A DISCUSSION ON ART.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 243, 13 October 1910, Page 5

A DISCUSSION ON ART.

WITH VARIATIONS. ' CRITICISM AND CANDOUR AT THE ' SOCIETY. A SWEEPING PROPOSAL. The Auckland Art Society's annual meeting last night was responsible for a very animated debate on the question of the Society's constitution, rules, < management, and general existence, some of the opinions expressed being of a distinctly candid nature, and indicative of considerable feeling concerning the matter under discussion. The debate was opened by Mr R. A. Armstrong proposing, I "That a special provisional committee be set up to draft a more comprehensive constitution and set of rules for the I proper guidance of the affairs of the j Society, the committee to report a month hence to a special meeting, to consist of Messrs. E. W. G. Rath-bone, R. !W. S. Ballantyne, E. W. Payton, H. Moore-Jones, R" A. Singer, George George, and the mover." I Mr Payton immediately declined to I act on the proposed committee, and his name was withdrawn. j In moving this resolution, Mr ArmI strong argued that for all practical purposes the Society was de«d. It did noth- | ing for art and artists throughout the I year, with the exception of the one exhibition. He considered that there were too many customs and not enough rules in the Society, and commented adversely on the system adopted in carrying out those He thought they should keep what was best of the old rules and add others where desired. He went on to say that he himself had written a painfully polite letter to the secretary, asking why the committee had "skied" one small picture of his, and thrown out another altogether. He had not really expected any satisfactory reply, but he had expected an answer of some sort, which he did not receive. It was no good tinkering any longer undpr the present system. Let them make a clean sweep of the old order of things and have done with it. (Applause.) . Mr Ballantyne seconded the motion. He was confident the time had come when they should be guided by a proper set of rules, for without proper rules they could not hope to make much progress as a live society. "Art was something more than the mere painting of pictures. It should aim at something better than that, else the sooner they turned the gallery into a skating rink the better," declared Mr H. Moore Jones. An Art Society was supposed to lead and elevate the people, -but what was done by the committee of the Auckland Society? Were they men in whose management and artistic capacity our artists could rest confident? The whole-thing had been carried on in a very rotten manner in the past. He had been in Auckland for three years now, after an absence of 17 years, but he had received no welcome from- the quarter he might have expected to receive it. And he knew of a case last year in which a number of southern pictures, which happened to arrive a little late, had been relegated to the cellar. i And then they talked about art for art's sake! It was perfect rot. He . hoped that Auckland, which should lead I art in the colony, would lose the stigma it at present laboured under, of being the lowest centre of art in Australasia. No one thought of sending pictures here, because they considered that interest in art was practically dead in Auckland. The speaker went on to criticise the yearly exhibition, which he said was merely for a few people to hang each others' pictures and to hold a conzersazione. And no other city in New Zealand had such advantages as Auckland. It had its own building, yet those who wished to advance in art had to flee the blessed country and go across the water, even for elementary work. (Applause.) The president pointed out that any artist in New Zealand had the right to hang bis pictures in the Auckland gallery. Mr. Moore-Jones: What good is that if the gallery is shut up? The president explained that the gallery was now kept open several hours every day. Mr. George George supported the motion, and suggested that the scope of the Society might be greatly extended both in relation to art students and to industrial art. In this country, he pointed out, there was practically very Intro chance for students to see good pictures, while they were also without traditions, and had very few good masters. He considered that there was some of the finest raw material in the world here in Auckland, but it received very little encouragement from the Societ}-. But with a proper constitution and rules, both of the important ■subjects he had mentioned would receive a great fillip, to the benefit of the whole community. Mr. G. Gregory suggested quarterly gatherings, at which papers and art talks might be given by the leaders of art in the country. Miss Vera Jacobsen criticised the business of things generally, and that of the conversazione and annual exhibition in particular. She suggested a private view day for inspection by artists, bona-nde buyers and genuine art lovers. (Hear, hear.) Then there would be some art criticism by those capable of appreciating art, and not a jostling, surging crowd of the small talk and tea-meeting variety of patron. Artists would also have a chance of selling enougli pictures to make art hopefully remunerative. Mr. E. Clarke urged a little more sociability and intercourse among Auckland artists. Of the 300 at present hardly one knew another. Tbe president had led the way last year by, entertaining members at what was a most enjoyable gathering. (Applause.) Let them make the I gallery a live centre of art, where members could meet and discuss matters of common interest. (Applause.) Mr. R. Phoney agreed that the rules needed revision, but warned the members that the Society was for the encouragement of art. It could not make art, and its work depended on the zeal and energy of its members. Mr. R. A. Singer held that the only way to get something new was t«o start the Society on an entirely new- basis. (Hear, hear.) It might be necessary to thunderbolt the Society into life,; and if the gentlemen of the old committee i , would not be thuuderboited into life,j 1 they must be thunderbolted out of life, j (Applause.) What the younger people j wanted was to move, and if the Society j would not move the younger or.es would ; go somewhere else and move, but move the}' must. He also went on to compare the exhibitions in Auckland to those of the South, which he considered to b? ' superior as art exhibitions. I Mr. T. W. Leys expressed the opinion that those who had during the last 20 i years been trying to keep th e Society I alive would welcome the advent of youn-1 ger enthusiasts who were prepared to go | forward and help the movement alonf. ! At the same time it was quite evident ; that the success of any society would j

never depend alone on rules, but on the support received from the public, - the hearty co-operation of the members, and by the lack of jealousy among those members. (Hear, hear.)" He deplored the sounding of jarring notes by some of the speakers, and felt suTe that none would welcome the introduction of new blood and enthusiasm more than the old members, who had had a very hard row to hoe, and had received but scanty support and encouragement either fromthe artist members or from the public, where they might have expected it. (Hear, hear.) It was perfectly obvious that the present rules were inadequate. They had grown from the primitive condition of things when the Society was composed of perhaps a dozen or even fewer members, and the time had come when they should have a better constitution and a corporate existence. But he thought at the same time that it : would 'be advisable in the interests of the Society that the revision of the rules and constitution should be referred to the in- | coming committee, and he would, tbere- ! fore, move an amendment to that effect. He also considered that a month was too short a time in which the committee could complete its work, as good models would have to be obtained for the formation of a constitution worth living up to. As for Mr. Singer's reflection on the Auckland exhibitions as compared with those of the South, he quite disagreed. Undoubtedly there were more picture buyers in Christchurch than in Auckland, but that was neither the fault of the Society nor of the artists, who had done good work here. Mr E. W. Payton expressed the opinion that but for the frank hostility shown by some speakers 'to the old committee, the new movement would have met with a great deal more sympathy. There might be need for a better constitution, but he considered that artists were the proper persons to discuss the matter, and not lay-members. He could only reI member two names on the committee 1 suggested by Mr. Armstrong who were' artists. I Mr. H. Wallace differed from Mr. Payj ton in opinion. Artists, he said, were notoriously unbusinesslike, for which | reason he considered it important to I ha.ye included members of known business standing. Upon 3fr. Leys' amendment being put, , it was carried by 23 votes to 18, and as a substantive motion it was declared carried by 24--to 20. Mr. Armstrong questioned the count, although he deuied any reflection on the chair, but afterwards bowed to the president's statement that the count by the secretary and himself was perfectly correct. The annovrncement of the general election of the committee, which followed, was awaited with keen interest, the result being 'received with satisfaction by 'the great majority of those present. Of the seven gentlemen elected, only two were of the old committee —Messrs. W. Wright and Ballantyne, the voting being: Messrs. G. George 3-1, R. W. S. Ballantyne 33, H. Moore-Jones 32, T. W. Leys 29, A. Schmidt 29, W. Wright 29, and R. A. Singer 23. Mr. Armstrong, with 26 votes, headed the eight unsuccessful candidates.