Page 15 - Studio International - September 1974

Stuart Davis Sixth Avenue El 1932
Lithograph, used as an illustration
in Art Front
Photo : Sotheby Park Bernet, New York

visiting the United States. The guest . . . the meaning and composition in endorsed the art project.
recommended the broader concept of the Grunbaum's painting are impaired by Another outstanding artist-critic for Art Front
magazine, but also suggested, in view of the representing the Negro with his head bowed was Charmion von Weigand, the wife of New
bitter feelings generated by the disagreement, passively . . . it falsely suggests the Negro relies Masses editor, Joseph Freeman. She, too, was a
that Spivak resign from the editorial board. on the white worker alone for his freedom'.19 fine art historian, partial to work of social
Spivak raised no objections; he resigned in The range of aesthetic attitudes expressed in content. In a review of surrealist art at the
January as did Davis, Gellert, Baron, and the January Art Front reflected the new liberal Museum of Modern Art, she astutely analysed
H. Glintenkamp. The other four board editorial policy. Without exception, however, the evolution of Surrealism, praised the
members probably quit because of their all the writers were concerned with the problem exhibition, and concluded that the art of the
involvement with the more prestigious American of creating a revolutionary art. In a review of the future which . . will strive for a new humanism
Artists' Congress, which was preparing for its Lipchitz exhibition at the Brummer Gallery, on a social basis . . . will find uses for the
first national meeting at Town Hall on Martin Craig argued that an art which obviously technical innovations of the modern escapists'.21
14 February, 1936. resembled nature could no longer be meaningful. Undoubtedly a substantial minority in the
Solmon was elected managing editor and he Discussing the distorted figures of the sculpture, union looked forward to each issue of Art Front,
brought in Balcomb Greene, one of the union's he asserted, `If there is to be a vital revolutionary welcoming it as a lively forum for stimulating
few abstractionists. Prior to his official art in the future, then this is the road it will aesthetic discussion. The Artists' Union,
appointment as managing editor, Solmon had take'.20 however, was a mass organization and the
already changed the concept of Art Front. Of Art Front was, in effect, an aesthetic dialogue majority was relatively unsophisticated; many
the sixteen pages in the January 1936 issue, one on the left. American Scene artists and the resented the scholarly tone of the magazine and
was used for the cover, two for advertising, academicians were roundly condemned, but a considered it an indulgence of a clique of
three for Artists' Union editorial matter, and the lively debate evolved among the social realists, intellectuals. In his review of Salvador Dali's
ten remaining pages were devoted to essays, the expressionists, the surrealists, and the book, 'Conquest of the Irrational', in the April
critiques, reviews, and reproductions. A abstractionists. Often the discussion was formal 1936 Art Front, Rosenberg warned that the book
. not recommended to those readers of Art
Jacques Lipchitz sculpture is reproduced on and direct in side by side articles or in lengthy is
the cover, and of the six reproductions in the letters to the editor and rebuttals. Meyer Front who have complained of the obscurity of
magazine, not one is a cartoon. This issue is Shapiro, Isamu Noguchi, Louis Aragon, Lynd some of the articles in these volumes.' At a
probably the one that precipitated the charges by Ward, Elizabeth McCausland, Frederick union meeting, Solmon had to defendthe
Joe Jones. Solmon wrote admiringly of the early Kiesler, and Bernice Abbott were some of the reproduction of an El Lissitzky non-objective
surrealist paintings of De Chirico, and Lincoln notables whose work appeared in the magazines, painting by pointing out that the Russian artist
Kirstein contributed an article on scenery for usually at the behest of Weinstock or Solmon. was a celebrated designer of posters in the
theatrical dancing. Greene and Weinstock had a No one, of course, was ever paid a fee. USSR.
lively debate about the work of Léger, in which Sometimes a writer who was employed by the The magazine was produced by a printer who
Greene asserted 'the complete revolutionist, `bourgeois' press would use a pseudonym; worked for many unions and left-wing
assuming he is healthy and capable of requisite Elizabeth McCausland, art critic for the organizations. The quality of printing did not
sensory comprehension, will also welcome a new Springfield Republican, wrote for Art Front meet the standards of an art magazine, but the
art which has, because of its functional purpose, under the name of Elizabeth Noble. cost of better reproduction was out of the
rejected literal translation'.17 Weinstock argued One regular contributor to the magazine was question. During the first year of publication,
in turn that painting cannot free art from subject Jacob Kainen who usually reviewed exhibitions. Ben Shahn recommended the purchase of a
matter until 'subject matter itself is free, that is, His articles generally manifested a social realist multilith printer capable of producing Art
when objects no longer need be seen in bias, but were written with the intelligence one Front's short printing run in colour, but the
relationships that in turn enslave the artist and would expect of the fine art historian that he was. suggestion was rejected. Some board members
then us'.18 Margaret Duroc's review of an Kainen's highly critical review of Hendrik van feared that, because of Shahn's interest in
exhibition at the John Reed Club is rooted Loon's book, The Arts, was eliminated by the exploring the use of the multicolour printer, the
almost entirely in the examination of content : editorial board because van Loon had publicly magazine might become his personal showcase.
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