A VIEW OF ART.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 45, 22 February 1934, Page 15

A VIEW OF ART.

"EDUCATE YOURSELF" EVERY MAN'S HERITAGE. WORK AND HOBBIES. A vigorous attack on the definition of art as something outside the life o£ tlia everyday mail —something only to be expressed by "queer chaps who wore their hair long," was made by Mr. F. A. Sinn-rock in an address to the New Zealand Society of Artists in Christchurch (reports the "Times"). Every man had potentiality as an artist who could "do and make," he said, and art existed in all the handwork of man. "Let's pet to the job and set such a standard that our work becomes an art," ho said. "Don't do it for the firm, for the boss, because we are paid to do it; or to earn money for the directors —joy in the making. It is only thus that wo can become thoroughly ellicient, not with the cheapjack eHicie'hey that says, 'I can turn out so many things in an hour.' If our conditions of work are such that we cannot make an art of it, then lot us lake up a hobby in which wo find expression for ourselves." Work, said Mr. Shurrock, should hold the whole life interest.. It was an obvious sign that something was wrong if a man was always longing for holidays. Ho was a teacher, and often people expressed envy of the holidays he had. lie looked on his holidays as a time when ho could got down to serious work. "I don't believe in this idea of educating the public," said Mr. Slnirrock at another stage in his lecture. "It is a waste of time. Educate yourself and got 011 with it —for the good of the thing itself." "Irresponsible." Mr. Shurrock condemned the idea of art as something outside the life of the ordinary man. A more sane idea was being adopted, but still there was misconception. Art was not a positive thing and could not be described positive terms. Yet what hope had of introducing a true idea of the meaning of art when even the* University of New Zealand had a "Diploma in Fine Arts." ''What 011 earth docs that mean?" lie asked. There could be no class distinction in art. It was the heritage of every mail, whether ho painted pictures, wrote a verse of poetry, or made chairs or boots. An artist was a man who used his tools to make a better thing. Yet the artist was still regarded as "a funny clia.p," eccentric and unreasonable. People would say "He's a true artist, entirely irresponsible." "I am going to reverse that," said Mr. Shurrock. "I am going to say that the artist is the only reasonable man. Irresponsible?— To whom ? They mean he won't do tilings they want him to do." The artist did tilings for the good of the things themselves. The true artist was a man who could never count what lie did in terms of material things. He was thus distinct from the machine, which made things cheaply, things that would bo termed and lebelled "artistic" if they paid a good dividend. Artistic Enjoyment. It was sometimes said that a man had gained "a better job, worth £100 a year more." It could not always be regarded as a "better" job, and it might well be a worse one with restrictions that robbed the work of its artistic enjoyment. Every man had a dual personality—physical and spiritual. One had to realise the importance of the physical, but man did not live in the fullest sense only by eating and drinking. Food was needed for the spiritual side. The spirit (as far at least as this planot was concerned) was expressed only in something done—not merely thought or said; and true happiness in living was achieved when both personalities" were equally well cared for. To carry conviction an artist had first to convince himself. He had to realise what "living" meant before he could express his feeling through the medium of his art. In fact, ho had to make a work of art of life itself. Educate himself— and get on with it.