184
AfteremptyinghispocketsoftheassortedArtIconsandSacredRelics,wellem-
balmedinDainarVarnish,Wax,andStandOil,hewillsellthefellow'sPrinceton
pennantanddisplacedpencilsandtincuptothefiveanddime,theirpropermart.
NorwillhehavequalmsaboutCrueltytoCripples.Thereisnorandommothto
.shadowhissatisfactionwiththisone-slitdealofCompleteness,ekedfromtheGreat
StroboscopicContinuityasitlightsthedisturbedasymctricsofhismaladjustedper-
sonality.HeisfreeintheknowledgethatthisCatcanReallyrun,asure-thingwinner
atanytrack,andownerofthepowerfulten-second-manmusclesearnedinbasic
trainingattheAcademicinduction.
"Whathasbeensaidgivesahintastowhytheopportunitytomakeafewre-
marksaboutone'sworkconcealssomefracturingperils.
"Mypainting,OwhlinSanPad,likemyAmazene,andRaplatRappafiorts,are
statementsinavisual-proprioccptiveidiomassimpleasaTabloidheadline,.\nyone
withenoughcoordination todecipheratrafficbeacon,granted theyacceptthe
premiseofitsfunction,canhandletheircommunicativepotentialwithease.There
arenomathematicsofAbstractorNaturalistExpressionisticIdealismtobefuddle
here,andtheDepartmentofPhilosophicalDisplacementRelativismsisonthefloor
below.EmotionandFeeling,thatcrucialEmulsion,isadimensionatrightangleto
theplaneofthecanvasinthesepaintings.Theyappropriatelyofferonlyamodest
(omnion-senseimageofafamiliarobjectintheShapeofColor-SpaceLogic.Their
(oiitentofFeelingoccupiesexactlythe.sameplaceitdidintheartist,thatisto.say,
inthepersonfacingtheunfeelingcanvas.Onlyasadisticbrutewoulddemand
simultaneousempathicimmersionintheartist'sFeelingsfromaspectatoralready
completelysclf-emulsiliedincontemplationoftheCoolpainting.Thereissucha
thingasGoodMannersin.'\rtaswellasintheotherformsofdecentgood-willin
.socialrelations.Ithinkitisprimarilythisregardfortheprivacyofotherswhich
accountsfortheenormousprestigeofArt,andgivesitauniversalcurrencyrating
exceededonlybyMoney.Arecentresurgenceofthetrendtoconfusethefunctionof
Artwiththingsoftheorderofout-houseutilitiesbecomesallthemoreregrettable
inthislight,andexposestheabsurdityofitsEconomicsofEmulsion-behavior.A
degreeofsentimentalitycan betoleratedinpeople, butinpaintingthe words
batheticandemeticaresynonymous.
"Thetitleofmypaintingisreasonableinthesamewayastheimageitself.It
hasbeenscientificallyestablishedthattheacousticsofIdealismgiveofftheHuman-
istic.SoundsofSnoring,whereasRealityalwayssays,'Ouch!'Clearlythen,when
theRealismhasSanPaoasitslocale,aproperregardfortheprotocolofalliteration
changesitto'Owh!'"
DaviswasborninPhiladelphiain1894.HelefthighschooltosiudvinRobert
Henri'sartschoolinNew^'ork.Fiveofhiswatercolorswereexhibitedinthere-
nownedArmory.Showof1913.From 1913 to 1916 hedidcoversandotherwork
ofanartisticnatureforTheMassesandHarper'sWeekly. One-manexhibitions
beganin1917.In1928-1929hewasinParis.Theyear^1944 broughtanawardat
thePepsi-ColaexhibitionandHonorableMentionattheCarnegieInstituteshow.He
alsowonamedalandprizeatthePennsylvaniaAcademyoftheFineArtsin 1944
or194.");aprizeattheSt.BotolphClubinBostonin1947;waswinnerintheLook
magazinepollof1948,andwonbothsecondpurchaseprizeattheLaTauscaex-
hibitionandamedalatthe.ArtInstituteofChicagointhe.sameyear..\paintingby
DaviswasawardedtheJohnBartonPayneMedalattheX'irginiaMu.seuinofFine
Artstwoyearsago(19.')0).In19.'>1theGarrettawardof$7.'>()cametohimatthe
sixtiethexhibitionof.Americanartatthe.ArtInstituteofChicago.MuralsbyD:i\is
