Free for All

There was lots of art in Manhattan's Grand Central Palace last week. Downstairs the interior decorators of the country disported themselves at the Fourth International Antique Show, an elegant assemblage of ancient furnishings tastefully set off in booths and attended by debutantes. Upstairs was the 16th showing of the Society of Independent Artists.

The Independents ("No Jury. No prizes.") were founded in 1916 by a group of able young artists -- Robert Henri, John Sloan, George Bellows, Samuel Halpert -- in revolt against the pontifical National Academy of Design. At that time they filled a real need. U. S. painting that did not imitate 19th Century French impressionism was frowned upon by dealers. Customers had no chance to decide whether they liked independent work or not. The original Independents set up no school to rival the Academy. They simply opened a place where any painter could show anything. Since then the discovery of U. S. talent has become a highly organized business and the Independents' show largely a waste of time. Last week in all the 944 canvases on view, the only notable ones were those contributed by President John Sloan, Secretary A. S. Baylinson, Director Warren Wheelock and a few other loyal lingerers from the Independents' early days, plus a few violent, ably drawn cartoons by persons who take advantage of the Independents' liberality to exhibit political propaganda. Critics noted that the founders of modernism are already sufficiently venerable to have direct copyists. Director Warren Wheelock produced a solid canvas of "Men Working'' in precisely the mood and manner of rotund Diego Rivera. Artist Dmitry Wiener exhibited an angular confection entitled "Exotique" (see cuts) that only lacked Pablo Picasso's acute sense of color to be exactly like the great Spanish experimenter's latest abstractions. Depression caused one novelty in this year's show. Artists loudly announced that this year they would barter their pictures for food, rent, clothing, or what had you. Haberdashers and dentists were first to strike bargains. On the opening night Artist Baylinson closed with Tailor S. Hindleman--a drawing for a spring suit. Dentist Joseph R. Horn scoured the gallery, tentatively selected 30 pictures, waited for toothaches to develop.

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