LOW STANDARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 65, 18 March 1938, Page 8

LOW STANDARD.

ART OF ABORIGINES. "NO BETTER THAN MODERNS." OUTSPOKEN CARTOONIST. i '"Australian aboriginal art never rises above the standard that may be seen in pictures commonly exhibited at the present day by the so-called moderns." Tn these words Mr. Percy Leason, well known Australian artist, cartoonist and authority on Australian native art, disposed of the aborigines and the modcrists when he arrived by the Monterey from San Francisco thi~ morning on his way to Melbourne. For about ten years Mr. Leason was a member of the staff of the Sydney "Bulletin."' and. he has been latterly on the staff of "Table Talk." Melbourne. He U widely known as the creator of the ■'Wiregrass" cartoons. '"The pictorial art of the aborigines is a very poor affair,"' said Mr. Leason, "Australian anthropologists will not admit that, of course, but in niv opinion it is not equal to the art of the cave people of France or the African bnslimen." Modernists Criticised. Mr. Leason had al>~o >ome very hard things to say about the younger an.l allegedly brighter school <tf modernist*.

"liaugin and Cezanne, the founders of modernist art. are continually quoted to us. Art critics rave ami reiterate about the perfection of modernism, and there is; a sort of mass hypnosis produced. When you question the validitv of their c-tatements the rest of the world looks at you with amazement, as their minds have been made accustomed to the idea that there is something excellent about modernism. \ou know, even if people don t understand a particular form of art. they are always willing to give the artist the benefit of the doubt, a-nd. just think there is something there that their inexperience can't quite understand."'

Critics were largely to blame. Tlier talked about the "dynamic ipiality" of these pictures. and so on. Actually, one or two modernist paintings niig'.it lie outstanding in a gallery of art. said Mr. Lea son. but that was only because of the comparison with the other picture, and not lifmiKo of any inherent artistic quality lha t they po~i-es-ed. "If a mail stripped himself naked in the main street iie would eertainiy lie ou'-tainl-ing. but would be That i- just the argument." -aid Mr. Lea-.n, Cartooning and Painting. Talking of !iis own form or art. iie said that painting was a matter of understanding exactly what the eves saw. whereas cartooning wa~ a compromise lietween literature and jwintim:—t >v ■ • entirely different things, Jjj ( -ari<v.tiire. of course, the element of satire w a- largely predominant. I :ie whole x-cret of cartoon ill l; wa- the ability to understand jn„; <• \ ;1 .-11 v what one's creations w,.nld do in certain situas<> many young i-irtn-mi-i- worl ied tiieniselves about th:* '"haruiini! pell lines, whereas the whole ;iii::_' was to make the characters behaie Mr. Lca-0., liad been ' the I'liUed States, partly on holilav and '\ oil burdnesis ;n connect ion with • \ ndirat inn hi- work. He has had thrc" ■■li" '- frmn different syndicate*-. to handle iii- cartoons, but he ha* not vet made up his mind. "Once I commit myself to the . ; ,a:im cf syndicate cartoons 1 have 1 — * niv fwedom to devote mvsell t<< he eaid.

1 here was a lar^ r e nttendancc of niembeis at the twenty-sixth atmnal nrctiiii: oi the Grafton Shakespeare and P'.n'itic Club. Incorporated, held vesterdav evening m Bt. Andrew's Hall. Sinionds Street, wlyn the annual report and bai.m.e-sheet were presented and tlie followin- ..dicers elected: —Messrs. Je. W. Keal.v. president: Norton Hammond. vicv-pr.-sid. i;t : Mis-es Nell Lush. lion. secretary: ( . 1.. ('l.aimers, hon. treasurer ■ committee. Mis. i). Misses L. <I.e Kenzv nnd I'. uioi. Jlu.'k 'U. Messrs. A. Outram Horspool, S. M. \allop, C. Beebe and C. Mickle.