DOI Heft:
Nr. 43 (October 1896)
DOI Artikel:The Arts and Crafts Exhibition, 1896 (first notice)
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17298#0065
The Arts and Crafts
many of the mediaevalists made absurd by attention in all societies and committees a certain amount of
to trivial details, is only broadened and developed favouritism and log-rolling is bound to be apparent
here, not abandoned. to zealous outsiders. No matter how irresponsible
Novelty at any price is often mistaken for and lawless the individual may be, once he has
genuine originality; but its popularity is usually become a member of a cabinet or a committee, he
brief; for novelty is a virtue that only lasts until a is limited to acting as a unit, and must needs
more extravagant attempt dethrones it. But a allow his personal taste to be merged in that of his
work conceived in the spirit of colleagues.
the past, showing just so much _ To accuse the Arts and Crafts
new individuality as its worker " Committee of conscious favourit-
half unconsciously imparts, is *^V. ism or conscious log-rolling, is
far more likely to be of lasting ^'4h V*"^' • ^ not m>7 intention in the remotest
value. Even literal imitation is L 1 **^t^ ~* ^ degree; but all the same, no
not so easy as people imagine, *V\ , J| g committee is exempt from un-
else were the Pugin furniture far V N 4 consciously exercising the spirit
more admirable than time has * >^|v' °^ camaraderie^ and this bias is
justified us in regarding it. But * V ~ "v"^ *S A often manifested, not in gross
if "dead copy" is rarely a sue- % «L/ < * V^-*T^B favouritism or in venal patronage,
cess, a perverted paraphrase of •. M but by too rigid treatment of the
stone details worked in wood, of work of personal friends, merely
a costly method reproduced by because of the fear of being par-
a cheap one, or a bungling ver- tial. There are two sorts of
sion of some archaic original injustice and partiality; sometimes
that owes its charm to lack of % >as great a wrong is done by gross
technique, reproduced with impartiality as by favouritism,
mechanical perfection—all these But so far, the Exhibitions have
things are much more of no shown that the Committee, if
moment. But when a man who they have excluded work which
has patiently studied the past, appears not less deserving than
can re-embody its spirit in the some retained, have most cer-
mood of to-day, he may pro- tainly admitted very little that
duce work of intrinsic merit, or ' falls below the standard which
if, on the other hand, he throws they aimed to attain,
over all previous work, and looks In all competitions, to be just
neither to Greece, Merrie Eng- to the second best is a very dif-
land, nor Japan for his motives, ficult thing. The sympathetic
then, workingdirect from Nature, '—■—-—■--I juryman, knowing his own failure
he also may do good and abid- carved detail of mantelpiece t0 accomplish his ideal, is apt to
ing work. It is very hard to designed and executed by be too lenient; the hard, sturdy,
condemn a really painstaking g. frampton, a.r.a. just person is apt to be too drastic
effort to revivify old motives, in his refusal to admit good in
and not easy to protest against efforts to be anything but the best. All committees err on
violently original; yet when the first effort is but this question, and must needs err ; for as a com-
a travesty and the next a monstrosity, one can but mittee is no entity but a combination of units, the
regard them both as excrescences. mood of the moment will exert itself. A member
The Arts- and Crafts-men have incurred a fair who has protested several times, and has established
share of ridicule and a much worse evil—ignorant his protest, feels bound in turn to let his opponents
imitation. Yet, speaking generally—without over- have their say and their victory. But, as a rule, all
looking the fact that people who take a creed these questions concern second-rate men, and
seriously must needs be bigots to a certain extent really fine objects secure ample praise, even from
■—their very solidarity is at once their strength and those who have little sympathy with their tastes,
their weakness : their strength, because it is good It is necessary to recollect these obvious facts
that a society should set a certain standard and before one regards the fifth show of work in detail,
abide by it at all hazards ; Iheir weakness, because For to regard the Exhibition as one that reflects the
53
many of the mediaevalists made absurd by attention in all societies and committees a certain amount of
to trivial details, is only broadened and developed favouritism and log-rolling is bound to be apparent
here, not abandoned. to zealous outsiders. No matter how irresponsible
Novelty at any price is often mistaken for and lawless the individual may be, once he has
genuine originality; but its popularity is usually become a member of a cabinet or a committee, he
brief; for novelty is a virtue that only lasts until a is limited to acting as a unit, and must needs
more extravagant attempt dethrones it. But a allow his personal taste to be merged in that of his
work conceived in the spirit of colleagues.
the past, showing just so much _ To accuse the Arts and Crafts
new individuality as its worker " Committee of conscious favourit-
half unconsciously imparts, is *^V. ism or conscious log-rolling, is
far more likely to be of lasting ^'4h V*"^' • ^ not m>7 intention in the remotest
value. Even literal imitation is L 1 **^t^ ~* ^ degree; but all the same, no
not so easy as people imagine, *V\ , J| g committee is exempt from un-
else were the Pugin furniture far V N 4 consciously exercising the spirit
more admirable than time has * >^|v' °^ camaraderie^ and this bias is
justified us in regarding it. But * V ~ "v"^ *S A often manifested, not in gross
if "dead copy" is rarely a sue- % «L/ < * V^-*T^B favouritism or in venal patronage,
cess, a perverted paraphrase of •. M but by too rigid treatment of the
stone details worked in wood, of work of personal friends, merely
a costly method reproduced by because of the fear of being par-
a cheap one, or a bungling ver- tial. There are two sorts of
sion of some archaic original injustice and partiality; sometimes
that owes its charm to lack of % >as great a wrong is done by gross
technique, reproduced with impartiality as by favouritism,
mechanical perfection—all these But so far, the Exhibitions have
things are much more of no shown that the Committee, if
moment. But when a man who they have excluded work which
has patiently studied the past, appears not less deserving than
can re-embody its spirit in the some retained, have most cer-
mood of to-day, he may pro- tainly admitted very little that
duce work of intrinsic merit, or ' falls below the standard which
if, on the other hand, he throws they aimed to attain,
over all previous work, and looks In all competitions, to be just
neither to Greece, Merrie Eng- to the second best is a very dif-
land, nor Japan for his motives, ficult thing. The sympathetic
then, workingdirect from Nature, '—■—-—■--I juryman, knowing his own failure
he also may do good and abid- carved detail of mantelpiece t0 accomplish his ideal, is apt to
ing work. It is very hard to designed and executed by be too lenient; the hard, sturdy,
condemn a really painstaking g. frampton, a.r.a. just person is apt to be too drastic
effort to revivify old motives, in his refusal to admit good in
and not easy to protest against efforts to be anything but the best. All committees err on
violently original; yet when the first effort is but this question, and must needs err ; for as a com-
a travesty and the next a monstrosity, one can but mittee is no entity but a combination of units, the
regard them both as excrescences. mood of the moment will exert itself. A member
The Arts- and Crafts-men have incurred a fair who has protested several times, and has established
share of ridicule and a much worse evil—ignorant his protest, feels bound in turn to let his opponents
imitation. Yet, speaking generally—without over- have their say and their victory. But, as a rule, all
looking the fact that people who take a creed these questions concern second-rate men, and
seriously must needs be bigots to a certain extent really fine objects secure ample praise, even from
■—their very solidarity is at once their strength and those who have little sympathy with their tastes,
their weakness : their strength, because it is good It is necessary to recollect these obvious facts
that a society should set a certain standard and before one regards the fifth show of work in detail,
abide by it at all hazards ; Iheir weakness, because For to regard the Exhibition as one that reflects the
53