THE SCHOOL OF ART.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9022, 7 February 1895, Page 5

THE SCHOOL OF ART.

A YEAR'S WORK. ACHATWITH~|f|. G. HERBERT ELLKITT. As the School of Ait is one of the Departments of the Canterbury College more immediately related to the industrial processes of the community, a member of the staff of the Pfisss had a chat yesterday with Mr G. Herbert Elliott, the head master, as to the result of they ear fa work. " The iqcrease iv cue number of students for this year," said Mr Elliott, " has been about sixty in all the classes. The greatest increase has been in the evening classes, the attendance at which, I think, was 515, the largest that wo have had since the foundation of the school in 1882. Another master has been placed in charge of the branch of architecture and decorative design, viz., Mr S. Hurst Seager. The result of the first year's work has been very successful, as shown by the competition which has taken place in connection with Messrs Strange and Co.'s prize, designs for linoleums. In the freehand and model classes, tho advance lias been very marked, especially in the latter. Both outline and brushwork have been given, the latter to impart a greater delicacy of handliug. In connectiou with this the memory work shows a great advance on that of last year, and shows the importance of the sy.tcm introduced. This is the second year, I may remark, that the system has been introduced. The plau adopted has been to got the student to bring a memory drawing of an object drawn the previous week, and occasionally au object has beeu put before them for a short time, and then after the removal of tho object they have been required to draw it from memory. The system this year has been carried to the higher branches. Last year it was only applied to freehand and model, but this year still life, light and shade, aud drawing from life have been added, As showing the earusstness of the students, I may mention that they have attended more regularly this year than on auy previous one, and thu3 produced far better work. In light aud shade, simple tone studies in monochrome have been given in order to teaca the principles before tho difficulty of colour is added. All kinds aud descriptions of objects, from single objects to groups, have been thus given. Next we come to colour. The work iv this department in still life aud paiuting from flowers ha 3 been equal to that of any former year, and iv two or three cases has surpassed it. In the drawing from the antique not so many drawings have been exhibited as last year, but the few best ones are quite equal to the standard reached last year. I would especially mention oue of * The Fighting Gladiator.' We now come to the highest classes in the school, the drawing and painting from life in monochrome and colour. The standard in this h_s been maintained, and in a few cases surpassed. The prize drawings show a marked advance over the work of the previous year. The competitors ran each other very closely in the competition. The paintiug in colour from tho life especially showed au equality of production; all the students beiug near to each other. In former years there were oue or two much in advance of the others. This year they are more on an equality. Coming now to the most important mission of the school, I may say that the idea of the school is to make, especially in the evening classes, its influence felt in the improvement and advance of all those industries connected or founded iv any way upon tho principles of ait The more intimately such an institution as this is associated with these industries and the firms who represent them, the greater will be the benefit to the country at large. I should like to accentuate this foot, that the School of Art, or as it might Well be called, the Technical School, exists for the purpose of furthering our local industries by the application to them of the principles of art. As an instance, I may say that largo sums ate scut out of the colony for designs in industrial matters which, if tho scope of this school were better and more fully understood and recognised, would be retained here. We possess the raw material; all that is needed is to educate those who have to transform it to tho finished article, and this; I take it, wis- «ac *of the priucipal objects in the founding of the School of Art. If.. those".who are v at the head of. these industries in onr midst will take an interest in the work of the School by offering scholarships and prizes, or by personal efforts induce the artizans, more particularly the youths in their employ, to desert tho streets and attend the evening classes at the school which have been specially established for their, benefit, the community as a whole will reap the advantage. There are how several employers in the city who are payiug the fees of their apprentices at the sohool, and this is ah example which I should like to see largely followed. I forgot to mention the modelling in clay, in which work of a more advanced character has been done than in the previous years of the history of the school. Several clever busts from the antique, aud a has relief ia stone from life, were shown this year. Darmu the coming year tho students in this will be modelling from the life. Tub successful character of the year's work reflects credit upon the whole staff of teachers, which comprises, besides myself as Hoadmaster, Messrs S. Harat Seager, A. W. Walsh,"o. I-itsou, and Miss Muunings as assistants.