223
Thegreatcreatormovesfromhisformintothecanvasandinvitesthebeholderto
enterhismagicwonderlandandexperiencehisuniquecjualities.
"Ipainttwotypesofcanvases—one,aprominentsubjectagainstasimple
background,andtheother,animalandmulti-ideacreations.Botharecompletely
feltthrough.Theformerarepicturesofonefireflyinthenight;thelatterareten
ortwentyfirefliesdispersed,glowingindifferentgradations,alightdazzlingtotheeye,
intunewiththeintensityoflifetoday.EternalWorldfallsintothelattergroup.It
isanemotion-storyoftheworldafteranatomicbombhasexploded."
FernandoPumawasborninNewYorkCityin1919.HestudiedatColumbia
UniversityandNewYorkUniversity,butastoartheisself-taught.Duringaperiodof
twoandahalfyearshetraveledthroughsixteencountriesinEuropeandtheNear
East,studyingandwritingabouttheartsandcultures.Hiscareerasanartistwas
firsteffectivelylaunchedwithacontroversialone-manshowinNewYorkin1939.
Betweenthatdateand 1947 hehadsevenone-manshowsinNewYork,andhas
hadothersuchexhibitionsattheSanFranciscoMuseumofArt;SantaBarbara
(California)MuseumofArt;inHollywood,California;andCleveland,Ohio.Henri
Mati.ssewrotetheforewordforthecatalogueofashowofhisrecentworkheldin
Parisin1949.Puma'sworkhasalsoappearedingroupexhibitionsinAmerica.
ForfiveyearsheranhisowngalleryinNewYork,presentingaprovocative
showofworkrejectedfromtheCarnegieExhibitionandseekingtodiscoveraddi-
tionalunrecognizedtalent.HehasalsotaughtartinParis,NewYorkCity,and
Provincetown,Massachusetts.
Pumainaugurated,in1942,whatisbelievedtobethefirst"artreview"program
inthehistoryofradio,TheArtistReviewsArt.Itranforayear.Otherliterary
achievementsincludeabook.ModernArtLooksAhead,publishedin1947.Hehas
alsowritten andbroadcastprograms forUNESCO andthe Voiceof America
program.PicturesbyPumahavefoundapermanentplaceinthecollectionsofthe
PhillipsMemorialGalleryinWashington,D.C, andRandolph-MaconWoman's
CollegeatLynchburg,Virginia.W.R.Valentiner,SheldonCheney,andMacKinley
Helmareamongprivatecollectorswhohaveexamplesofhiswork.HelivesinNew
YorkCity.
QUIRT,WalterW.,IndianPenny, 38 x44. Illustration—Plate 98
"Iworkbyideasthatfollowoneanother,eachideabeingbroughttofruition
andultimatedeclineinabodyofworkthatmayrangefromfifteentothirtycanvases,
dependinguponthequalityandscopeoftheidea.Eachideahasitsownlaws,so
each isexpressedinadifferentidiom.Although Iassumethere isacommon
denominatorrunningthroughtheideas,theirvisualpresentationsareoftencontra-
dictory.Therefore,whatImightsayaboutIndianPennywouldbetrueofitbut
contradictoryofotherideasunrelatedtotheideafromwhichitcame.
"Thismaynotadduptoart,butIamnotseekingart.I'msearchingforways
torecordexperiencesvisuallyinsuchformthatideasbehindexperiencesaremade
moreimportantthantheexperiences,andtheprocessesbywhichideasareregistered
aremademoreimportantthanthevisualresults.IsaythisbecauseIbelievethatthe
Americancontributiontoartwillnotbeinpaintingitselfbutwillbeinlaboratory
andanalyticalanalysesofthecreativeprocess.Hencemyworkwithideas.
"Ideasareautonomous, each havingitsown dynamicsystemand rangeof
authority.Myeffortisdevotedtobringingtogethermanyconflictinganddisparate