DOMAIN STATUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 156, 3 July 1936, Page 8

DOMAIN STATUE.

BATTLE OF WORDS. SUPPORTERS AND CRITICS.^ "STAB," READERS' LETTERS. The statue in the Domain is achiev- j ing "fame" such as the donor, sculptor j and trustees probably never dreamt of. j and a further large - number of "Star' readers have forwarded their opinions. In the "lists" for the Statue grand-tour-nament are two champions of the figurebut one of these diverts a lance of ridicule and scorn to the statue of Queen Victoria in Albert Park. Another two writers tilt at the sum of £10,000 expended on the gateway, claiming that it could ha<-e been used to better purpose. Further critics of the statue join in the battle, and finally there is a band of humorists, one of whom sends his comment in rhyme. Extracts from the letters are:— W.O.D. writes. —T would like to congratulate the artist concerned and the C'ity Council for the magnificent piece of statuary erected at the Domain, Splendidly proportioned, perfectly balanced and gracefully poised, it is unquestionably the most inspiring piece of sculpture in the city. And, most satisfactory of all, it is no cheap copy of some god-like creation of ancient Koine or Greece, but is the original work of a local artist, who has relied on his own inspiration and ability, and has created something that epitomises the grace, power, speed and essential lightness of the trained athlete. Its naturalness and the freedom from conventional drapery are healthy sijrns in a community that has yet to develop its own, its very own culture. Critics of the statue ignore completely its superlative beauty and base their criticism on the silly conventions and fig-leaf psychology of a past age. The citizens in general should view it with open minds and then, for comparison, take a walk down to Albert Park and see the figure of a womanly woman that dominates the scene near the fountain. They should note particularly the squat bulk and unsightly bulges at various places that defy even the voluminous garments to conceal them. This dreadful figure passes for art, I take it. Yet the Albert Park bronze, judged by every standard, except that of loyalty, is a shocking thing, and the people should ask themselves whether it or the cleanlimbed, graceful young athlete in the Domain .approaches nearest to the ideal of a youngr and virile ars, such as should exist in this country? "Go To the Beaches." "Tust Broad-Minded" writes: There lias been much ridiculous controversy. "Mother" writes that it would create an unpleasant impression 011 the minds of pure-minded children. Ha<? she never been on the beaches of Auckland? If she has then she will surely admit that one sees sights equally as shocking to her way of thinking as that of the figure of a perfect man; just one of the many in New Zealand and an exceptionally fitting statue for. the entrance to a sports ground. As for "J.E.E.," he is probably one of the type of men in Xew Zealand who think of nothing else but running around the city playing such stupid tricks as tar and feathering statues, and I. ns one of many in Auckland, sincerely hope that the broad minds of the city councillors will enable the figure to remain unaltered.

T. Carradine writes: If Mr. William Elliott could hiive seen tlie iiisijrni ticsnit result of the expenditure of his £10.000 I think he would he very angry—two pylons over 50ft apart (the width of a building section), one pylon is 32ft high and the other 13ft high. The whole erection would he valued at considerably i less than £2000 if it were an ordinary 1 erection for private purposes; and if 1 there were any public-spirited people left f they would soon say so. It is a clear J waste of nine-tenths of the money left for the benefit of the public. The sports ground dominates the frontage, leading < to the left ground, which should have been included in the Domain entrance: the entrance is simply a "corner" of the ' Domain, which is hidden behind the sports ground; the whole length of the sports ground should have been included and made a real, worthy frontage to ; what is a lovely spot. The swan and the bronze figure are nothing outstanding; the swan is "heavy" and the neck seems small even in that position, while the lower part is shapeless; and the i bronze figure could have been profitably [ replaced by a figure of the donor. It I would have been a graceful act of recognition of his generosity, which would have been acceptable to his relations. They will not criticise (in public), but I would- like to hear their private opinion. The road was made at the time of the 1913 exhibition and followed the line of the iron fencing. What a ridiculous position!- There are sports grounds on every siiTe of Auckland, and could not this one have been sacrificed for the beautifying of the grounds leading to the War Memorial and the Winter Gardens, both of which are extremely valuable possessions. The entrance as at present is inadequate and it would be better to scrap the whole thing, take the sports ground and make the "gateway"' central with a path leading straight to the War Memorial. This could be lined with native trees, a gateway that would perpetuate in stone, not reinforced concrete, several figures of some of Xew Zealand's greatest departed. New Zealand needs to get out of the rut of apathy in regard to public interests. Question of Value. , M. P. Byrnes writes: — Apart from the incomplete nudity of our famous bronze athlete, there are other considerations more worthy of notice in regard to the much talked of Domain gates. The first thing that strikes me is that the semi-nudity over which there is such needless controversy has effectively clouded the real issue, viz., whether the public of Auckland has good value for the expenditure of the large sum of £10,000. The Ethiopian conquest diverted the attention of Italy from its domestic problems. Are we not likewise losing sight of the most important issue? Secondly, this partly nude figure and the swan are false emblems. If the objection that the swan is not a native bird is countered by the retort that there are swans in the Domain, are we also to expect to find unclad athletes running round the Domain, too? Thirdly, our athletes' don't compete in the nude. Judging by the frantic interest that a lifeless nude athlete has aroused, it would no doubt be to the profit of sports bodies to conduct athletic meetings "a la nude." Fourthly, if realism is aimed at, let a perfectly nude figure be shown. "A Little Pair of Pants." "A Modest Gurrl" writes:—Why all this bother about a nude statue on a gate post, which is a beautiful work of art, no doubt, but to many an embarrassing one? I confess I have never seen the nude in Denmark or Egypt,

neither have I seen athletes in our Domain running around in the nude u to make the offending mo pleasant," to quote one , might I suggest to our city fa t liers J should they think fit to elo l ' l ' add a little pair of pants and crnise and overcome the difhcuH). understand that athletes adopt that more of attire when taking P a athletic sports. As to my own feejV, although not a prude until some » ltcl * tion is made I fliall feel compelled to pull my hat over my eyes when gon B past the Domain gates. I.A.W. writes:—lf the sculptor has servetT no other purpose he has changed the topic of long drawn, public discussion and in the near future I can se a rest (only temporary, perhaps) tor corporal punishment, dog poisoners, the Government, relief pays, pensions, defence, etc. The trend of the discussion will be: Those who do not approve of the figure in its unclothed state will be called "the prudes," while those who ■admire it and have the courage to say so will be called "the bad-minded or the vulgarites," and there after much ink splashing the matter will end. To the suggestion of the correspondent wiio thinks there should he an unveiling ceremony and a public holiday I would add why' not charge fid admission and hand the" proceeds to the Crippled Children s Fund—and it is mv guess that the tuntl would be very considerably swelled. Personally I consider that the figure would have looked better with tights on. An "Inspired" Poem. "Adam" writes: The work of the sculptor appears to ba an ambidextrous athlete. With a powerful swing of the left arm he has sent all his clothing living into space, and with the right lie is groping for a fig leaf. He must have forgotten tha£ this is the pruning season and leaves are hard to find. "Anonymous" sends a loi g "inspired rhyme, some verses of whicn are: — Right at the gateway of our park Stands Art, all unadorned, and stark! For youth, for age, for you, for rue, In beauty of simplicity! The role of clitic not assuming, To speak too freely, not presuming, But, just as one who passes by, 1 hereby register a sigh ! Our athletes (inartistic wowsers!) Persist in wearing "shorts" or trousers. They worship at the shrine of Sport— Giving to Art no time, no thought. Through Australian Eyes. An Australian woman visitor writes: Auckland is a lovely city, and the intelligent visitor cannot but be impressed by the quality of advanced civilisation I evident in all her civic enterprises. And yet—when some one of her artists and the more enlightened of her civic authorities combine to set up in one of her beautiful gardens a beautiful statue there is an outcry. It strikes the casual and by no means remarkably modernthinking observer as discordant, even abysmal. Don't New Zealanders know anything at all about psychology? Have I her physicians and teachers never even heard of Freud and Havelock Ellis, to mention only the most commonly-known writers on the so vital subject of sex psychology? One feels that something ought to be set afoot by the country's doctors and teachers to rescue such persons as "Decency," "J.E.L.*' and "A Pleasure Spoiled" from their unhappy delusions regarding . the effect of the statue tipon children. Can't someone teach them that the bogy sex is not stressed in the infant mind. Can't someone please tell these lovely Aucklanders not to be so silly ?