Life — April 30, 1914 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

772 Class in Modern Act ENE—A studio. Class in modern art assembled. Instructor: Now, ladies and gen- tlemen, attention! Remember that if you are to make successful pictures for the magazines and periodicals, you must do exactly as I say. Have any of you ever had any instructions in drawing? Crass (in chorus): Nonc! Instructor: Then there is some hope for you. (To first pupil.) You may make a picture, but first let me show you how. (He seizes a paint- brush, jams it into a pot of black paint and throws it impulsively at a huge canvas on an casel in the center of the room, hitting it fairly in the middle.) There! How's that? Crass (delighted): Ah! Instructor (looking at his effort ad- miringly): Not bad, eh? Now for a word to go under it. Something sym- bolic. (Thinks desperately.) I have it. The word “Bosh!” (Some one steps forward and rudely prints the word “Bosh” under the spot where the paint-brush struck, and the class settles down with expressions of mingled despair and hopelessness to watch the attempt of the first pupil, who is now rolling ud his sleeves and making ready.) First Puri (grabbing the paint- brush): How would it do, sir, for me to stand on my head? Instructor (approvingly): Fine! I am glad you mentioned that. It shows promise on your part and gives me the opportunity to explain to the class just what our new movement in art means. The creative impulse to turn out a masterpiece has hitherto depended upon a certain amount of ridiculous preliminary training. This, however, is no longer necessary. All that one has to do now is to let one’s impulse catch and focus one’s frenzy with ab- solute freedom from any of the absurd conventionalities, such as draftsman- ship, technique, etc. This can only be done when the artist abandons himself to this creative impulse. When I picked up that brush and slammed it at that canvas just now, I experienced a sublime moment of real passion. The SUSPICION INNOCENCE STUDIES IN ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION title, “Bosh”, fits perfectly, because it reveals to the discerning eye and re- ceptive emotions, the utter nothingness of the phenomena of existence. By all means stand on your head. (The first pupil turns a double som- ersault, lands on his head, with his feet against the wall, grabs a paint-brush, succeeds, with some contortions, in dipping it into a convenient paint-pot of marking ink, and fires it at the op- posite wall.) Instructor: Wonderful! You have genius. No ordinary person could produce trickles like that. Fixst Puri. (greatly encouraged) : Let's call it “ The Storm”. INstructor: That will do. It is almost too descriptive, but as a first effort, it is by no means bad. Seconp Purit: Excuse me, sir, but what do these two pictures mean? Instructor (sternly): Young man, I can’t take your money. You are too crude. You are wasting your time here. Better withdraw. (Enter the magasine editors.) Instructor: Ah, gentlemen, just in time to see our merning’s work. First Macazine: Eprtor (gazing rapt- ly at “ Bosh”): Wonderful! A mas- terpiece! How beautiful it catches the spirit of the age. It smacks, too, so strongly of the sex instinct! I'll take it—just in time for the next month's issue. Seconp Macazine Epttor: That one on the wall is, I imagine, the work of a new man, Instructor: His first. Srconp Macazine Epitor: Good! I'll take it. I'll take the first picture done by anyone. It enables me to ad- vertise a new creative genius whose masterpieces are a distinct advance on everybody else. But—why did he do it on the wall? Instructor: Sir! I fear you do not comprehend the spirit of our mod- ern art. He did it on the wall because he happened to be looking at the wall at the time his frenzy seized him. Seconp Macazine Eprtor (blushing with shame): Oh, very well. We'll take the wall away and have it repro- duced for our next number. T. LM. comicbooks.com