The Sculpture and Mural Decorations of the Exposition: A Pictorial Survey of the Art of the Panama-Pacific international expositionPerry, Stella G. S. (Stella George Stern)
General
The Sculpture and Mural Decorations of the Exposition: A Pictorial Survey of the Art of the Panama-Pacific international exposition
Perry, Stella G. S. (Stella George Stern)
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.); Sculpture, American
One of the most useful services of a great Exposition, especially as it
relates to the world of art, is its service in bringing to the attention
of the public the power of new and rising stars on the horizon of
achievement. Albin Polasek has made his work generally felt at this
Exposition, where he received a silver medal. He is one of the most
talented sculptors of the American Academy at Rome. He won honorable
mention in the Paris Salon in 1913, and the Prix de Rome in 1910. He was
the holder of the Cresson scholarship. His "Sower" was the culminating
work of his early labors, the product of his final year at Rome, in
which year a heroic figure is required of every student. It caused the
critics to prophesy for this sculptor the future that is developing. Mr.
Polasek's work has the same unassailable rigor of truth as that of
Charles Grafly, who was his teacher. "The Sower" ennobles an humble
theme. It has sweep and life and distinction of bearing. In "The Girl of
the Roman Compagna," close at hand in this Colonnade, the sculptor shows
his equal power in a softer theme. The Roman girl is a well-poised and
beautiful expression of the spirit of old Rome in the days of her grand
simplicity.
The Bison
Garden Exhibit, South Approach
These mighty monarchs of the plains, now disinherited by human progress,
the American bisons, are here more than portrayed; they are realized.
Their essential characteristics, their strong mass, bulky without
clumsiness, are made present and convincing in these two statues by A.
Phimister Proctor, a master of animal sculpture. There is good reason
for the living and sharp aspect of these plaster models. They are not
copies of the permanent statues; they are the sculptor's own original
plasters from which the permanent pieces were cast. A number of Mr.
Proctor's animal studies stand in the great zoological parks of our
nation. He does not idealize or humanize the beasts he depicts; but he
understands them and reverses the underlying life that gives them their
racial and personal individuality. Partly his Canadian love of the wild,
partly a technician's delight in mastering this difficult phase of art,
has caused a lifelong devotion to animal studies. They are not
photographic, but combine the qualities of sculptural beauty with rugged
and imposing freedom. A varied and stimulating collection of Mr.
Proctor's work, exhibited at the Exposition, has won a gold medal. It
includes the famous "Princeton Tiger."
The Scout
Garden Exhibit, South Lagoon
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account