167
UniversityandtheAmericanAcademyofArtinChicagobutreceivedthemajorpart
ofhiseducationinartattheArtInstituteofChicago.
Hisworichasbeenseeninmanynation-wideexhibitionsinthiscountryandin
France.HonorableMentionwasawardedhislithographsatthePrintClub,Philadel-
phia,in1948,andattheArtInstituteofChicagoin1949.Bentleyalsowonapur-
chaseprizeattheUniversityofIllinoisin1949,andapaintingbyhimwasgiven
HonorableMentionatthe.-XrtInstituteofChicagoin1950.HehaslivedinChicago
since 1927 exceptforfouryearsinthearmedservices.BEN-ZION,HandwrttmoontheWall, 42 x51. Illustration—Plate 68
Ben-ZionwasbornintheUkraine(Russia)in1898.HestudiedinVienna,came
totheUnitedStatesofAmericain 1920 andwasmadeacitizenin1936.Hehad
becomeinterestedinartmeanwhileandstartedtopaintin1931,beingself-taught.
Ben-Zionisoneofthefoundersoftheexpressionisticgroup,"TheTen,"withwhom
hehasexhibitedinNewYorkandParis.HeteachesattheCooperUnionArtSchool.
Since 1936 hisworkhasalsoappearedinone-manandgroup.showsinvariousparts
ofthiscountry.In 1948 hewashonoredwithalargeretrospectiveexhibitofpictures
withbiblicalthemesattheJewi.shMuseuminNewYork.TheNewark(NewJersey)
MuseumAs.sociation,MuseumofModernArtinNewYork,UniversityofWash-
ington,AlabamaPolytechnicInstitute,andthePhillipsMemorialGalleryinWash-
ington,D.C.,areamongcollectionswherehisworkisrepresented.HelivesinNew
YorkCity.ForatersecommentbyBen-Zionrelativetoart,seethecatalogueofthe
1950 UniversityofIllinoisExhibitionofContemporary.'\mericanPainting.BINFORD,Julien,TablewithCyclamens, 30 x25. Illustration~Plate 20
"Ibelievethatthepainterandloverofpaintingisthemanwhothinksincolors.
Heisforeverseekingtheharmoniesofexistenceinthoserealmsofvisionandlight
wherewordscannotservehim.
"Coloristhepainter'sthought,hisresearch,hisactoffaith.
"Ibelievethatpaintingisatitsbestwhenitisdoneandseenbymenwhose
reflections,abolishingword.s,canforlongmomentsbegiventocolor."
"Iknowthatitisnotalwayseasyforacontemporarymindtoagreewiththis,
forourcivilizationisatpresentacivilizationofwords.Ithasnotalwaysbeenso.
Therehavebeengreatmomentsinthelifeofcivilizedmanwhenhefoundhimselfin
thestrongspiritualneedofgivingbodytohisprayersinpainting.Heprayedin
color,justaswenowpraywithwords.
"Inthosedaysofhiscivilization,hebelievedthatthroughhisworshipfuluseof
color,hewasapprehendinganuniversalpowerthatpermittedhimtoreleasethe
forcesofLightagainsttheforcesofDarkness.Suchaconvictionisstillheldbysome
ofus.Wehavenodoubtthatinfuturecivilizationsitwillreturntothefaithofthe
many."
JulienBinfordwasborninFineCreekMills,N'irginia,in1909.Hestudiedat
EmoryUniversity,Oxford,Georgia,andatthe.^rtInstituteofChicago,nowteaches
atMaryWashingtonCollegeoftheUniversityofVirginiaatFredericksburg.Awards
forhisworkincludefellowshipsfromtheArtInstituteofChicago,VirginiaMuseum
ofFineArts,andaRosenwaldFellowship.Oflatehehasalsodonemuralpainting