creek, 1940, serigraph, 12 x 14 1/8. Print Collection. The New' York Public Library. Astor. Lenox and Tilden Foundations, (cat. 8) with the blunt economy of a political cartoon. Further, the striking pictorial design and vibrant hues were effective in evoking the boisterous, militant atmosphere of the demonstration scene. Throughout the late 1930s Gottlieb maintained an active interest in this subject, issuing the Strike Is Won in both four- and ten-color editions. As silkscreen designs are not reversed in printing, Gottlieb was able to execute detailed preliminary drawings that were easily transferred to the stencil. The artist often prepared his sketches in color, indicating the various color separations that would be used in printing each progressive proof. For instance, he produced preparatory color studies in gouache for such silkscreen works as Mending the Nets and Nor Rain Nor Snow fats. 3, 9, 23, 24). While Gottlieb executed preliminary sketches for entire silkscreen compositions, studies for individual figures exist as well. One such example is a sensitively rendered pencil drawing for The Strike Is Won, which depicts the elderly worker at the bottom right of the print (cat. 6). When compared with the boldly incised figure in the silkscreen, this work reveals Gottlieb’s ability to modify his formal approach to suit the character of a particular medium. A handsome, skillfully drawn sketch of a single figure also exists for Drillers (cat. 4). Winter on the Creek of 1940 (fig. 4) was Gottlieb’s most masterful effort in simulating painting techniques in silkscreen, and proved to be his greatest commercial and critical success as a serigrapher. Executed in eleven colors, it was also his technical tour de force in the medium. In producing this work, the artist printed alternating layers of opaque and transparent colors, building his tones in much the same manner that an oil painting is executed through a successive application of glazes. Further. Gottlieb used masking fluids to mimic the feathery touch of a brush, printing thick, impasto­ like touches of pigment which gave the surface of his work the delicate texture of a gouache. Unlike the mechanical operations of lithographic or intaglio methods, the matrix of a silkscreen can be freely manipulated, and the artist is able to alter the tonal quality of a print by simply lifting the frame or controlling the force exerted on the squeegee. This not 7 �I distinctly American contribution to the graphic arts. At this time, not only was there an emphasis in the United States on developing such indigenous styles as Regionalism and Social Realism, but there was also an interest in innovating printmaking methods that would rival accomplishments in European graphics. Two of silkscreen’s most enthusiastic promoters were Elizabeth McCausland and Carl Zigrosset McCausland, an influential and politically-oriented art critic of the 1930s and 1940s, championed silkscreen as a modern democratic art form, asserting that the low cost of the process would make high quality color prints available to the masses. McCausland was particularly active in promoting Gottlieb’s works during the forties, exclaiming that he was a “ . . . pioneer in the movement to popularize graphic art. . .. ’' and adding that ”... Gottlieb rates credit for having made a substantial contribution to the fine arts use of silk screen.”'J Carl Zigrosser, who was a renowned curator of graphic arc at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was the first scholar to encourage the growth and acceptance of silkscreen as a print medium; as late as the mid-forties there was still a great deal of entrenched prejudice against color printmaking in all media, and many graphic art societies excluded color lithographs, woodblock prints and serigraphs from their publications and exhibitions. Yet, Zigrosser’s writings were extremely effective in stimulating both professional and public interest in silkscreen. He was also the first graphic art specialist to conduct a systematic study of the history of silkscreen and his 1941 article ‘‘The Serigraph, A New Medium" remains the definitive overview of the early development of the process.14 In fact, it was Zigrosser who coined the term serigraphy in order to differentiate the fine art silkscreen technique from its commercial ancestry. In his writings, Zigrosser also cited Gottlieb as being one of the most energetic proponents of the new medium. Not only were critics and printmaking specialists involved in promoting serigraphy, but Gottlieb was extremely active in advancing the process through a series of lectures and demonstrations that he conducted from the late thirties through the middle years of the forties. The first large public demonstration of silkscreen was held on August II, 1940 at the Works Progress Administration Building of the New York World's Fair. Of the six artists assigned to the Silk Screen Unit, Gottlieb was selected to demonstrate the various techniques utilized in silkscreen printing. Elizabeth ------ ■--- was also present at the demonstrauon and McCausland only allows for widely divergent impressions to be produced from the same stencil, but gives silkscreen prints a more painterly, handcrafted appearance. Gottlieb often modified the technical steps of silkscreen, and once likened the flexibility of the process to the spontaneous quality of drawing." In 1942, Winter on the Creek received the Eyre Medal of the 40th Annual Philadelphia Watercolor and Print Exhibition, the first silkscreen to be awarded a prize in a national graphic arts competition. Winter on the Creek proved to be so popular with the print-buying public in the early 1940s that Gottlieb issued a second version of the work. It was also illustrated widely in a number of art periodicals during this period and has appeared in several silkscreen handbooks as a representative example of Gottlieb’s work in the medium. Throughout 1939 and 1940 Gottlieb developed an almost systematic approach to expanding and perfecting the technical capabilities of silkscreen, as he experimented with an extensive range of stencil methods and pigment mixtures. In executing his prints, he emulated a variety of painting mediums and graphic art processes in order to demonstrate the flexibility and artistic potential of the new technique. Gottlieb produced such a prodigious number of silkscreens that he was able to hold the first one-man exhibition devoted to the medium at the ACA Gallery in March of 1940. The ACA Gallery had been organized and founded by Herman Baron, who sympathized with the political ideals of the Social Realist artists of the 1930s and had taken a keen interest in Gottlieb’s achievements in silkscreen. In his memoirs, Baron commented on the historical significance of Gottlieb’s exhibition: For the sake of giving it (silkscreen) a beginning let us say that it was introduced to the New York art world — and thereby to a nationwide audience — in the first large one-man show of work in the medium held at ACA Gallery ... Harry Gottlieb, in my opinion, was the logical artist to introduce the new medium, the silkscreen print." During the same month as Gottlieb’s show, two group exhibitions of silkscrcens were organized at the Weyhe Gallery and the Springfield Museum; however, Gottlieb’s display received a great deal of critical attention and several reviewers praised the artist for his facile command of textural effects and the novel use of color evidenced in many of his prints. Gottlieb’s ACA exhibition was more than a professional coup for the artist, in that several critics viewed it as an occasion to herald the birth of a new and addressed the audience on the social significance of the new medium. Shortly after serigraphy had been introduced to other artists in rhe graphics division, it quickly became one of the more popular printmaking methods, and by 1940 twenty percent of the Project's graphic allocations were being reproduced by the technique.1' Soon, such a large number of printmakers began to employ the process that an independent Silk Screen Group was established tn New York in May of 1940; like many Project artists. Gottlieb joined the Silk Screen Group, but he was affiliated with the organization for only a brief period." In 1940, after leaving the WPA/FAP, Gottlieb conducted a series of lectures and workshops on serigraphy at the University of Minnesota, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the University- of Omaha and the University of Nebraska. At several of these locations, the artist actually helped to implement studio programs in serigraphy. In addition to his appearances in the Middle West. Gottlieb also lectured on the technique at Columbia University and the Museum of Modern Art, where the process was later used for printing reproductions of the museum’s holdings. Gottlieb’s lectures generally dealt with the technical benefits of utilizing serigraphy as a print medium, and he often demonstrated the process and invited members of the audience to pull their own prints. He also exhibited such educational materials as progressive proofs and color separations for various works, most notably a series that he prepared for the print The Long Island Ducks, c. 1941 (cats. 12 a-m). In many respects, Gottlieb’s lectures exemplified the ideological thrust of the WPA’s art programs, as he actively sought tn broaden the public's awareness and appreciation of the graphic arts; unlike Velonis, who preferred to disseminate knowledge of serigraphy through his technical writings. Gottlieb attempted to forge a more personal and immediate link between this newdemocratic an form and a responsive public. Gottlieb s efforts to promote the medium on a wider scale were also realized in 1940, when he acted as art and technical director of a film depicting the silkscreen technique, which was produced by Julius Roffman of the Educational Film Institute of New York University . Featuring Gottlieb demonstrating the various steps in silkscreen printing, it was the cinematic counterpart to Velonis' 19.3g technical manuals on silkscreen published by the WPA/FAP. Distribution of the film spread knowledge of the technique to areas that lacked college art programs o commitment t number of Pre for an entire p in this country burgeoning gr graphic w orksl prints in the 1 Shortlv aft onset of Work of the Project, to produce pn Gottlieb exect themes, such Damn the To> produced afte stemmed fron 1942. the ent Section of the silkscreen and artists who w< supporting th that had insu now openly d being utilizer printing gove trend, artists experiments i in the latter ] w ider follow-! Throughc innovations r equipment. ; Op art expo: Ironically, O] emphasized i Pop’s reliant serigraphy w the process r during the P obscure the j Gottlieb and However, in medium s e; figure in the process. Thr extensive lec in establish! means of ex: 9 8 �rican contribution to the graphic arts. At only was there an emphasis in the United oping such indigenous styles as id Social Realism, but there was also an ivating printmaking methods that would intents in European graphics, screen’s most enthusiastic promoters were msland and Carl Zigrosset McCausland, nd politically-oriented art critic of the Is. championed silkscreen as a modern form, asserting that the low cost of the nake high quality color prints available to Causland was particularly active in tlieb’s works during the forties. he was a “ . .. pioneer in the movement raphic an.. ..' ’ and adding that "... redit for having made a substantial the fine arts use of silk screen.”13 Carl vas a renowned curator of graphic art at a Museum of Art. was the first scholar to growth and acceptance of silkscreen as a as late as the mid-forties there was still a trenched prejudice against color all media, and many graphic art societies ithographs. woodblock prints and their publications and exhibitions. Yet. ngs were extremely effective in h professional and public interest in •as also the first graphic an specialist to natic study of the history of silkscreen tide “The Serigraph, A New Medium” initive overview of the early development ‘ In fact, it was Zigrosser who coined the in order to differentiate the fine art ique from its commercial ancestry. In his ser also cited Gottlieb as being one of rtic proponents of the new medium, ■re critics and printmaking specialists moting serigraphy, but Gottlieb was : in advancing the process through a s and demonstrations that he conducted lirties through the middle years of the t large public demonstration of silkscreen igust II. 1940 at the Works Progress Building of the New York World’s Fair, ts assigned to the Silk Screen Unit, leered to demonstrate the various ized in silkscreen printing. Elizabeth ts also present at the demonstration and addressed the audience on the social significance of the new medium. Shortly after serigraphy had been introduced to other artists in the graphics division, it quickly became one of the more popular printmaking methods, and by 1940 twenty percent of the Project’s graphic allocations were being reproduced by the technique.” Soon, such a large number of printmakers began to employ the process that an independent Silk Screen Group was established in New York in May of 1940; like many Project artists, Gottlieb joined the Silk Screen Group, but he was affiliated with the organization for only a brief period.” In 1940, after leaving the WPA/FAP, Gottlieb conducted a series of lectures and workshops on serigraphy- at the University’ of Minnesota, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the University of Omaha and the University of Nebraska. At several of these locations, the artist actually helped to implement studio programs in serigraphy. In addition to his appearances in the Middle West, Gotdieb also lectured on the technique at Columbia University and the Museum of Modern Art. where the process was later used for printing reproductions of the museum’s holdings. Gottlieb's lectures generally dealt with the technical benefits of utilizing serigraphy as a print medium, and he often demonstrated the process and invited members of the audience to pull their own prints. He also exhibited such educational materials as progressive proofs and color separations for various works, most notably a series that he prepared for the print The Long Island Ducks, c. 1941 (cats. 12 a-m). In many respects, Gottlieb’s lectures exemplified the ideological thrust of the WPA’s art programs, as he actively sought to broaden the public’s awareness and appreciation of the graphic arts; unlike Velonis, who preferred to disseminate knowledge of serigraphy through his technical writings, Gottlieb attempted to forge a more personal and immediate link between this new democratic art form and a responsive public. Gottlieb’s efforts to promote the medium on a wider scale were also realized in 1940, when he acted as art and technical director of a film depicting the silkscreen technique, which was produced by Julius Roffman of the Educational Film Institute of New York University.” Featuring Gottlieb demonstrating the various steps in silkscreen printing, it was the cinematic counterpart to Velonis' 1938 technical manuals on silkscreen published by the WPA/FAP. Distribution of the film spread knowledge of the technique to areas that lacked college art programs or professional art schools. Gottlieb’s commitment to the graphic arts was shared by a large number of Project artists, who later became the mentors for an entire postwar generation of fine art printmakers in this country. Their activities contributed to the burgeoning growth of printmaking studios, university graphic workshops and the unprecedented market for prints in the 1950s and 1960s. Shortly after Gottlieb had left the WPA/FAP, the onset of World War II prompted the gradual dissolution of the Project, and many of the artists were encouraged to produce propagandistic prints for the war effort. Gottlieb executed several serigraphs depicting war themes, such as Montage ofAmerican Soldiers and Damn the Torpedo of 1942 (fig. 5), yet these were produced after his tenure on the Project and no doubt stemmed from his own patriotic sentiments. In March of 1942, the entire WPA/FAP was renamed the Graphic Section of the War Services Division, and additional silkscreen and lithographic equipment was provided for artists who were now obligated to execute works supporting the Allies.19 The technical experimentation that had insured the rapid maturation of serigraphy was now openly discouraged and the process was once again being utilized for the more functional purpose of printing governmental posters. Despite this regressive trend, artists such as Gottlieb continued with their experiments in serigraphy on an independent basis and in the latter part of the forties the technique gained a wider following in both the United States and Europe. Throughout the 1950s there were numerous technical innovations made in serigtaphic materials and equipment, and in the 1960s a large number of Pop and Op art exponents began to employ the technique. Ironically, Op art’s emphasis on flat, intense hues emphasized the planar character of the medium and Pop’s reliance on media imagery served to realign serigraphy with its earlier commercial associations. While the process reached its full art historical legitimacy during the Pop and Op eras, this actually served to obscure the pioneering advancements made by Harry Gottlieb and other Project artists during the 1930s. However, in reviewing these fertile years in the medium's early history, Gottlieb emerges as a pivotal figure in the development of silkscreen as a fine art process. Through his prodigious output of prints and extensive lectures on serigraphy, Gottlieb was influential in establishing the technique as a viable and potent means of expression for modern artists. 9 �Harry Gottlieb: -- : . Social Con Sheryl Conkelton We too are interested primarily in art, but we realize that the creation of important art is a . .xial phenomenon and docs not begin and end in the artist's studio. Anonymous address to the American Artists Congress, November 1. 1936 5. Damn the Torpedo, 1942, serigraph, 12 1/4 x 18 1/4. The Syracuse University An Collections, (cat. 13) two brochures were later reprinted by the WPA in 1941 in one volume entitled The Silk Screen Process. ‘O’Connor, The New Deal Art Projects, 324. ’Elizabeth Olds, in a letter to the author, April 2, 1983. ’Olds, letter. ’Kainen, ‘‘The Graphic Arts Division,” 167. '“Sidney Alexander, Harry Gottlieb, New York, ACA Gallery, 1948, 2. “Harry Gottlieb, in an interview with Sheryl Conkelton and Gregory Gilbert, March 10. 1983. “Herman Baron, American Contemporary Artists Gallery Papers, Archives of American Art, New York, D304, 678-680. “Elizabeth McCausland, “Silk Screen Color Prints, Parnassus, March, 1940, 34-35, “Zigrosser, ‘‘Serigraph,” 460. ' ■'Milton Meltzer. Violins and Shovels: The If PA Arts Projects, New York. 1976, 79. "Gottlieb, interview, March 10, 1983. “ACA Gallery Papers, D3()4. 1169. ‘Silk Screen Process Filmed,” The Magazine of Art. August, 19-10, 481-482. Kainen, “The Graphic Arts Division," 171- NOTES 'As Carl Zigrosser noted in his ''Serigraph, A New Medium,” Print Collectors Quarterly, December, 1941, 467, Guy Maccoy actually had the first one-man exhibition of silkscreen prints, which was held at the Contemporary Arts Gallery in New York in November of 1938; however, Maccoy had not utilized the fine art process of serigraphy that was perfected in 1939 by Harry Gottlieb and members of the Federal Art Projects’s Silk Screen Unit. Serigraphy was comprised of a variety of techniques that involved the use of oil pigments, whereas Maccoy had executed his silkscreens in waterbased paints. (Jacob Kainen, ‘‘The Graphic Arts Division of the WPA Federal Art Project,” in The New Deal Art Projects: An Anthology of Memoirs, ed. by Francis V. O’Connor, Washington. D.C., 1972, 167. Anthony Velonis, "Silk Screen Process Prints,” Magazine of Art, July, 1940, 411. ■'William F. McDonald, Federal Relief Administration and the Arts, Columbus, 1969, 438. Anthony Velonis, Technical Problems of the Artist: Technique of the Mik Screen Process, Vol. I and Vol. II: Methods Other Than Projilm, New York, 1938. These The social and political significance of works of art created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration from its inception in 1935 to its dissolution in 1943 is immediately apparent. Not only does the content of these works make comment on the social and political temperament of the times, but the very existence of these works refers to an unprecedented system of government patronage for American art and artists. The importance and implications of this patronage were far reaching and tremendously involving for those artists who participated in rhe WPA programs. The artists and the work they did came to be regarded as integral to society’s well being and to the recovery of that well being. The artistic and political activities of Harry Gottlieb during this period are representative of rhe larger issues which concerned artists during the Depression years. His work focused on the artist’s responsibility to record the particular events and emotions of the times; art was a record of his subjective experience, but he also saw art as a progressive force, as a socially responsive and responsible activity. His major concern was not to espouse a particular political platform but to express the humanist ideal in the representation of people coping with the situations caused by tremendous economic depression. Gottlieb's political activity was centered upon the idea of the artist’s responsible role in society and. in turn, upon the government's responsibility to foster the artist and his art. He was very involved in encouraging government agencies to be supportive of art as well as industry and to be active in die dissemination of arc to a wide audience. The development of this audience was of great concern to Gottlieb: he taught and lectured on an and spoke often on the issues surrounding art education. He was supportive of proposals and projects which created a wider and more receptive audience. His decision to work with the graphic media was partially motivated bv this concern: prints were easily and inexpensively produced in large numbers and could be made available to the public. Gottlieb's initial involvement in political issues and organizations occurred upon his return from travel and 11 10 �I Harry Gottlieb: Art and Social Concern Sheryl Conkelton We too are interested primarily in art. but we realize that the creation of important an is a social phenomenon and does not begin and end in the artist’s studio. Anonymous address to the American Artists Congress. November 1. 1936 cat. 15) by the WPA in 1941 reen Process. Projecis, 324. he author. April 2, ivision." 167. 'ieb, New York. ACA v with Sheryl irch 10. 1983. itemporary Artists in Art, New York, screen Color Prints," <ovels: The U-'PA 1985. 69. The Magazine of ivision," 171. study in Europe on a Guggenheim Fellowship. He settled in Woodstock, where he had lived prior to his trip, and became aware of the growing organization among artists seeking government support as the Depression grew worse. Mrs. Juliana Force, who had given Gottlieb his first one-man exhibition in 1929 and was the first director of the Whitney Museum, was already involved with her own committee to raise funds for artists who had lost their usual sources of patronage when the Depression hit. Gottlieb joined her campaign and became chairman of the committee to raise funds.1 He was very successful in organizing a diverse group of artists into a supportive group. The lobbying efforts by this and other groups were instrumental in establishing the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in December 1935. Gottlieb continued to assist in efforts to increase public support of artists. The subtle change in the subjects that Gottlieb chose to depict in his paintings and lithographs reflect his growing political involvement. The lithographs he created in Europe show people taking part in all kinds of activities, as well as landscape scenes. Upon his return to Woodstock, leisure time subjects gave way to a consistent depiction of people’s labor: men at work in an icehouse and the excavation of a city street, among other images. The pleasantly wooded landscape began to reveal hidden quarries, busy railroad houses and other industrial scenes. The emphasis on the worker and the industrial landscape was accompanied by the full development of certain stylistic characteristics which had been exhibited to a lesser degree in his earlier works: disruption of scale within a continuous scene, alteration of naturalistic color and a blocky and summary description of the figure. This style had much in common with a general style developing among some of his contemporaries; it remained fairly consistent throughout Gottlieb's career. During the thirties, the term "social viewpoint" was used to describe paintings and prints of this kind. It has come to be known as "social realism," but at the time it was not considered realistic? Its distortions created a condensed account of the scene the artist sought to portray, with important elements selected and carefully emphasized to create a mood or impress a point. As Edmund Wilson pointed out in his essay on George Bellows, American artists at the time were working from a point of view for which there was no American tradition? They drew upon a wide variety of elements gleaned from sources as varied as the Surrealist The social and political significance of works of an created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration from its inception in 1955 to its dissolution in 1945 is immediately apparent. Not only does the content of these works make comment on the social and political temperament of the times, but the very existence of these works refers to an unprecedented system of government patronage for American art and artists. The importance and implications of this patronage were far reaching and tremendously involving for those artists who participated in the WPA programs. The artists and the work they did came to be regarded as integral to society's well being and to the recovery of that well being. The artistic and political activities of Harry Gottlieb during this period are representative of the larger issues which concerned artists during the Depression years. His work focused on the artist’s responsibility to record the particular events and emotions of the times; art was a record of his subjective experience, but he also saw art as a progressive force, as a socially responsive and responsible activity. His major concern was not to espouse a particular political platform but to express the humanist ideal in the representation of people coping with the situations caused by tremendous economic depression. Gottlieb’s political activity was centered upon the idea of the artist's responsible role in society and, in turn, upon the government’s responsibility to foster the artist and his art. He was very involved in encouraging government agencies to be supportive of art as well as industry and to be active in the dissemination of art to a wide audience. The development of this audience was of great concern to Gottlieb; he taught and lectured on art and spoke often on the issues surrounding art education. He was supportive of proposals and projects which created a wider and more receptive audience. His decision to work with the graphic media was partially motivated bs this concern: prints were easily and inexpensively produced in large numbers and could be made available to the public. Gottlieb's initial involvement in political issues and organizations occurred upon his return from travel and 11 �Committee Against Discrim in-; He also n support of another Union proposal for public the inclusion of an artists’ pavilion in the Uni exhibition at the 1939 World's Fait His articl in the June 1937 issue of the Art Front Orgai rationalized the project for artists: The whole plan would remove the illusion of mystery and romantic rubbish that many peo have concerning art and the artists; and repla with an understanding of the artist's craft am place he tills as a responsible member of sock 6. The Strike Is Won, 1940, serigraph, 12 1/4 x 16 3/4. Ellen Sragow Gallery, (cat. 6) and held classes. Some of the teachers made lithographs to sell to support the school, others donated their time to give demonstrations and teach classes. The issue of racial discrimination was always an important one for the Union. Gottlieb was a member of the Artists Committee Against Discrimination which was formed within the Union in 1936 specifically to fight a clause included in the FAP contract that refused “aliens” the right to exhibit at the Municipal Art Center.26 He felt very strongly about the issue of discrimination; in a serigraph he produced later entitled The Strike is Won, (fig. 6) the foreground scene contains While Gottlieb was never fully convinced that abstract art was valid,21 he supported the right of other artists to paint in this way. At a meeting of the Artists United Front in June 1936 he spoke on this subject, as recorded by the radical newsletter the Art Project Reporter: “Harry Gottlieb, president of the FAP local stressed the need for the artists’ complete freedom of expression. . . one way to obtain this is to break down the project's limitations imposed by the administration.”24 Gottlieb's interest in and support of the educative purposes of the Union was evidenced by his participation in the Art School that was set up by the Union on Fourteenth Street.2’ As the Depression worsened and the WPA/FAP grew larger and more bureaucratic, it became more and more difficult for artists to be placed on the rolls. Most artists who applied, particularly blacks, were rejected. In an effort to help these artists achieve the status and the necessary ability, Gottlieb and some other artists such as William Gropper, Paul Manship, and Stuart Davis rented a space a group of people of various races united in the celebration of their hard-won victory.2 . .. Gottlieb was tireless in his support of the right of a people to art education, not only the training of artist but also the education of people in the appreciation o* art. He defended rhe right of the public to have to art as part of their dailv life and was consistent in support of projects which attempted to insure this, .nd the among them the Municipal Art Center and the Artim Am' 14 His words carried in them an echo of the both the Artists Union and the WPA/FAP. I Gottlieb was an ideal president: as its leader supported the purposes of the artist's organiz as its spokesman he strove to maintain a relat between the militant union and its members The issues Gottlieb chose to actively and pers support by speaking at meetings and writing publications were usually those which were a! supported by both organizations, and so less controversial. For example, while many of hi including Elizabeth Olds, exhibited their wo: exhibition at the ACA Gallery in October 19 benefit the Spanish loyalist cause, Gotdieb’s absent. At the same time, his support of oth such as the Artists Committee Against Discri illustrate his steadfast humanist framework: i focused on an immediate benefit for the artii contained within a larger purpose of integral and artmaking with society at large. The den ideal of improving society was always present Gottlieb remained uncontrovetsial becaus espousal of the humanist cause, although the the John Reed Club. out of which the Union a professed Communism. The early organizei leaders w'ere all radical leftists; rhe Union’s o Front, was modeled after the Russian journal and Left Front and its early organizational br and journal articles were full of leftist politic: However, there is little of this tvpe of rhetori Gottlieb’s writings; what he expressed was a : desire to see the human condition improved belief in the power of art as a progressive fori In the spring of 193' layoffs among the a once again considered and this time, in June, number of artists were fired, Gottlieb among and Stuart Davis went personally to Holger C spent several hours debating the necessity of I �Committee Against Discrimination. He also wrote in support of another Union proposal for public education: the inclusion of an artists’ pavilion in the United States exhibition at the 1939 World's Fair. His article appeared in the June 1937 issue of the Art Front Organizer and rationalized the project for artists: The whole plan would remove the illusion of mystery and romantic rubbish that many people still have concerning art and the artists; and replace it with an understanding of the artist’s craft and the place he fills as a responsible member of society. >f the teachers made lithographs tool, others donated their time nd teach classes. scrimination was always an nion. Gottlieb was a member of gainst Discrimination which was i in 1936 specifically to fight a \P contract that refused libit at the Municipal Art ongly about the issue of ;raph he produced later entitled 6) the foreground scene contains ious races united in the •won victory.27 in his support of the right of all not only the training of artists f people in the appreciation of hr of the public to have access ily life and was consistent in his i attempted to insure this, Pal An Center and the Artists but were unsuccessful in their attempts to convince him to support the artists.” Gottlieb was eventually rehired, but not before he had participated in every effort to secure the rehiring of all the dismissed artists, including showing the lithograph Bootleg Mining (fig. 1) in an exhibition entitled “Pink Slips over Culture."" Gottlieb was succeeded in his one year term as president by Philip Evergood. Gottlieb continued to be active in the Union, sitting on the National Executive Committee which coordinated the activities of artists unions across the country;"’ thus Gottlieb's political involvement did not cease completely, but simply became less important as he focused on the art of silkscreen itself as a vehicle for humanist expression and communication when he joined the newly formed FAP Silk Screen Unit in 1938. The depiction of incidents of human struggle served him in his pursuit of a socially responsible art. His membership in the Artists Union identified him with the industrial workers and he totally involved himself in the struggle of the working class With other artists he would often drive out to industrial towns and mining sites to sketch from life and discuss life and politics with the people there. In one incident, in order to be admitted to a mine during a particularly unstable time for a local union, he and another artist joined the miners union to prove their support for the workers there.” Particular issues would provoke sketches for prints, the idea for the final image being one which would convey a concise narrative of the situation. The serigraph, Mine Disaster, c. 1939. (cat. 5) illustrates a specific episode that occurred while Gottlieb was visiting a mine. In it, he chose to focus on rhe human drama that he became a part of rather than the specific details of the incident. The print shows an almost locationless, dark setting, out of which emerge small figures of various size and proximity, displaying emotions of shock and horror. In another serigraph, The Strike is Won, (fig. 6), the figures are much closer to the spectator, as if to include him in the emotional victory. Gottlieb's art was basically optimistic. It looked towards social betterment, itself a tool of progress. This connotation can be discerned even in the rather anonymous figures placed within an industrial landscape in the serigraph Change of Shift, c. 1940 (cover illustration). Several workers are seen descending towards the factory to begin their shift. While the looming towers and flames could be seen as threatening, the discontinuity of space that separates the workers from His words carried in them an echo of the goals of both the Artists Union and the WPA/FAP. In this sense Gottlieb was an ideal president: as its leader he supported the purposes of the artist’s organization, and as its spokesman he strove to maintain a relationship between the militant union and its members' employer. The issues Gottlieb chose to actively and personally support by speaking at meetings and writing for various publications were usually those which were also supported by both organizations, and so less controversial. For example, while many of his friends, including Elizabeth Olds, exhibited their work in an exhibition at the ACA Gallery in October 1936 to benefit the Spanish loyalist cause, Gottlieb’s work was absent. At the same time, his support of other programs such as the Artists Committee Against Discrimination, illustrate his steadfast humanist framework; each issue focused on an immediate benefit for the artists, but was contained within a larger purpose of integrating artist and artmaking with society at large. The democratic ideal of improving society was always present. Gottlieb remained uncontroversial because of his espousal of the humanist cause, although the focus of thejohn Reed Club, out of which the Union grew, was a professed Communism. The early organizers and leaders were all radical leftists; the Union’s organ, Art Front, was modeled after the Russian journals On Guard and Left Front and its early organizational broadsides and journal articles were full of leftist political rhetoric. However, there is little of this type of rhetoric in Gottlieb’s writings; what he expressed was a sincere desire to see the human condition improved and a deep belief in the power of art as a progressive force. In the spring of 1937 layoffs among the artists were once again considered and this time, in June, a large number of artists were fired, Gottlieb among them. He and Stuart Davis went personally to Holger Cahill and spent several hours debating the necessity of the firings, 15 �9. Liberty, 1941, lithograph, 13 x 19 3/8. The Syracuse University Art Collections, (cat. 22; participation were those which involved larger questions freedom to pursue personal expression, the opportunity for all individuals to appreciate art and culture and. ultimately, artistic and economic survival. Gottlieb s Gottlieb pursued a very active supportive role in the various political and professional organizations that existed during the thirties; his participation was motivated not by political ideologies, but by his view of himself as an artist, a position newly activated by both independent and government sponsored agencies. The choice of issues to support was, for Gottlieb, based on his response to the idea of the artist as a responsible social being with a particular purpose to fulfill. As seen in his prints, the issues in which he sought active subjects and themes from the WPA years were ver, closely linked to his political and social convictions, f'- drama and emotion which he portrayed ultimately expressed his deep belief in humanist ideals and communicated his desire for social improvement. 18 NOTJS Harty Gottlieb, in an interview with $ Conkelton and Gregory Gilbert, Juh 23. 1 Interview, July 23 1983. 'Patricia Hill and Roberta Tarbell, Thi Tradition and tin \X hiiney Museum of An New York, 1980, 84 ‘Edmund Wilson. George Bellows ' An American Larthifuake. New York 1951 'Gerald M Monroe. "Artists as Militat Wod ers During the Great Depres-ion." A American Art Journal. 14. I. 1974, 37. ‘Monroe, 7. American Artists Bulletin, Wmi-r 193 Gottlieb Pape r., Archives of American Art 'Marlene Park and Gerald 1. Markowit Deal for Art, Hamilton, New York, 1977. Interview. July 23. 1983. ‘"Harry Gottlieb, "Self Government at Municipal Art Center," Art Front, Februai Gottlieb Paper ., D343. 176. ' Stuart Dave , "The American Am t American Magazine of Art. 28. Augu-.t, r in Herschel B. Chipp, Theories in Modern and Los Angeles. 1968. 468 ‘Gerald M. Monroe, "The Artists Uni York," Art Journal, 32. Fall 1972, i" ■ 'Morri', Neuwirth, "219." Art Front. _ Harry Gottlieb Papers. D343, 153. “Monroe, "Artists as Militants " 8. •‘Harry Gottlieb, in an interview with ' Conkciton and Gregory Gilbert March 16’. “Gerald M. Monroe, "Art Front.' Arc American Art Journal. 13, 3, 1973, i '■ met controversy over a Rivera mural: Park and cite Edward Bruce, "The Public’s Reaction and Sculpture under the Section of Fine Ai Archives. See also Richard McKinzie. The : Artists, Princeton, 1973, 58-6~ Interview. March 10. 1983. �■ u> r \' dons. (cat. 22) were those which involved larger questions: jursue personal expression, the opportunity duals to appreciate art and culture and, rustic and economic survival. Gottlieb’s themes from the WPA years were very d to his political and social convictions. The :motion which he portrayed ultimately s deep belief in humanist ideals and ed his desire for social improvement. NOTES 'Harry Gottlieb, in an interview with Sheryl Conkelton and Gregory Gilbert, July 23, 1983. ■Interview, July 23, 1983. ■Patricia Hills and Roberta Tarbell, The Figurative Tradition and the Whitney Museum ofAmerican Art, New York, 1980, 84. ■Edmund Wilson, “George Bellows,” reprinted in An American Earthquake, New York, 1958, 96. ’Gerald M. Monroe, "Artists as Militant Trade Union Workers During the Great Depression, ’ ’ Archives of American Art Journal, 14, 1, 1974, 37. ‘Monroe, 7. "American Artists Bulletin, Winter 1937, Harry Gottlieb Papers, Archives of American Art, D343, 93. ‘Marlene Park and Gerald E. Markowitz, The New Dealfor Art, Hamilton, New York, 1977, xiii. ’Interview, July 23, 1983. '“Harty Gottlieb, "Self Government and the Municipal Art Center,” Art Front, February, 1936, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 176. "Smart Davis, "The American Artists Today,” American Magazine of Art, 28, August, 1935, reprinted in Herschel B. Chipp, Theories in Modern Art, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1968, 468. “Gerald M. Monroe, "The Artists Union of New York,” ArtJournal, 32, Fall 1972, 17. “Morris Neuwirth, “219,” Art Front, January, 1937, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 153. "Monroe, "Artists as Militants,” 8. “Harry Gottlieb, in an interview with Sheryl Conkelton and Gregory Gilbert, March 10, 1983“Gerald M. Monroe, “Art Front,” Archives of American Art Journal, 13, 3, 1973, 13 mentions the controversy over a Rivera mural; Park and Markowitz, 29 c«e Edward Bruce, "The Public’s Reaction to Murals and Sculpture under the Section of Fine Arts, National Archives. See also Richard McKinzie, The New Deal for Artists, Princeton, 1973, 58-67. '“See Thomas Craven, "Art and Propaganda." Scribner s Magazine, March, 1943, 191; "Nationalism in Art, Forum, June, 1936, 160. Sec also articles by Stuart Davis and Thomas Hart Benton in Art Front, January and April, 1935. '’Holger Cahill, "The Federal Art Project," New Horizons in American Art, Museum of Modern Art. New York, 1936, reprinted in Chipp, 472-473. ■“"The WPA Art Project; A Summary of Activities and Accomplishments," National Archives, cited by Park and Markowitz, 26. ’'Hills and Tarbell, 82-83. ““Policy of American Artists Congress,” February, 1936, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 11. “Interview, March 10, 1983. “"Artists United Front," Art Project Reporter, July, 1936, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343. 501. “Interview, July 23, 1983. “"Our Municipal Art Gallery and Center," Art Front, February, 1936, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 176. “Interview, March 10, 1983. “Harry Gottlieb, "The World's Fair and the Artist,” Art Front Organizer, June 18, 1937, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 451. “Monroe, "Art Front,” 13. “McKinzie, 99. ““On the Fine Arts,” The New Masses, July 27, 1937, American Contemporary Artists Gallery Papers, D3O4, 1140. “Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 104. “Interview, March 10, 1983. “"Win the War Conference May 24,” Joint Bulletin of the American Artists Congress and United American Artists, May, 1942, Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 45-47. “Monroe, “Artists as Militants,” 10. “Ibid. '"Report for 1942: An American Group, Inc., Harry Gottlieb Papers, D343, 537. “Interview, March 10, 1983. 19 �A Conversation with Harry Gottlieb The following interview with Harry Gottlieb took place on March 10, 1983, at the artist's hom‘^eW York City. For convenience, the questions °f% » are interviewers, Sheryl Conkelton and Gregory Gi combined and designated INT. Biographical note: Harry Gottlieb was bom in Bucharest, Rumania on January 23, 1895; in 1901he settled with his family in Ireland. Following the death of his mother in 1903, Gottlieb emigrated with his father andfive brothers and sisters to the United States in 1907. The family settled with relatives in Minneapolis, where Gottlieb attended the Minneapolis Institute of Art from 1915 to 1917. At this time, the school was one of the most active art centers in the Middle West, and such prominent Depression era artists as Adolf Dehn, Arnold Blanch, Wanda Gag, and Elizabeth Olds also studied at the Institute. In 1917, Gottlieb served as a military illustrator for the Navy, developing visual aids INTERVIEWER: What was your earliest involvement with art? HARRY GOTTLIEB: I spent my childhood in Ireland and we came from Ireland to Minneapolis, when I was about 13, 14 years old. I became interested in the Saturday Evening Post photographs and cartoons and I started to copy them. I got a great kick out of doing that, and that's the way I started. Let me tell you an unfortunate situation. We were quite poor. As a matter of fact, when we arrived in Minneapolis, there were five children and my father living in one tenement room. And the second day after we arrived, a cousin of mine, whom I hadn’t met before, came and cold me that, '‘Tomorrow I’m going to get you started selling newspapers and shining shoes on the street.” It was a devastating announcement to me. because in Ireland you lived out the rest of your life as a newsboy. INT: So, in other words, you didn't have a lot of rime to devote to art when you were young? HG: Well, worse than that - ] didn’t have any time to play with my playmates after school. I was so for a communications school in New London, Connecticut. Gottlieb settled in New York City in 1918 and during that same year he became a scenic and costume designer for Eugene O'Neill’s Provincetown Theatre group. In 1923, Gottlieb settled in the artist colony of Woodstock, New York, where he remained for twelve years. The artist's residency at Woodstock was interrupted in 1931, when he spent a year-long Guggenheim Fellowship studying in Europe. In 19yy, Gottlieb joined the Federal Art Project, and he worked in the graphics division until 1940; during this period, Gottlieb was an active member in such political organizations as the Artists Union and the Artists Congress, and in 1938 he was associated with the WPA/FAP’s Silk Screen Unit. After the dissolution of the WPA programs, Gottlieb remained actively involved with the silkscreen technique and continued to work in the medium until the middle years of the 1970s. Gottlieb last lectured on serigraphy in 1975 at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. shined a man’s shoes and he was feeling good, he'd give me a tip. You learn these little things very early. So, 1 did that all the way through school, because we were quite poor. My father needed whatever he could get from us. And I have an older brother who hardly went to school at all. It was one or two years and then he went to work. Never got any other education. I paid my way through. I never got a cent from my father for anything I needed. And I also learned how to work a sewing machine and mend my own clothes, and do all the things that you associate with a household. I would have to do it myself. So, I was a young worker, and that stayed with me when I went to art school. I had a job during the summer with a laundry, that I could still give some money at home and at the same time pay for my tumcn and other expenses. Now, I say this without resentment. I felt it was necessary. You grow up very quickly un et poverty, and I accepted the fact that 1 had to do this, and that was it. When I finished high school, I had to make up m mind what was I going to do. 1 had been drawing, asl been very much interested in art in a primitive way. got no advice. There wasn't anybody that I coul a• what should 1 do with my life; 1 had to feel my I decided I had a choice — '.■■..'her go to the University of Minnesota, wnich is in Minneapolis, or else go to art school. They had a summer course at the art school, so I decided to try to find out whether this was for me or whether I should go to college. It was the most wonderful experience. There was nothing else like it that I’ve ever had in my life. And so there was no question about what I was going to do. INT: You studied at the Minneapolis Institute of An. HG: We had a very fine head of the school. His name was Robert Koehleg a German artist. And he did something which was remarkable. He did the first painting on labor strife. INT: Didn’t he paint that when you were there? HG: No. Painted it earlier And he painted a great many other paintings which were very creditable, verygood. This was the first one that was done in the United States, and it was shown at the Whitney Museum a couple of years ago in an exhibition they had. INT: When did you begin an school? HG: I’ll tell you what happened to me. It was unfortunate. When I told my family I was going to an school, my father said, “What? Can you make a living at it?” That’s the first question he asked. And I got bombarded from all sides on this, so I had to pay attention to it. And what was the result? The result was I took a design course so I could make a living designing wallpaper or textiles. Not that I wanted to. I was just forced into it in a sense, because I had nothing to counteract it. And so I missed some of my art education that would have been very valuable to me. I had to pick it up on the wav. INT: Did they use any silkscreen techniques in this design course? HG: Silkscreen didn't exist. INT: It wasn’t even a commercial process then? HG: Well, I never heard of it. INT: What type of courses did you take in art school? HG: Well, I did drawing, and very little painting. Most of it was drawing. There was some design. So I kept on drawing, and I painted on my own. I may hate brought the paintings I did for the teacher to criticize. 1 don t remember specifically. INT: What type of subject matter were you interested in at that time? HG: I was interested mainly in nature, and I did drawings, primitive drawings, of people I knew. INT: Did you do any lithography or etching while you were at school? HG: At that time, drawing was all 1 did. 21 �mentions school in New London, sei•ttled in New York City in 1918 and ame year he became a scenic and costume Eugene O'Neill’s Provincetown Theatre 2i, Gottlieb settled in the artist colony of New York, where he remainedfor twelve list’s residency at Woodstock was n 1931, when he spent a year-long ■ Fellowship studying in Europe. In 1935, ,.ed the Federal Art Project, and he u. orked ics division until 1940; during this period, an active member in such politicos s as the Artists Union and the Artists •din 1938 he was associated with the Silk Screen Unit. After the dissolution of ngrams, Gottlieb remained actively involved •screen technique and continued to work in until the middle years of the 19/ Os. t lectured on serigraphy tn 1975 at Trent Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. .n's shoes and he was feeling good, he d give ju learn these little things very early. So. I the wav through school, because we were My father needed whatever he could get id I have an older brother who hardly went all. It was one or two years and then he k. Never got any other education. I paid my i. 1 never got a cent from my father for leeded. And I also learned how to work a tine and mend my own clothes, and do all hat you associate with a household. I would t myself. s a young worker and that stayed with me t to art school. I had a job during the h a laundry, that I could still give some )me and at the same time pay for my tuition epenses. Now. I say this without resentment, necessary. You grow up very quickly under 11 accepted the fact that 1 had to do this, s it. finished high school, I had to make up my was 1 going to do. I had been drawing, had wch interested in art in a primitive way, as I1 ce. There wasn’t anybody that 1 could ask 11 do with my life: I had to feel my own way- 1 decided I had a choice — either go to the University of Minnesota, which is in Minneapolis, or else go to art school. They had a summer course at the art school, so I decided to try to find out w hether this was for me or w hether I should go to college. It was the mOst wonderful experience. There was nothing else like it that I’ve ever had in my life. And so there was no question about what I was going to do. INT: You studied at the Minneapolis Institute of INT: How important do you think your artistic training was to your later development as an artist? HG: Well, it gave me a base that wasn’t a particularly full base. As a matter of fact, when I came to New York to live I decided to take a course with a very fine graphic artist — popular and a realist. [The artist was John Sloan.] I signed up for the course for a month, and he didn’t come the first time I was there. They don’t come all the time. They come once or twice a week to criticize. And I lost my interest. I paid my money, but I never went. I never really took the course. This was in 1919, but earlier, when I finished my classes, there were prizes given to the student that made the most progress, and I was second. The artist who got the first prize decided to enlist in the Navy. This was World War I. I was not politically motivated in any way, but I didn’t like the idea of accepting something that he sacrificed. So I also enlisted. Isn’t that crazy? To this day I couldn’t figure out any other reason but that I just didn’t want to accept his sacrifice. There was Navy training at an institution in Minneapolis and then we went during the summer to live in Harvard dormitories. And then the basic training was at New London, Connecticut. You either served on a submarine or a sub chaser. It was very difficult, because you had to learn the equipment in the dark so you could take it apart and put it together in the dark. You can imagine what kind of concentration you had to have. So I got the idea that if I, as an artist, could do large closeups of these small parts, it would be easier to understand them. I told the commandant my idea, and he thought it was a good idea. So I spent the rest of my time doing this as the artist on the staff. In the Navy, when you got a signal that the admiral was there, you dropped everything and stood at attention. At one time, I was working on something at a table, doing a picture of a part, and I paid no attention. And when the admiral, under the guidance of the commandant, came through, I was the only person working. He was interested; the commandant had to explain. Since it was the first time this had been done, naturally he went into it in some detail and the admiral praised him to the sky for having the initiative to do An. HG: We had a very fine head of the school. His rurne was Robert Koehler; a German artist. And he did something which was remarkable. He did the first painting on labor strife. INT: Didn’t he paint that when you were there? HG: No. Painted it earlier And he painted a great rmm other paintings which were very creditable, very good. This was the first one that was done in the United Sstes. and it was shown at the Whitney Museum a couple of years ago in an exhibition they had. INT: When did you begin art school? HG: I’ll tell you what happened to me. It was unfortunate. When I told my family I was going to an school, my father said. “What? Can you make a living at it?” That’s the first question he asked. And I got bombarded from all sides on this, so I had to pay attention to it And what was the result? The result was I took a design course so I could make a living designing wallpaper or textiles. Not that I wanted to. I was just forced into it in a sense, because I had nothing to counteract it And so I missed some of my art education that would have been very valuable to me. I had to pick it up on the way. INT: Did they use any silkscreen techniques in this design course? HG: Silkscreen didn’t exist. INT: It wasn't even a commercial process then? HG: Well, 1 never heard of it. INT: What type of courses did you take in art school? HG: Well, I did drawing, and very little painting. Most of it was drawing. There was some design. So I kept on drawing, and I painted on my own. I may have brought the paintings I did for the teacher to criticize. I don't remember specifically. INT: What type of subject matter were you toterested in at that time? HG: I was interested mainly in nature, and I did drawing-,, primitive drawings, of people I knew. INT: Did you do any lithography or etching while this. All the time I was in the Navy, I never was on a ship, never even saw a ship. I played the role of the artist on the staff, which they should have had in the first place. Bur that’s my Navy training. INT: And when you left the Navy, you went back to Minneapolis? ... HG: I went back to Minneapolis just tor a short period, just to sort things out. I didn’t intend to stay. I ; ',U Were at stfiojjp HG: At that time, drawing was all I did. 21 �INT: Did you do any lithographs in Woodstock? HG: Four. One in particular, The Round House. INT: So your work with lithography in Woodstock was your first involvement with the graphic arts? HG: That’s right. Oh, I did several drypoints, but was the place for me had realized that New York on the weekends, once in a because from New' London, while I'd go to New York. INT: Did you get involved with graphic arts and the political scene at the same time you began this new life? very, very simple. INT: Where did you do your drypoints? Were those also in Woodstock or was that earlier? HG: Several in Woodstock. INT: Were they landscapes? HG: Well, one was a landscape in a sense. There were huts that the fishermen had to put all their equipment in, and maybe their fish, too. But basically it HG: There wasn’t anything. I saw some shows, some exhibitions, which were interesting. The first job I had was at S50 a week at a studio that made designs for textiles and wallpapers. INT: So you used your training? HG: I used my training, but I didn’t make any designs. And I didn’t stay with that very long. I got a job with a factory making armatures. I didn't stay there very long. It was very, very difficult. I wasn t used to using my arms or muscles in that way. A job opened up at the Provincetown Theater. I had a very interesting was people. INT: The lithographs you did in Paris, were those color lithographs or black-and-white? HG: I only did one color lithograph, when I came to New York. During that year, the first few months. I stayed in Paris, and then I w’ent to Germany because of the museums. And, of course, 1 enjoyed Italy. Who could not enjoy Italy? And 1 did some work there. INT: When you finished your Guggenheim, did you period of several years there. INT: And after Provincetown, you went to Woodstock? HG: I went to Woodstock because I had to I find somewhere I could go and develop myself as; an artist and at the same time make a living. INT: Was there an artist colony there then? HG: Yes, of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gone. Woodstock was very important to me. In the first place, I made a living making picture frames. I love landscape painting and at Kingston, New York, only ten miles away, there was very interesting material. There was a very small waterway that had small boats that came from Pennsylvania to bring in coal. The landscape there was very beautiful, and they had slaughterhouses and large buildings, subjects that were of interest to me. INT: So you mainly did landscape work at Woodstock? HG: Yes, and in 1931, I got a Guggenheim and went to Europe for a year. INT: You did mostly drawings when you were in Europe? HG: Lithographs. The best lithographs I ever made I was very fortunate. Paris had the best lithographer probably in the world. INT: You worked in a studio? HG: A workshop. INT: Do you remember the name of the lithographer? HG: Desjoubert. He was a wonderful, wonderful lithographer. Hr:N idihk experience.0' come back to New York? HG: I came back to Woodstock, that was my home. Mrs. Juliana Force was in charge of a small project that was opening in Woodstock. I got on it. A small group of us met and discussed the possibility of enlarging the project. I got in touch with some artists in New York, and their suggestion was that we hold a meeting of all the artists in Woodstock to find out what the conditions were. I’ll tell you, they had a verv, very tough time: we had to set up an organization just to make it possible to eat and get kerosene for heat. They said, “Hold a meeting and see if you can get your project organized. So, we got together and sent out a call for this meeung. And, much to our amazement, we saw artists whom 1 had never seen — academic artists, and other artists that I knew. This was an awakening to think that we had separated ourselves, and it had taken an emergent to get together again as artists to talk about our craft, h enlarged the project, naturally, because we had found out that some of these artists were just as badly oft as wc were! Which was an interesting thing. I doubt very much whether it ever got back to the old division. So you learn from things. Then, in '35, the things 1 d heard about New York were so exciting 1 decided to move. I had had enough of Woodstock. As a matter <-* y0U h0W t0 do '“hography? fact, basically, 1 don't believe in art colonies isolated INT: Because they are isolated from life, or from things that were going on artistically? "rV"a' hW' ‘ had 22 HG: Both. I think it's much more cut off from life than the other, though both were operative. INT: When you originally came to New York and you started going to galleries and museums, what particular artists or what styles were you interested in? HG: Burchfield just fascinated me. INT: Was it because of his style or the subject matter that he painted? HG: Oh, it was his subject matter, and his point of view, his attitude. I explored — not abstract art — but really putting more design into my work. I never at any time was fully convinced that abstract art was valid for me, for the simple reason that I considered art a language to communicate my experiences. INT: When you began to do your work in New York, were you involved with communicating certain ideas or just depicting things that you saw? HG: I did some people at work. For instance, thev were working on the tracks that we had for the streetcars at that time, and I did some drawings. When I first moved to New York, I lived in a brownstone on Fifth Avenue and 14th Street. And just across the street, on the second floor of the building, was a beauty parlor school. And so I did drawings of that, of the people that were there and the teachers. INT: When you came to New York, were you immediately involved in the WPA projects here? HG: Yes, in ‘35. And then, in 1936. I was president of the Artists Union. INT: Oh, that happened that quickly? HG: Well, the so-called “established artists” didn’t want to get involved in it. it’s too bad. but that was the situation. I was avid to experience whatever could be experienced in such an exciting time and place. I wanted to become involved So, in ‘36 I was president. INT: Did vou get involved with the silkscrcen project right away or did that come later? HG: That came later, because I didn t know anything about it and no one else knew anything about it, except the people who were doing commercial work. INT: 1 think you originally told us that when you were the president of the union. Anthony Velonis5 came and asked you to be part of his silkscreen unit 1Is■ that heard of th< other an ar that i $5 ar S200 stron it's a II to lo depii L li idea I I wa I matt I 1 I lire post the esu sorr. the the den cou exai to s abs ani did the ait right? HG: No. He brought a proposal to the executive committee of the union He thought that the silkscreen process was suitable for fine art production. Vie were , impressed, and so we set up a committee to meet with 'he administration to create a pilot project to try it om The administration approved of this idea. From what I prii but «F edi exp ver 23 �I Did you do any lithographs in Woodstock? Four. One in particular, The Round House. So your work with lithography in Woodstock hist involvement with the graphic arts? fhat’s right. Oh, I did several drypoints, but simple. Where did you do your drypoints? Were those hodstock or was that earlier? Several in Woodstock. Were they landscapes? Well, one was a landscape in a sense. There s that the fishermen had to put all their nt in, and maybe their fish, too. But basically it ile. The lithographs you did in Paris, were those ographs or black-and-white? 1 only did one color lithograph, when I came to k. During that year the first few' months, I Paris, and then I went to Germany because of turns. And, of course, I enjoyed Italy. Who t enjoy Italy? And I did some work there. When you finished your Guggenheim, did you ck to New York? I came back to Woodstock, that was my home, ana Force was in charge of a small project that ling in Woodstock. I got on it. A small group of nd discussed the possibility of enlarging the I got in touch with some artists in New York, r suggestion was that w'e hold a meeting of all s in Woodstock to find out what the conditions 1 tell you, they had a very; very tough time; we ;t up an organization just to make it possible to get kerosene for hear. They said. "Hold a and see if you can get your project organized." ot together and sent out a call for this meeting, rch to our amazement, we saw artists whom I :r seen — academic artists, and other artists lew. This was an awakening to think that we irated ourselves, and it had taken an emergency 'gether again as artists to talk about our craft. It the project, naturally, because we had found some of these artists were just as badly off as we hich was an interesting thing. I doubt very hether it ever got back to the old division. So n from things. Then, in ‘35, the things I’d jout New York were so exciting I decided to had had enough of Woodstock. As a matter of -ical!;.. I don t believe in art colonies. • ecause they are isolated from life, or isolated mgs that were going on artistically? HG: Both. I think it’s much more cut off from life than the other, though both were operative. INT: When you originally came to New York and you started going to galleries and museums, what particular artists or what styles were you interested in? HG: Burchfield just fascinated me. INT: Was it because of his style or the subject matter I that he painted? HG: Oh, it was his subject matter, and his point of view, his attitude. I explored — not abstract art — but really putting more design into my work. I never at any time was fully convinced that abstract art was valid for me. for the simple reason that I considered art a I language to communicate my experiences. INT: When you began to do your work in New York, were you involved with communicating certain ideas or just depicting things that you saw? HG: I did some people at work. For instance, they were working on the tracks that we had for the streetcars at that time, and I did some drawings. When I first moved to New York, I lived in a brownstone on Fifth Avenue and 14th Street. And just across the street, on the second floor of the building, was a beauty parlor school. And so I did drawings of that, of the people that were there and the teachers. INT: When you came to New York, were you immediately involved in the WPA projects here? HG: Yes, in ‘35. And then, in 1936, I was president I of the Artists Union. I INT: Oh, that happened that quickly? HG: Well, the so-called “established artists" didn’t want to get involved in it. It’s too bad, but that was the situation. I was avid to experience whatever could be experienced in such an exciting time and place. I wanted | to become involved. So, in ‘36 I was president. I INT: Did you get involved with the silkscreen project right away or did that come later? HG: That came later, because I didn’t know anything about it and no one else knew anything about it, except the people who were doing commercial work. INT: 1 think you originally told us that when you "’ere the president of the union, Anthony Velonis came and asked you to be part of his silkscreen unit. Is that right? HG: No. He brought a proposal to the executive committee of the union. He thought that the silkscreen Process was suitable for fine art production. We were impressed, and so we set up a committee to meet with the administration to create a pilot project to try it out. eard, it was a really exciting possibility; I became one o the men on the pilot project. There were five or six others. It was the most exciting experience I’ve had as an artist because it opened up such possibilities. I think that it democratized art. For example, my prints sold for S5 and $10. Now, I don't have to tell you, they sell for $200 to $500. That’s the difference. Anyway, I feel very strongly about the meaning of that meeting and what it’s accomplished. INT: Did the idea that you could make art available to lots of different kinds of people influence what you depicted in your silkscreens? HG: Naturally. INT: It didn’t just come from the WPA and the idea that you were documenting it? HG: No. It had nothing to do with that. I did what I wanted. It wasn’t often that there were conflicts. INT: You never really had any problems in such a matter? HG: I never had any problem whatsoever. INT: So there was no sense of censorship? HG: No. I could understand that the people who live in a community where a mural is to be done in a post office would want a committee to be set up so that the community could meet with the artist and help to establish what the subject would be. They might have some ideas themselves, and I think it’d be wonderful. If the artist was interested, it’d be beautiful and give it all the more meaning. But that’s a question of prior conference to determine what the subject would be and what it couldn’t be. I don’t believe in censorship at all. For example, I believe entirely that an artist should be able to work in the way that he wants to, whether it’s abstract or realistic or what-have-you. INT: There’s a similarity in the way that a lot of the artists painted and drew. Was that something that you did consciously? Did your style change? HG: My style didn’t change. INT: What were you particularly interested in about the silkscreen process? HG: In the first place, it doesn't require extensive machinery, and all the other print-making crafts do, with the exception of wood block. Number two, you can print on any paper that you want. You don't have to buy expensive paper to print on. It’s a question of expense, you see. Number three, you can have large editions' -- you can sell them very reasonably and I expand the audience for art. And number four, which is very, very important — you can live anywhere. You administration approved of this idea. From what 1 d 23 �HG: No, you see, because of the freedom of the silkscreen, you work wherever you are. whether vT have to live tn a Dig uiy u .. exhibition and all rhe lithographs, whereas I carried an It has such obvious equipment for printing in my hands, on Staten Island or God-knows-where. You're frcc y' have all the equipment and you just go ahead and T advantages for an artist. his technical manual for INT: When Velonis wrote the silkscreen process, did you help with it? HG: No. I had nothing to do with that. own silkscrccn INT: You started writing your manual, didn'ti you? IlUUl, UIUU y.zv. HG: I did start, but I never finished it. INT: Why did you remain interested in silkscrccn after the dissolution of the Silk Screen Unit? HG: It was my own personal interest that caused m< to spend every moment that I could working toward an exhibition, although that wasn t my original idea. I just wanted to produce this process which 1 was sold on. You what you want, what you can. INT: So you worked on the art by yourself, but.,itJ got together with other artists over the artistic i»ut,; know, it's almost like painting. INT: Is that why you were interested in it. because of its ability to mimic painting? HG: Yes, because you could change it as you went along. It had so many possibilities and was so exciting. INT: What was the specific strut turc of the Silk Screen Unit? Did you meet as a group to discuss your projects? HG: The six met as a group with Velonis so that bl­ could teach us the process. That's all. INT: After you initially learned the technique, you never really got together again as a group? HG: No. You were on your own INT: So then all you did was present your proposals to Lynd Ward? HG: Lynd Ward was the head of the graphics, and we had to work with him. INT: And once that was all done, you just went ahead and did it? HG: That’s right. Everyone was on his own. INT: What was the community like then? Did you get together and talk about what you were doing? HG: No. That was as likely as to talk about how vou were doing on a painting. INT: There was no group interchange* , Th T"’ T anT Set UP a Silkstrccn organization which had nothing to do with the project, but had to do with work outside. INT: Is that the Silk Screen Group, organized in 1940? Were you part of that? HG: I was for a time, but I didn’r l,„ . ■ INT: So while you were associated with the Sillf' Screen Unit, you didn't reallv have a central smd workshop where all of you worked together" " HG: Never. INT: Well, the Artists Union. HG: No. The only reason we got together on that basis was to fight for the project and to fight for ant artist who was kicked oft without reason. INT: So it didn't involve artistic matters happened artistically HG: No. Well, il something ' which waMi t justified1 in our minds on the Project, then .. . see? But in deciding about w. would rake it on. you ’ ■■ -r and that ort of thing, unless it was rtallt subject matter tonfitt t. we never had anything to du with it. a key 1 INT: You opened up a school of .silksctcen with Elizabeth Olds, didn't you' HG: Well, we got omc literature out, but never opened up the school INT: When you demon .trated. was n to make people aware of rhe new '.ilk'xrct n ptotrv,, or wa- it io attually teach them how to do it' HG: There's only one plat e where I've taught, aid that was Lincoln. Nebraska I hey asked me il I would give a quick i.->ur ■■ and I had a few day- free And ■■■ got a tew students there, and gave sessions I multi teat h any one the print , so they < ould go home aid '■ it themselves. It's -,o simple. INT: But didn't you actually travel to ttai h silkscreen' HG: No. Just to demonstrate, to introduce it INT: Was that tied to your interest in trying :<r- art more accessible to the public? HG: Of course. INT: Did you want them to become iuW''"enough in the medium to produce their own oir • HG: I’ll tell you, everyone who came to a demonstration pulled their own print. INT: When we talked before, you merit:' the print can make incidents and " wider audience. Wat this what ,-,u intended ■■■■■-■■ depicted scenes like Bootleg Mining' HG: I want to tell vou about two im.-de"-- - ' incidents. At one of the coal mines in Penn ■ . there was a road that came our from me ?JJ‘' ', , the miners had dug in order to get the ecu. out • . owner decided to hire a steam shovel rode* INT: So that pcopf- oxildu't to me m HG: That’s right. So the miners found ou and they met this man driving the steam shot they told him. "Buddy, turn around. You're to do anything to this road. We know what y< for." And the guy said. "But I have nothing you people. It's the only job I tan get.” The pulled him off the steam shovel and destroyet else could they do? So the mining company p charges. The committee of the miners asked t "Well. Judge, what are you going to do abou He said, "What can 1 do? You admit you did When the case was decided, he found the mil fined them $10 and took it out of his own po because he too depended on the coal. Anyway, there’s another story which is difl interesting. One day we tame out there and s: president of the union. We asked him if he k territory that we hadn't been to. He thought he said, "Yes, there's a very nite area. 1 third it." He told us whii h way to go, and we wen terrible road 15 miles of lousy road. And tame to this area and it was most interesting, die car and started to take our material out. a saw about ten miners with a leader marching When they tame up,the chairman of the com said. "If you don't get out of here in five mi cat is going to be upside-down " "Why? Wh done?," we said He said, "You know what ; done." We tried every way to convince them were their friends. Nothing doing. So we rode all the way back to see the mi president. He thought it was a joke, and we think it was a joke ar ail. It was a serious mai gave us his card and he wrote on it, “These O.K." So we drove back over this lousy mad showed the mine leader this card. He said, longer have confidence in trie president In f suspect, that he’s caused this trouble we’ve h So we said to this miner. "Look it may i nothing to you, but it means a hell of a lot made to feel that we re your enemy Isn’t ti­ that you trust to say we’re O.K And he t "Well, all right. I’ll give you a last chance, two guys that have a breaker." A breaker is that breaks coal into different■ tzes for dtffc We knew them. w went back over this I1 miles, and saw thieve two guys and they th« a yoke. too. Again we didn't think so. The "Look. We have a ver. simple -.'No.n — �, ou see, because of the freedom of the 1 work wherever you are, whether you live nd or God-knows-where. You're free. You quipment and you just go ahead and do t, what you can. bu worked on the art by yourself, but you rich other artists over the artistic issues? r. , the Artists Union. The only reason we got together on that ght for the project and to fight for any ; kicked off without reason. : didn’t involve artistic matters. Well, if something happened artistically justified in our minds on the Project, then : it on. you see? But in deciding about r and that son of thing, unless it was reallv we never had anything to do with it. opened up a school of silkscreen with Is, didn’t you? . we got some literature out. but never e school. :n you demonstrated, was it to make of the new silkscreen process, or was it to them how to do it? e’s only one place where I've taught, and □In, Nebraska. They asked me if I would ourse. and I had a few days free. And so I lents there, and gave sessions. I could the process so they could go home and do It's so simple. didn't you actually travel to teach Just to demonstrate, to introduce it. that tied to your interest in trying to make ssible to the public? ourse. you want them to become interested c medium to produce their own silkscreens? ell you. everyone who came to a n pulled their own print. en we talked before, you mentioned how make incidents and situations known to a ce. Was this what you intended when you tes like Bootleg Mining? mt to tell you about two incidents, dramatic t one of the coal mines in Pennsylvania oad that came out from the coal holes that tad dug in order to get the coal out. The mine’ ed to hire a steam shovel to destroy the road- I I I INT: So that people couldn't get to the mine? HG: That’s right. So the miners found out about it and they met this man driving the steam shovel and they told him. “Buddy, turn around. You’re not going to do anything to this road. We know what you’re here for" And the guy said, “But I have nothing against you people. It s the only job I can get.” The miners pulled him off the steam shovel and destroyed it. What else could they do? So the mining company preferred charges. The committee of the miners asked the judge, “Well. Judge, what are you going to do about this?” He said. “What can I do? You admit you did it.” When the case was decided, he found the miners guilty, fined them $10 and took it out of his own pocket because he too depended on the coal. Amway, there’s another story which is different but interesting. One day we came out there and saw the president of the union. We asked him if he knew some territory that we hadn’t been to. He thought of one and he said. “Yes. there’s a very nice area. I think you’ll like it.” He told us which way to go, and we went along this terrible road — 15 miles of lousy road. And finally we came to this area and it was most interesting. We parked the car and started to take our material out, and then saw about ten miners with a leader marching toward us. When they came up, the chairman of the committee said. “If you don’t get out of here in five minutes, your car is going to be upside-down.” “Why? What have we done?.” we said. He said, “You know what you’ve done.” We tried every way to convince them that we were their friends. Nothing doing. So we rode all the way back to see the miners’ president. He thought it was a joke, and we didn't think it was a joke at all. It was a serious matter. He gave us his card and he wrote on it, “These people are O.K.” So we drove back over this lousy road, and showed the mine leader this card. He said, “We no longer have confidence in the president. In fact, we we became members, paid our dues, and we got a card, and we drove back over this 15 miles. We had to clear ourselves. That was the most important thing. So, we saw this guy and we showed him our union cards. We shook hands all around and we were brothers. Oh, incidentally, I didn’t tell you why they were so suspicious of us. A committee was sent to New York to bargain to sell coal to Burns Brothers, the big company in New York. And Burns Brothers wanted to buy it, but at a price unacceptable to the miners. So they couldn't come to any agreement. Burns Brothers got in touch with Mayor LaGuardia, and he sent detectives out to the coal fields to see where the coal came from. If it came from bootleg mining, it wasn’t allowed to come into the city. So anyone with a license plate from New York was suspect. INT: It was really important for the miners to know who you were and feel that you were part of their group. HG: Sure. Oh, we got invited to a very select meeting in a small hut once, when they were talking strategy. They knew we were artists — in fact, we showed them some of our work while it was going on, you know. And so they knew that we were spreading the good news. INT: So, in some ways, your involvement with, say, documenting the activities was a way of spreading knowledge about what was going on with this situation? HG: Well, we hoped it was it, but that wasn’t all — the real thing was the drama. For instance, the one I did of the mine disaster. The interesting thing to me is the fact that not only are they mourning the loss, but they’re organizing in the background. They’re discussing what they’re going to do about it. It reminds me of the stories that I’ve heard about the farmers of that period. A story was told that in Montana there was a farmer who was losing his land because he couldn’t pay his taxes, and the state was going to auction it off to the highest bidder. The farmers in that area got together, because it could happen to any of them, and they let everybody who was at that auction know that no one was to bid higher than the farmer himself on the land. And it was understood, if they didn’t obey that order, something would happen. And that’s what happened. The farmer was the only one that bid. So he got his land back. People stuck together in those emergencies. Otherwise they lost. I don’t think­ people stick together enough in relation to the things that happen to them. INT: So, in a way, in your prints, you were making suspect that he's caused this trouble we’ve had.” So we said to this miner, “Look, it may mean nothing to you, but it means a hell of a lot to us to be made to feel that we're your enemy. Isn’t there anybody that you trust to say we’re O.K.?” And he thought, Well, all right. I’ll give you a last chance. There are two guys that have a breaker. ’ ’ A breaker is a machine that breaks coal into different sizes for different uses. We knew them, so we went back over this lousy 15 miles, and saw these two guys, and they thought it was “ i°ke, too. Again, we didn't think so. They said, Look. We have a very simple solution — join up. So 25 �SERIGRAPHS (SILK 1. On the Bea. ■ 12 1/2 x 14 -3 The Metropolitan New York Project. I ’. 2. Fishermen's Luck. i 15 1/8x29 1/4 The Syracuse University Art Collections 3. Nor Rain Nor Snow. c. 1939 10 3/8 x 13 7/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 4. Drillers. 1939 13 5/8 x 13 1/4 The Syracuse University Art Collections I this message your contribution to the situation. HG: Trying to tell the truth by graphic means, let’s say. But that wasn't the only thing. I hope it s a good work of art. INT: Elizabeth Olds wrote that the social problems of the Depression and what happened during the New Deal provided a background for a movement to grow, a movement of artists which were later called the social content school. Did artists come together over a certain kind of subject matter? HG: There were artist organizations which entered the political field, you see? It didn’t necessarily have to do with an, but eventually it would get into the art just by the nature of things that the organization stood for and what they wanted the world to be — the American Artists Congress, for example. And since we were part of the CIO as a union, we were somewhat influenced bv the ideals which were projected and growing in relation to their problems. So we became part of the general program that the CIO unions had at that time. INT: And you would support them? HG: Absolutely. INT: So, did you find that you were more involved in political things generally than as an artist? HG: Certainly. That’s right. Well, that’s one of the reasons why I left Woodstock. I wanted to get to the city, where so many exciting things were happening which were really important. INT: You were president just during 1936? HG: For one year. INT: The ’’219" strike at the Federal An Project offices occurred while you were president? HG: Right. Let me tell you about that. The .ommiuee set up to be in charge of this decided that I should stat in the office of the union, since 1 had the authority, being president. Now. I don’t know whaty.vj heard about it but let me tell you again. The cops beat up the people mercilessly. INT: What happened after the arrest? HG: We got Marcantonio. who was the Congressman at the time, and really was a people's Congressman. When the hearing was held, the first thing that Marcantonio did was to ask a cop. “Do you know who this man is?.’’ indicating one of the artists. “No. I don’t know.’’ Didn’t know him from Adam — in other words, he could have been pulled oft the street. There was no evidence. The case was dismissed. Now. this is the important thing: LaGuardia said. “I will neveraga" allow my police to play this role." It happened at that time that there was a strike on a ship in the harbor The National Maritime Union heard about this statement of LaGuardia’s, and thev had their men go on the ship and sit down, instead of marching outside in a picket line. So the ship companv urgentlv asked LaGuardia to do the same thing for them as he had done against the artists, and LaGuardia said. You read and heard my statement, and that’s the wav it is. " The ship company had to settle the strike, so. indirectly, the artists played* role. INT: \\ hat happened to the Artists Union' Did >■ just dissolve? HG: You cannot have a union unless you have a common goal. That’s the who'e purpose et it. Once yy Project was over, the union w.t> over, unie-w they woU”1 turn it into a commercial artist.'' union er comethin.like that. IN 1: And no one tel: the need to keep <?rgatuZCu’._ HG: Well, we h.;.i an organization alter that. ■ had no basis Selt employment provides no basis 5. Mine Disaster, c. 1939 13 5/8 x 13 1/4 The Syracuse Universitv An Collections 6. The Strike is Won, 1940 12 1/4 x 16 3/4 Ellen Sragow Gallery 7. Change of Shift, c. 1940 16 3/4 x 20 3/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 8. Winter on the Creek. 1940 12 x 14 1/8 Print Collection. The New York Public Libr Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations 9. Mending the Nets. 1941 14 5/8 x 22 3/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 10. Going to Work. 1941 15 1/4 x 20 1/4 The Syracuse University Art Collections 11. Steel Town Panorama. 1941 16 5/16 x 21 1/2 Print Collection. The New York Public Lib Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations 12. a.-L: Twelve progressive proofs tor Long Isi Ducks, c. 1941 12 3/4 x 16 3/4. each proof Collection of the artist m.: Lang Island Ducks, c. 1941 12 3/4 x 16 3/4 Collection of the artist 13. Damn The Torpedo. 1942 12 1/4 x 18 1/4 The Syracuse University An Collections �Catalogue of the Exhibition —s are in inches; height precedes width. AH dimensions SERIGRAPHS (SILKSCREENS) COLOR LITHOGRAPHS ! on the Reach, 1939 ' !2 1/2 x 14 3/8 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of WPA New York Project, 1943 14. Bootleg Mining, 1937 14 x 18 1/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 7 Fishermen’s Luck. 1939 15 1/8 x 20 1/4 The Syracuse University Art Collections 15. Pittsburgh at Night, c 1937 12 7/8 x 19 The Metropolitan IMuseum of Art,....................... Gift of WPA New York Project, 1943 3. Nor Rain Nor Snow, c. 1939 10 3/8 x 13 7/8 The Syracuse University An Collections 4. Drillers, 1939 13 5/8 x 13 1/4 The Syracuse University Art Collections being president. Now. I don’t know’ what you >out it but let me tell you again. The cops beat >eople mercilessly. What happened after the arrest? We got Marcantonio. who was the Congressman me. and really was a people’s Congressman, le hearing was held, the first thing that jnio did was to ask a cop. "Do you know who 1 is?,’’ indicating one of the artists. “No. I iow.” Didn’t know him from Adam — in other .e could have been pulled off the street. There ■vidence. The case was dismissed. Now, this is irtant thing: LaGuardia said. "I will never again r police to play this role." It happened at that t there was a strike on a ship in the harbor. The Maritime Union heard about this statement of ia’s, and they had their men go on the ship and . instead of marching outside in a picket line, tip company urgently asked LaGuardia to do ■ thing for them as he had done against the nd LaGuardia said, "You read and heard my it, and that’s the wav it is.” The ship company :ttle the strike, so, indirectly, the artists played a \X har happened to the Artists Union? Did it jive? You cannot have a union unless you have a i goal. That s the whole purpose of ir. Once the vas over, the union was over; unless they would nto a commercial artists' union or something : And no one felt the need to keep organized? 'Xeu. we had an organization after that, but it basts. Self-employment provides no basis. 5. Mine Disaster, c. 1939 13 5/8x13 1/4 The Syracuse University An Collections 6. The Strike is Won, 1940 12 1/4 x 16 3/4 Ellen Sragow Gallery 7. Change ofShift, c. 1940 16 3/4 x 20 3/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections S. Winter on the Creek, 1940 12x14 1/8 Print Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations 9. Mending the Nets, 1941 14 5/8 x 22 3/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 16. Makers of Steel, 1937 13 1/16 x 19 7/16 Print Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations LITHOGRAPHS 17. Coal Mine Country, c. 1935 14 1/2 x 19 1/2 Ellen Sragow Gallery 18. Coal Pickers, 1936 10 x 13 7/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections 19. Zinc Plant, 1937 13 x 16 Print Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations 20. Street Near a Steel Mill, Y)S~t 13 3/8 x 18 1/4 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of WPA New York Project, 1943 10. Going to Work, 1941 15 1/4 x 20 1/4 The Syracuse University An Collections 21. Three Lane Traffic, 1937 10 1/2 x 14 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of WPA New York Project, 1943 11. Steel Town Panorama, 1941 16 5/16x21 1/2 Print Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations 22. Liberty, 1941 13 x 19 3/8 The Syracuse University An Collections IT a.-].; Twelve progressive proofs for Long Island Ducks, c. 1941 12 3/4 x 16 3/4, each proof Collection of the artist m.: Long Island Ducks, c. 1941 12 3/4 x 16 3/4 Collection of rhe artist Damn The Torpedo, 1942 12 1/4 x 18 1/4 rhe Syracuse University Art Collections GOUACHES 23. Mending the Nets, 1941 14 3/8x22 The Syracuse University Art Collections 24. Nor Rain Nor Snow, c. 1939 10 3/8 x 13 7/8 The Syracuse University Art Collections �documentary items DRAWINGS PUBLICATIONS AND EXHIBITION CATALOG’.,. 25. Ruins- of the Quarry at Kingston. 1930 pastel on paper 19 x 23 3/4 Ellen Sragow Gallery 26. Study for Coal Mine Country, c. 1935 ink wash and pencil on paper 13 7/8 x 16 5/8 Ellen Sragow Gallery 27. Study for Bootleg Mining, 1936 charcoal and pencil on paper 10 3/4 x 14 Ellen Sragow Gallery 2. Sketch and mock-up of exhibition catalogue- Harn Gottlieb’s One-Man Silkscreen Exhibition, ACA Gallery, New York, 1940 Harry Gottlieb, New York PHOTOGRAPHS 28. Steel Mill Operation, 1936 pencil and charcoal on paper 10 3/4 x 14 Ellen Sragow Gallery 3. Photograph of silkscreen demonstration at New York World’s Fair August 11, 1940 Miscellaneous Mss: McCausland Papers Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution photo: Friedmacher 29. Study for Drillers, c. 1939 pencil and ink on paper 15 x 11 1/2 Ellen Sragow Gallery 30. Study for The Strike Is Won, pencil on paper 11 1/4 x 17 1/2 Collection of the artist 1. a-b. Anthony Velonis, Technical Problems of th, Artists: Technique of the Silk Screen Process, V. [ and Vol. II: Methods Other Than Profilm Feder,; Art Project, New York, 1938 Harry Gottlieb, New York 1940 4. Photograph of silkscreen demonstration at New York World’s Fair August 11, 1940 Miscellaneous Mss: McCausland Papers Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution photo: Friedmacher 5. Photograph of silkscreen demonstration at New York World's Fair August 11, 1940 Miscellaneous Mss: McCausland Papers Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution photo: Friedmacher 6. Photograph of Harry Gottlieb printing Mending the Nets Harry Gottlieb Papers Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution MAGAZINES 7. Art Front, July-August, 1936. ill. Low Tide by Gottlieb Department of Special Collections and Archives, Rutgers University Libraries 8. Art Front, January 1937. cover photo of “219" strike Department of Special Collections and Archives. Rutgers University Libraries 9. Art Front Organizer, June 18, 193", article by Gottlieb, The World’s Fair and the Artist." Harry Gottlieb Papers An hives ot American An, Smithsonian Institution I � https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/1c872b3c6b3956e4650da72c55c7a97f.pdf b1a40f80da0303746af778a5f76d58bc PDF Text Text ���������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Exhibition Programs, 1973-present Description An account of the resource Exhibition programs created by the Sordoni Art Gallery from 1973 to the present. Digitized by Wilkes University Archives interns, Zachary Mendoza and Sophia Kruspha. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Sordoni Art Gallery Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wilkes University Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Sordoni Art Gallery Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wilkes University retains copyright of these exhibition programs. Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition programs, flyers, and calendars. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1984 January 8 Harry Gottlieb: The Silkscreen and Social Concern in the WPA Area Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Harry Gottlieb Stanley I. Grand Gregory Gilber Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 January 8 - February 12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Exhibition program