Alexander Kulesh’s sketches of Philippine mountain folk

Title

Creator

Werntz, Carl

Language

English

Year

1934

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

26 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL June. 1934 Alexander Kulesh’s Sketches of Philippine Mountain Folk By Carl Werntz (Mr. Werntz la the founding-director of the Chicago Academy of Fine .Arte. -Ed.) Mavu.nr K,grating Last year, 1-1 2 tunes as many as m 1W.I2 Hank c lean ng * nearly equal those of the an * prrvd in 1932, well above the penod last year, both in New York and throughout the countra Exports and imports up 3O‘ , Department •tores mlea within * points of 19(2 • aame period, factory employment 7 potnts more, 12 pennts more than during the xme period Lm* year, industrial production 12 point * more, l< more than during the atw period last year, **“^" * 1 contracts awarded 70', more, 2-2 5 lima the same period in 1933 This was a consistent upping of all indices An Al<,nn.hr Kul.-.h Sketch: Girls D«nrm« st n l(<-lIKi.IUr Er,tiv»l When linked by the .Iihiisai. to nay something of the drawing * of Mr. Kulcsh, the answer seemed, "Why ring me in?" However, wince modesty forbid * the young artist from praising hia own work, pcrhiqi * my appreciation and word * of explanation may not lie offensive. Alexander Kulesh’s drawing * franklv exprena hie delight with the mountain people * of Luzon — the tribute of a feeling,‘weeing, wearching Ruwwian artist to other oriental nrtiwtn; for the * e mountain folk are beyond all quewtion wincere artist * , in their own way, with world appreciation indicated by the nvidity with which traveler * buy their product * , and brave the diweomforta, even danger * , of the trip lieyond Baguio to * ee them in their home * . On foot, with an extra shirt, a roll of rough paper, a Ixix of |>cncila—possibly n tooth brush— all in a pack on hia back, Kulc * h strolled alone into the life of these folk; lived with them; nte their food (which he asserts agree * with him lx<ttcr than that of a Manila hostelry); and sketched them at work on their terrace * , in the fields, at the mines, along the roads, around their cooking fires, in their long resting * , in their pagun ceremonies, in their love affair * -sketched the young and the old. the children and the babies. Then, instead of lx>ing satisfied with these ream * of ethnological facts, as many artists might have lxx>n, ho remembered his academic com|MMiition formulae. He superimposed his sketches u|miii the educational skeleton, creat ed a space design to express pur|xx«e Ixst in a coni|MMition of some picturesque incident that had impressed itself Im hi * emotions. Behold! These saga-like creations of st range and character ful style have resulted! Of course, the National Art Academy of Petrograd llx'iiiiigrnil now, 1 think i furnished the skeleton and iiietlaxl; ns it did that of Jacolief, internationally (limed for his masterly jsjrtrails and decorations evolving from months in Africa and Asia, which he crossed as official artist of tlic ('itox'll Motor Car l.\|>oliti<>ns But it is a similar intimate namx'intion with tho»T singular ixxqiles of the mountain * and valley * of the llontix? region, broadly termed Igorots, tlint brought Kulesh’s academic tiackground to n full characteri«tic flower in a style derived as an artist’s style should be, i. e., from hi * subjects. Yes, you who are in Manila are in at the start of an artistic career of unusual promise. The few short year * of thin young Runsian have been filled with surprine * . 1 am inclined to feel prett v * ure he is the most surprised neraon of all, to find the primitive neoples of your islands—where many phases ol art have lived, died and been reborn in new forms—giving him a characterful method of expression which, it seems probable, he will follow (or some time— |x;rhaps always. Chosen because it suits his convenience and tomperament at this period, the million-lined |X!ncil technique of these artistic creations i * that which his audiences generally speak of first; whereas, it is the wonderful way in which he has interpreted the primitive subjects of hi * pieces, in new and characterful patterns exactly suited to their individuality, that impresses me. How the wheels are made to go round is really no affair of an audience whose mission is, after all, to see, feel and enjoy. Certainly the less you hear alxiut Kulesh s artand the more you see of it, the more correct and appropriate the approach to enjoying the elaborate technique and the solid compositional structure that distinguish hia work “The Index” Indicators The latest cony of TAc Indrr, economic * review of the New York Trust Company, re|xirta to the close of February. ’220,000 more car * loaded during the first 13 weeks of the year than during the same period in 1932, and l,2oO,000 more than during the same jien<xi iii 19.13 Pigimn productioii 3 time * as much as during the same jx-nod last year, 1-2 3 as much a * during the same twnod in l'.i32. Steel shipment * more than double the same period in l'.kl3, 1-2 3 time * what they were in 1932 Business failure * half a * many as during the same |wnod in l’ALi, I 3 a * many as m 1932 Shares traded on the New York slock exchange 2-2 3 tunc * a * many as during the same period —Cut and comment from Judge She.-There goes Al Smith all alone! He. —Since he built the Em pire State he’s used to being alone. GORDON rjl? V The heart of a good (jlN cocktail GRAND McNISH’S Scotch Whisky for Good Highballs Kuenzle & Streiff SOLE AGENTS Mala Ogles: Breach OOre: MJ T. PtaHw M 4Z Isaac PWrel Tai. 1-M-M Tel J-IT-sJ Breaches Cebu. IU4U sag /ambweaga Mae rflatrihslsrs tsr Alhaaihre <J«are IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OP COMMERCE JOURNAL

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