What the people
~ee
in the movies,
they are rendered incapable of ex–
periencing directly. Hollywood is
the good dream, and Buchenwald,
the bad. Neither represents a real–
ity. We saw the images of terror
a long way off, far in advance of
journalism and photography. Nev–
ertheless, we, who know, still ask,
"How is this possible?" How is it
possible that thousands of men,
women, children and infants should
be lined up in a field, to be shot
before an open ditch, and that
their screams should not be heard?
That furnaces should be stuffed
with human beings? That thou–
sands should be marched into air–
tight chambers, to be gassed or
steamed to death, their naked bod-
19th and 20th Century
DRAWINGS
JANUARY 3 -
22
Bertha S(haeffer Gallery
32
E. 57
ST.,
NEW
YORK 22
MODERN
PAINTINCS
th rough J anuary
PIERRE MATISSE
41 E.
57
NEW
YORK 22
108
ies stuck together by the pressure
and the heat? T he death-schedules
are possible: efficiency; the sal·
vaged hair, gold fillings and wed–
ding bands: industry. But that no
one should hear the screams? We
cannot understand, we are as
numb as the perpetrators of the
crime. Our knowledge should
shock us, it should stir us deeply,
it should make our old life Im–
possible, subjectively, as it is im–
possible in fact. But we are the
true conservatives, who conserve
values. The light is doused-we
keep the after-image alive; the
wires are cut-we hold private
conversations. But everyone is now
a pragmatist (great gain); know–
ledge is only for action, as ours,
PETER
BLUME
1937. 1948
Durlacher Brothers
II East 57 Street
WALTER MURCH
JAN. 3
·22
JACKSON POLLOCK
JAN.
24 -
FEB.
12
BETTY PARSONS
GALLERY - 15 East 57th Street
