392 PICTURES

CONTEMPORARY PICTURES

The most vital pictures for the people who are living now are
those that are painted today. The art periodicals are important
sources of information about living artists. Who's Who m Art,
the Art Index, and the Art Periodical Index are helpful New
books about contemporary artists are available. Every person of
culture should attend current art exhibitions.

Practical consideration of contemporary pictures as home dec-
oration divides them into two classes, representational and Modern.
Current exhibitions of paintings usually include both types and
also others that do not belong in either group.

Representational contemporary pictures suit any types of home
except the more extreme Modern. Representational pictures are
those in which the artist has reproduced what he saw in nature.
The poorest of these paintings are those that merely imitate nature.
The best of this group are those in which the artist has interpreted
nature and has practiced selection, elimination, and emphasis. The
pictures on page 403 illustrate this point. The best impressionistic
paintings are interpretative. The decorative pictures on page 406
show carefully organized material; such attention to order may
indicate the artist's displeasure with the confusion about him.

Modern contemporary pictures are most appropriately used in
Modern rooms, abstractions and distortions being best suited for
the most extreme rooms. See pages 279 and 425. The term Mod-
ern here applies to abstractions and to those pictures in which the
objects portrayed do not appear natural. Modern artists deliber-
ately change natural forms for various reasons, sometimes to im-
prove the line composition, or to intensify an idea, or to heighten
an emotional effect. Painters of abstractions are influenced by the
present interest in our subconscious selves and also by our experi-
ences with fast motion through space. See page 407.

Greater development in painting has occurred in recent years
than at any time in the past. Since Cezanne (page 403) broke
with tradition and post-impressionism began, this century lias pro-
duced cubism, futurism, and surrealism, as well as many other
manifestations. All these movements have benefited painting^ tos
some extent Experimental painting should be encouraged, toot
ridiculed, for progress comes only through new channels.