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teachingshaveoftenbeentwisted,likethefacesinsomeofmypictures.Byinten-
tionallyemployingthegentleandthegrotesqueinthesamepicture,Ipresentthis
playoftruthagainstduplicity.
"Mypaintingsarenotanecdotalrepresentations.Imerelycalluponagelessbasic
lore topicturepresent-dayproblems. Craftsmanship italicizesthemes.sage. The
mannerranintensifythematter.Choiceofsubject,whethertheroadofCalvary,the
dramaofSinai,orthestoryofBuddha,isnotdemonstrativeofsingularfavortoany
particularrevelation.Aretheynotallakin,riverscoursingtoacommonsea?
"Thereisthemanwhopreachestoleranceandunderstandingonhisownterms.
Heisareligiousbigot.
"Thereisthemanwhopreachestoleranceandunderstandingtoothersasa
meansofmaskingulteriormotives.Heisareligiousdespot.
"Thereisthemanwho,aboveall,preachestoleranceandunderstandingtohim-
self.Heisareligiousman."—DavidAronson,asquotedbyDorothyC.Miller,
FourteenAmericans,NewYork:MuseumofModernArt,1946,p.11.
AronsonwasborninShilova,Lithuania,in1923.HewasbroughttotheUnited
StatesofAmericain 1929 andsettledinBoston,Massachusetts.Foreightyearshe
studiedformalreligion.\VhileinhighschoolhehadattendedclassesattheSchool
oftheMuseumofFine.-\rtsinBoston.In 1941 heenteredtheSchoolonafive-year
scholarship,studyingunderKarlZerbe,andlaterbecameaninstructorinpainting
there.
One-manshowsbeganin1945.Thepreviousyear,1944,hehadwonFirstPrize
andapopularprizeattheInstituteofContemporaryArtinBoston,andin^1946 he
wasawardedapurchaseprizebytheX'irginiaMuseumofFine.\rts.Hisworkisalso
representedintheArtInstituteofChicago.HestilllivesinBoston.
ATHERTON,JohnC,Nets,BoatsandSea, 36 x26. Illustration -Plate^29
"Icanthinkofnoabsolutesinartandthestatementoftodaymaynothold
watertomorrow.Pastcommentsre-readarenotalwaysapplicabletopresentartistic
oraestheticproblems.Butasofnow,thefollowingmayshedafaintlightonwhatI
believe.
"Prousthas.saidthatthereasontheartistisnotentirelyfreeinthecreativeact
isthattheworkofartalreadyexists—intime—andthefunctionoftheartististo
re-create,torc-captureitsexistence.Heisameansofcommunicationbetweenpast
andpresent.
"Iwouldaddthatitisimportantfortheartisttoallowthisiiirritahilityto
happen.
"Andwasn'titBergsonwhosaidthattogivecreativenessachancetocreatethis
inevitability—whichisalsounpredictable—theartistmustnotinterferewithhis
characterstomakethemproveamoralconcept?Becausethiswouldbetoimmedi-
atelyforcethemintothepredictable?
"Theartistshouldnotworkagainstbutwithandinhisart,asonewho—in
tuncwiththeearth—plantshisseedsinspringratherthanwinter.Thisiswhyitis
impo.ssibletosayexactlywhyweusecertainforms,colorsortexturesinacertain
way.\Vccanonlysaythatthepicturedemandedit.Theworkofartshouldexpressa
properbalancebetweenthesedemandsandthetempering,thedisciplineoforganiza-
tionderivedfromexperience.
