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us today to understand how the Mexican artistic movement fell into an opportunist and reactionary path with the declining curve of the revolution itself.  It enabled us to understand how our art turned to the picturesque and adopted forms and contents attractive to the tourist spectator now coming in increasing numbers, under the influence of the new post revolutionary Mexican regime which supported the imperialist penetration of Mexico.
How can we explain that the newest generation of Mexican painters abandoned their recent tradition in mural art and occupied themselves with formal problems independent of social content?  Several reasons have been given by the artists themselves-their reaction against the degeneracy of merely picturesque art made largely for tourists; their exclusion from possibilities of realistic mural art on a sounder formal bases through a serious study of aesthetic problems.  But the fact to be remembered finally is that although these artists had for a time detached themselves from social content in arts they have maintained their allegiance to the revolutionary movement and today announce their intention to create works revolutionary in content as well as in form.
But a new movement that has grown out of all the past experiences has appeared already in Mexico. The new movement is impelled and organized by the section of plastic art of the League of Revolutionary Artists and Writers, which includes the majority of Mexican artists of all schools.
What is the new direction formulated by the League of Revolutionary Artists and Writers? The League has adopted the principle that revolutionary art is not only a problem of content or theme- but a problem of form. It has adopted the idea that revolutionary art is inseparable from forms of art which can reach the greatest number of people. The new line of art adopted by the League is founded upon the principle of discipline within the organization. It has adopted the principle of self-criticism as an instrument for advance. It has also adopted the principle of team-work as distinguished from isolated individual work. Instead of painting in the official buildings far from the masses, the League wants to help the Mexican workers to find a form suitable to a graphic art of revolutionary propaganda. The League will develop an art economically accessible to the largest number of people. This will give us tremendous possibilities of creating new forms of art. Only in that way can we eliminate archaic forms, old methods of teaching, and also the monopoly of production by the individual. The League desires to form real producers of functional revolutionary art. It believes that these objectives can be achieved only by the collective participation in criticism of all the artists. There are, of course, a few outstanding artists who do not accept the revolutionary esthetic of the League, but these men are in their way on the side of the Revolution, and-as in the United States-differences of esthetic opinion do not prevent us from uniting solidly on the all-important question of the defense of culture against the menaces, Fascism and War. 

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PROCEEDINGS

Following the reading of the report for the League of Revolutionary Artists and Writers of Mexico by Jose Clemente Orozco and that of the National Assembly of Artists' Delegates in Mexico by David Alfaro Siqueiros, Julia Codesido brought greetings to the Congress from artists and writers in Peru, and A. Gattorno brought greetings as a delegate of exiled Cuban artists. 
Reporting for the Resolutions Committee, Harry Sternberg brought in drafts of resolutions putting the American Artists' Congress on record: for an active struggle against the threats of War and Fascism; endorsing the rental policy of the Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers; approving the introduction of the government art program and advocating its continuation and extension on a national scale; supporting the artists' unions and urging all artists to join unions; urging art teachers to join organizations in the fight against War and Fascism; urging art students to join organizations in the fight against War and Fascism; condemning the sending of artists into militaristic C. C. C. camps, at wages violating the federal art project scale; condemning all efforts made within the moving picture industry to use it as a medium for anti-democratic, Fascistic propaganda; protesting the attempt to secure the removal of Herbert Rosengren's mural in Roosevelt High School, Rockford, Illinois, and demanding its preservation; protesting the destruction, at the order of the President of the Republic of Panama, Harmodio Arias, of a mural in the National Institute of Panama by the Mexican artist Fernando Leal; protesting the imprisonment without trial of artists and writers in Brazil, and demanding their release and the restoration of their civil rights; protesting the Fascist terror in Portugal, and demanding the restoration of rights and liberties for artists and working class prisoners; greeting the artists of Japan and supporting their struggles against reaction; urging President Cardenas of Mexico to continue his support of the development of culture and defense of the rights of the Mexican people.

These resolutions were adopted by the Congress and the secretary directed to send copies of protests and messages to the responsible authorities.
Stuart Davis reported for the Commission on Permanent Organization.
MR. DAVIS: I wish to impress you with the fact that the considerations included herein were not the result of the actual discussion of a couple hours. The thing was gone into very seriously. Recommendations were made by the committee which has been in action for the past eight months. The fact that there has been a need for this organization, that this Congress has been called, is attested by the discussions and activities that the past sessions have shown.
The question why we need another organization has been clearly indicated by the speakers from the Artists' Union who spoke here today. If one artists' union were able to deal with all the problems that came up, we would not need this organization. The fact remains that a great majority of the artists are not organized. In the meantime, there are many other artists who do not feel like joining an artists' union at this time, but they are willing to join an organization which will be ready to defend the cultural liberty of the artists against all aggression.
The question is what type of organization will follow the interests that we have indicated. How will it be organized? How will it function? In the first place, its activities will not only be defense; part will be very definitely directed toward the development of the professional interests and orientation of the artists.
The Commission recommends that this organization be loose in character. In other words, we do not put down hard and fast rules regarding the active participation of members at this time. We recommend that a national executive committee be nominated and elected here today to carry forward the work of the organization. We have a slate to propose. (Reads names.)
The Commission feels that this representation is a true one and fully represents the membership of the Congress. This committee will, by the very nature of things, meet where the greatest number of artists reside, which, of course, is New York City. This does not in any sense mean that the members from out-of-town will simply be mere figure-heads on the committee. They will naturally be immediately informed of the decisions taken at any meetings here. In the meantime they are organized outposts, making it possible for us to set up locals--member bodies all over the country. It is recommended that a minimum of five members in any given locality shall con-

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Transcription Notes:
[102] dictates the page number as found at the bottom of the page