SCHOOLS' ART DISPLAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 196, 20 August 1938, Page 1 (Supplement)

SCHOOLS' ART DISPLAY

TRAVEL IN PICTURES

ris the hope of the organisers of the International Exhibition of Children's Art-"at present on view in Auckland that it may' prove the forerunner of many more to come. After one has made a tour of inspection of the various groups, one realises that this hope is more than justified. Planned and organised by the Wellington Academy of Fine Arts, it is the first exhibition of its kind to be held in New Zealand. Important as it may be from an educational viewpoint, it ia a pictorial universal, language which may be understood by all. The subjects chosen and the manner in which they are portrayed, all reflect something of the national environment of the young artist. Thus we find that, in the Australian section, kookaburras and gum trees feature largely in the design, and that Swiss boys and girls have sought inspiration from their various alpine plants.

The first thing that one notices op entering the New Zealand section is a large drawing of the ill-fated LuSitania, which occupies a greater part of the wall. It is conceived in bold colours and is'the work of three boys aged Jl, 12 and 13. Vieing with it for pride of place is the picture of a motor cyclist taking a particularly risky bend. As one journeys around the room one is struck by the spontaneity and utter joyousness with which the young artists entered into their work. A touch of sly humour is visible in the drawing of a dental nurse and her patient, while a scene depicting Easter Morn turns our thoughts inJ.o more serious channels. On the whole, it would seem that outdoor and country scenes are first favourite, although drawings of animals and human beings run them a close second.

Of special iMerest to teachers and scholars alike is the map drawn by a teacher of an Australian correspondence scliool, showing liow wide-

spread is the influence of this particular branch of education. On it are drawn a number of black lines, and each of these points to the home of a correspondence pupiL

Also in the Australian group are to be found designs for book jackets, and a particularly striking one was composed of nursery rhyme characters. The background chosen was a light green, and the figures were painted in dark green, pink, white and brown.

More ambitious was the leather purse and the cover for a blotting pad, articles which were the work of students 13 to 15. Both articles featured a simple design in relief, and the sides of the purse had been first punched and then sewn.

Little Anse school in Nova Scotia has a roll call of only 65, but its display of handicraft would not shame a larger gathering. Four girl pupils whose ages ranged from 10 to 14 years were responsible for the community quilt with its patchwork star-shaped design, and its narrow blue border. During the winter months the scholars are practically isolated, and it is during this time that they spend so much time making their patchwork quilts and rugs. The latter are made from yarn which the children have spun Themselves, and dyed with vegetable dyes such as blueberry, onion skins, foxberry and moss. One of the best examples of their work featured a maze of bright hues, with a three-colour border of purple, green and red.

Having thus discovered what a new and fascinating way this is to see the world, we set track for America, which we discover is just around the next corner. Here we find work con» ceived on a much larger scale than hitherto— the head of a negro girl tied up in a bright bandana, and a pastel study of two bucking bronchos.

In direct contrast to the gay colours and bold outlines are the delicate drawings of the Indians; indeed, you have to look closely to see them at all. Here is a lady with a lamp—the soft folds of her sari are so pale as not to be there at all, and the only touch of colour is to be found in her long hair, the flame of her lamp, and her dangling ornaments. Further along is the drawing of * woman worshipping the tulshi plant, a delicate design for a Mohammedan carpet, and series of geometrical designs. Here can be felt rather than seen the impression in the artist's mind, eon* veyed by the soft colours and tiny leaves and flowers.

I had never realised how useful the everyday potato really was until I had visited the Canadian exhibits. Here were two wonderful designs all done with the help of this remarkable vegetable, and so carefully that in no place did the lines overlap. One could write volumes about this section, but special mention must be made of the textile designs, which were printed from linoleum. One of these shows a conventional pattern of maple leaves, light and dark green on a green background: another features a floral design of leaves and flowers, and the third is composed of purple squares in each of which is a little ladf with a taper.

And so we could go on interminably—but space will not allow a description of all the exhibits. Sufficient it is to say that without a doubt this display will arouse widespread interest in the work that is being done both here and overseas. Nowadays pupils have more scope, and their work is not confined to any particular shape or form. Greater then are the opportunities for individualism, and that these young pupils have made full use of that opportunity is a fact not readily to be disputed.