PLAY 73 



art if it is the best. "Art," says William Morris, "is the expression 

 of man's joy in his work; the curse of the world is joyless labor." 

 Take for instance the drawings of childhood. They are bold creations 

 of a dauntless spirit, hisouciant^ evidences of the simple faith in 

 one's self, of a delightful disregard of law and order and of a mind 

 deeply intent, overwhelmingly intent, on expressing facts. To dis- 

 courage the work of these young artists is to nip art in the bud. 



Much confusion in the psychology of play and art has resulted 

 from the confusion of two standpoints. Art when looked at from 

 the subjective standpoint may be quite a different thing from art 

 looked at from the objective standpoint. A recluse of an inventor 

 may produce a machine marvelous for its intricacy and complexity, 

 and from the subjective standpoint he may be an artist in his work; 

 as an expression of thought and feeling, as an expression of a social 

 judgment, as a public utility, the product of his activity may not be 

 regarded as a work of art. A painting may appeal to an anachro- 

 nistic instinct and the painter may rejoice in his work and in the suc- 

 cess of his appeal, but from the objective standpoint the painting may 

 not be regarded as artistic. In the school room prescribed drawing, 

 painting or music may be an abomination of desolation to a pupil 

 from the subjective standpoint. Looked at from the subjective 

 standpoint we study the activity of production; looked at from the 

 objective, social standpoint we study the product. 



