Perfection in Art, Palestine Trip, Two Life Goals of Mark S. Joffe

After a useful life of three score and ten years Mark S. Joffe, world renowned artist, still looks for ward. Two ideals beckon to him the goal of perfection in art and a visit to the land of his dreams, Palestine.

In honor of his seventieth birthday his friends and admirers have arranged an exhibition of his paintings at the Academy of Allied Arts. Last night more than 150 of them celebrated his anniversary with a dinner at the Samovar Restaurant, where Judge Jonah Goldstein presided as toastmaster. Some of the speakers of the evening were Rabbi Moses S. Abels, Peter Wierneck, S. Dingol, Dr. S. Margoshes, Saul Raskin and Abner Lashkowsky.

Prior to the dinner Mark Joffe consented to an interview at the Academy of Allied Arts.

The long years of struggle in the past have left no mark of bitterness upon him. His slight form is still erect, his gray eyes sparkle, his views have grown gentle and mellow with time.

“RIPE TOO EARLY”

Contemplating the scene of contemporary art he spoke with a quizzical sort of humor. “A great many artists today grow ripe too early,” he said. “Their work is too much alike; they strive to follow in the footsteps of a few leading lights like Matisse, imitating not his best works but his early ones. The result is discord and a lack of harmony. The arms and legs and features of their figures are all out of proportion. What is absolutely unrecognizable they call abstractions. However there is much in the modern trend that is worth watching and studying. One can always learn from youth.”

Here he introduced some of his own sketches, as he called them, showing a marked leaning towards the splashy type of painting so popular now. One of them, a view from a roof top, appeared particularly vivid and well done.

Reviewing the effect of modern art on industry, Mr. Joffe asserted: “Our furniture and other utensils for home purposes have so far improved through modern influences that they are not only more useful and comfortable, but simpler and statelier in lines.”

FAVORS COMPROMISE

Joffe approached the question of introducing the artist’s own economic theories into his work in a spirit of compromise. He qualified his affirmative answer by saying: “The artist should not complete any work for his client before first submitting a sketch showing approximately what will be the finished idea. In case of argument they ought to compromise.” He cited the Rivera-Rock-feller controversy as an example where agreement beforehand would have avoided the unnecessary destruction of a work of art.

In speaking of the contribution of Jews to Jewish Art he gave them little credit. “It is sad to say,” he declared, “that Jews have done little for Jewish Art. Our artists have such a meager Jewish training that their work hardly reflects a trace of the life of our race.”

His own most famous and favorite picture called “The Day of Atonement” owes its beauty he feels to the fact that in it he portrayed his great love for his people. This warm and homely picture hangs in thousands of Jewish bomes all over the world.

FORTY YEARS OF WORK

The exhibition at the Academy is an excellent review of his work in the last forty years. Observers can readily see the development of the artist from youth to the present time Some of his portraits almost reach perfection, especially those of his nephew, Dr. S. S. Joffe, and one of Louis Seinfeld. His pictures of Jewish home life. of which there are several, are marked by a sympathetic treatments which reflects his gentle personality. One called “The Sabbath,” depicting an old man pondering over the Bible, is exceptionally appealing. He handles his light effects with such deftness as to give an almost uncanny feeling of reality to them.

Mark Joffe rose early to the ranks of leading artists when he was still a young man in Russia. He was born in Dvinsk of middleclass parents and during childhood showed a marked inclination for drawing. At the age of fifteen he came under the influence of an artist called Yehudi Pen, a sign painter in his home town. This man taught him the first rudiments of shadow effects in painting. After studying with him for a few months he entered the art school at Warsaw. Here he won the highest awards, both silver and gold medals for his outstanding works.

HERE TEN YEARS

Exhibitions of his paintings in Warsaw, Kiev and Odessa met with the highest acclaim. He be came a successful portrait painter and lived in Russia until ten years ago, when his elder brother persuaded him to visit this country. Up to the crash a few years ago he found work in America remunerative and pleasant. But the depression has laid a heavy hand on all artists. And Mark Joffe feels it too.

He is however exceedingly hopeful and optimistic. On the day of his seventieth birthday he said: “I am happy because I am surrounded with riches worth more than money. I have that paragon of virtue, an understanding wife; I am blessed with good children; and since I have never had much money, I don’t miss it.”