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worldmaybeasimportantlymanifestedbytheideaofapaintingasbyitsformal
structuralorganization.Whenapainting'clicks'or'works,'idea,subject,formoverlap
andmingleorganically.Thisisthereasonwhyinafinishedandsuccessfulworkof
artsubjectmattercannotbeseparatedfrommeaningsofform,andontheother
handinabstractartformitselfisthevehicleofallmeaning.
"Nowastothechiefcharacteristics,theyseemtobethese:thereisanallper-
vasiveawarenessofinstability,auniversaldirthoffinalaffirmations,aquiteage-long
yearningfororder.Alsoarealizationthatallexternalandinternalreality isa
changingsuccessionofaspects,amultifacetedseriesofreflectionsconstantlymodify-
ingoneanother.Thereseemstobeageneralsenseofinsecurity,astateofsuspension;
inshort,wefeelrealityonthelevelofrelativityonly.
"Smallwonderthenthatthecontemporaryartistattemptstoexpresstheabove
citherconsciouslyorinstinctively,withsubjectmatteraswellasitsgradualortotal
displacementwiththelanguageofform.Thevariousformalmeansemployedbya
majorityofcontemporary'artists:asthebreakingupofsolidforms,distortionof
shapes,ambiguousspace,lackofdirectlightofasinglesourceanddirection,thelack
ofsystematicperspectiveandatmosphericcolororthesenseofgravity;alsothe
extremeunderscoringoftensions,transparencyofmass, explosivemobility,dyna-
mism,emphasizingchange,arebutafewofthedevicespresentlyemployed,which
appeartomedirectembodimentsofcontemporarysensation,feeling,ideaandtemper.
"Inshort,contemporarypaintingexpressesaworldofrelativevaluesinamanner
thatunderscorestheabsenceoftheabsolute.
"Nowastomyownpainting,IamafraidIcouldnotcloselyanalyzeit....
However,Imayattempttowriteofwhatmotivatedmeindoingthispainting,ofits
originandofsomethingswhichbecameclearintheprocessofpaintingthepicture.
"TheideaforYuleLogcametomeduringanunseasonablycoldspellatthe
MacDowellColonytwosummersago.Theneedforwarmthmusthavebeenthe
ignitionpointforaseriesofsketcheswhichculminatedinstartingthepainting.In
thebeginningIwasonlyinstinctivelyawareoftheplasticandpsychologicalpossi-
bilitiesofthematerial.Workingitoutmademerealizemanypossibilitiesformeta-
phor.Asfor instancethe rigidity,solidity, blacknessandthe hard, unyielding
characteroftheandironsascontrasttotheleaping,sparkling,bodylessmultiform
dancingoftheflames,vividincolor,dynamicallychanging,begantotakeonanot
tooclearlyspelledoutyetunmistakableovertoneofasecondmeaning;theandirons
weretheironmenopposedtoandcontainingthegay,leaping,dancingformsofthe
spirit.AndwhatistrueaboutthisbasiccontrastIbelievetobeequallytrueof
smallerunits,subdivisionsofthiswork.Itwouldbeimpossibleformetotrytotrack
themdown,touncoverthereasonsforalltheimpulses,thoughts,emotionscreated
bythedevelopment,theneedofthepaintingtocompleteitselfinconsistent,full
form.Imaysay,however,thatthecreativeactformeisaprocessoftransforming.
Subjectmatteritselfisnotafixedquality.Onlyone'sreactionastoageneraldirec-
tion,emotionallyexpressiveinitsnature,ismaintainedduringthelongprocessof
transformingrawmaterialintoaworkofart.Andthisseemstobetruewithout
exception,regardlessofthepersonality,conceptsandstyleoftheartist."
VictorCandellwasborninBudapestin1903.Attheageof^18 hecametothe
UnitedStatesandin 1927 becamean.'\mericancitizen.One-manshowsbeganin
1924.IntimehewenttoParis,becameamemberoftheSurindependentsandex-
hibitedfrequentlywiththemandotherFrenchgroupsfrom 1928 to1931.Candell