GALLERY PICTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1932, Page 13

GALLERY PICTURES.

PUBLIC REQUIREMENTS. MUST BE CONSIDERED. NEED FOR THE BEST IN ART. Side lights on art galleries were given by Dr. E. B. Gunson, president of the Auckland Society of Arts, when opening Mr. Arthur C. Hipwell's one-man show, yesterday afternoon at the rooms of the Auckland Society of Arts. He spoke iof the necessity for seeing that only the best was hung at exhibitions and in galleries, and said that at the same time he had realised, since he had been connected with the Mackelvie Gallery, that the requirements of tho public must be taken into consideration, whatever some artistic people thought to the contrary. In the Mackelvie collection a new arrangement of hanging recently had been carried out by Mr. Watson, and the present result was a great improvement upon all previous hangings. In going round the galleries it was decided that it was necessary to have in mind the requirements of the public. It was all very well to say that the trustees should give a lead to the public; the requirements of the public must also be considered. An- interesting question cropped up over one picture that was now hanging in the gallery. Personally, said Dr. Gunson, he did not approve of that picture. At the gallery there was a custodian, who made a note of the criticisms of the public who visited the galleries, and the result was most interesting and instructive; people unburdened their hearts to him, and he was able to gauge the public estimate of the various pictures. For example, there was a certain nude. A lady accosted the custodian and Baid, "If you do not take that picture down, I will write to the paper. I am not a religious woman, but I will certainly do that!" Then there was the case of a lady from Australia, who had made tho trip across for the express purpose of seeing the Maori paintings of C. F. Goldie. She saw them, and went home quite satisfied. During the recent rehanging there was one particular picture the doctor thought should not be hung, but the trustees said the public were asking for it; they had been educated to like it, and they demanded it. "Three days ago," said the doctor, "I our custodian about that picture, and he told me a story. One day the custodian, walking through, saw an old gentleman sitting in front of that picture, and hugging himself with pleasure. The custodian got into conversation with the old gentleman, who said he had been away from Auckland for 40 years. He had just come back, and the one thing he wanted to do was to renew acquaintance with that picture, a picture he had known as a boy." There was no doubt the public could be guided in its appreciation of art, and that fact made it imperative that those in authority in the galleries should eee that the pictures put before the public were the very best, and worthy of inspection and appreciation.