Mr. Handforth Now Anxious to Become Sculptor Mr, Thomas Handforth, a Pespins artist whose drawings "of popular Chinese life are sought after in London and New York as well as in Ching, is not content with having conquered the field as an ether, thographer, and a photograr;'h3 wants {o add to his cecomplis.. nents and be a sculptor. He admitted this the other day during his brief visit fo Shanghai," To do. this ¢ almost has decided' to forsake et.aings and Uthographs and take up photography in a serious way. "Everyone", said, "buys photographs, but' 2 sculptor must be endowed, because no one seems to want to' buy. his work." Mr, Handforth, who sailed on Sunday for America, where he will hold "the first' exhibition of his original drawings in New York, nex' month, claims that he formerly scorned photography, but, that he: took it up merely for his' own ree: ards. Shanghai and Peiping authorlties on photography claim. that his work is unusual, in that. he gains startling effects simply by the means of mirrors, Instead of by lighting arrangements, The young artist, who came to China accidentally a Uitle over four years ago, on his way to Java and India, where he was to study art on a Guggenheim fel-Jowship, visited Peiping for a week or so and followed in the footsteps of many others who have stayed in the ancient capital. 'This will be his, first trip to America sine: his arrival here, and he has not lett Peiping except' for short sketching trips into Mongolia and Indo-China.
His last trip was Into Mongolia ths to complete his collection of popular Chinese with its entertainers, theatre, ce: strolling players, and the ike. He and the tate Mr. Gareth Jones were uesis at the Teh Wang's palace the same time and it was by the merest chance Mr. Handforth did company Mf, Jones on his iiatea journey.
'Mi. Handforth, who expects to return to China and to his home in Peiping within six or seven months, @eclared on Saturday that, at the present time, America is' exceedingly "China conscious," a condition which has reached its peak and will soon decline, With the opening of the London exhibition of Chinese art treasures, England too is more than ever interested in Chinese art." Ao. cording to the artist, the greatest change. in Chinese during the past ten years has been the decided interest in the G2velopment of the human body. For centuries, the body was scorned, but now the young Chinese, especially students, yo in for race, The girls are becoming fine swimmers and daneers, and the men fre taking pride in their fine bodies.
Mr, Handforth has made several photographs of young Chinese which through his mirror arrangements ive the effect of bronze and marble statues. He declared that, since coming to Ching, he had become more Western in his style and had discarded the Oriental manner which had influenced his work and won for him the Guggenheim fellowship.
The chief charm of China as far as the artist is concerned Mr, Hand-forth thinks 1s that present-day life here resembles the Harlequinad ays of European art that are more. The jugglers, street dancers, and clowns still are a significant part of Chinese life and, as a result, are 4 delight to the artist's soul.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.