Contemporary American painting and sculpture

189

willneverbeinasituationwherehehasnothingtospeakabout.Alsoitisnotneces-

saryalwaystoportraygreatevents,characters,orcalamities.Onecouldfindgreatness

inthemostordinary,everydaythingsoflife,ifthereisamindandhearttonoticeit.

''Asfarasourtalentsareconcerned,noonecouldchangethemaswecouldn't

changetheshapeofournose.But,ifoneloveswhatoneisdoing,greatnesscouldbe

achievedwithasmalltalent.Wepaintaswefeelatthemoment—ifwefeelpoetic

wecouldbeapoetinpainting,ifwefeelphilosophic,wecouldpaintasaphilosopher,

butnomatterhowtemptingitmightbeweshouldrestrainfromfakeryandeach

paintingshouldbeanhonestexpressionofrealfeeling.

"Oneshouldabsorballthetragedies,allthebellylaughs,smiles,sarcasms,and

futilities—andthenpaint."

JacobELshinwasbornin.St.Petersburg,Russia,asitwasthencalled,in1891.
TherehestudiedwithConstantinZiminoftheRussianImperialAcademy.Since
comingtoAmericahehasbeenassociatedprofessionallywiththePacificNorthwest
forthemostpart.Hisfirstone-manshowwasheldinSeattle(Washington)in1934.
Fortwenty-sixcon.secutiveyearshehasshownhisworkintheannualExhibitionof
NorthwestArtLsts,winningtheKatherineB.BakerMemorialPrizein 1948 withhis
paintingGatestoNowhere.Othermarksofdistinctionincludefirstprizesinthe
WesternWashingtonAssociationofArtin 1936 and1940;secondprizesin 1933 and
1946;firstprizesintheNorthwestAnnualShowattheStudioGalleryinSeattle,
Washington,in 1945 and1948;FirstPrizeintheNorthwestWatercolorSocietyShow
in1945;GrandPrizeintheSpokaneNorthwest.'\nnualin1945,SecondPrizein1949.
IconostaswasincludedinthecompetitiveshowofAmericanpaintingattheMetro-
politanMuseumofArtinNewYorkin1950.
Elshinhashadsuccessalsoincompetitionsforwallpaintings.Muralsfromhis
handarelocatedintheWestSeattle(Washington)HighSchoolandthePersian
DiningRoominSeattle;postofficeinRenton,Washington;and theUniversity
DistrictPostOfficeinSeattle.Hissketcheswereamongthewinnerspurchasedby
thestategovernmentintheinternationalStateCapitolCommittee Competition,
Olympia,Washington,in1949.HeteachesatSeattleUniversity,theBurnleySchool,
andEdisonTechnicalSchool.
WorkbyElshin formspartofthe permanentcollectionsofthe SeattleArt
Museum,WashingtonStateCollege,SmithsonianInstitutioninWashington,D.C.,
andofnumerousprivatepersons.HelivesinSeattle.

ERNST,Jimmy,ColorIsolation, 40 x47. Illustration—Plate 55

JimmyErnst,sonofSurrealistMaxErnst,wasbornin1920.Despitethehandi-
capofaparentofrenowninthesamefield,heeventuallydecidedtoconcentrateon
painting.One-manshowsatdealers'quicklyfollowed.In 1946 hewonFourthPrize
of$400atanexhibitionofcontemporaryAmericanpaintingheldatthePasadena
(California)ArtInstitute.Heisalsoalreadyrepresentedinthecollectionsofthe
MuseumofModernArtinNewYork.HelivesinNewYorkCity.

FOSS,Oliver,ParisUnderSnow, 21 x25. Illustration—Plate 78

"InmypaintingParisUnderSnowIaimedprimarilyatdoingjusticetoitstitle;
thatis,tothesubjectmatterIchosetointerpret.
"Inspiteoftheapparentmodestyofthesubject,Ididmyutmosttocombine
romanticismwithvigor,charmwithtemperament.Itriedtoexpresstheimpactof