SOCIETY OF ARTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21122, 24 March 1934, Page 24

SOCIETY OF ARTS

ANNUAL exhibition notes on the pictures 's.-e . !A"LuT wßiur.s ros iiit rs c s<.' • I!; 'AN .>:x I 111. Preamble Development is ihc life-blood of the pjiitv.cr's as it j.< of any other craft. As loni a< h:< work i.« vital it is '•hansins. By this I do not mcu«n that he should be forever seeking aftei new technique or eve: 1 , new subject matter. I moan rather that his mental attitude toward? his work should constantly receive new impetus. Though ho spends hi? life painting one mountain. each, camas should be a developin en t of the knowlcd.ee he has gained in painting those that preceded it. Op.ee art becomes static I believe thait becomes stagnant. The element of wonder goes. the painter is no longer an explorer, he is merely a club foK>\ 1 irevtr bonne us with, the same taU o. iiv fi.ii he caught m Burmah and iho tiger that bit h,m in Bengal. I don't think age has much to do with, it: out environment has. In London, nowadays the painter can hardly avert tiie realisation of development. The ; very posters in the si reels ram it tindei his nose, and with his own national collections as well as t'ne con- . slant exhibitions of foreign mastcrpieces. he is continually reminded_ « , the greatest ir, art. Here it is so ait- 1 lerent. If he is above the average tie j has every chance of soon ranking i among the best. The landscape P®" 1 , / ter must forever tackle the scenei> his country —a sufficiently big P bl:m for anyone: but e.e caimol » how his French or Italian or Gc!l y^ i . peers would approach the c '\, ' land landscape. He can. and no doubt he docs. tai;e great ' th.c observation < :f his eontemp • .Aj but this is. in comparison a res held. This isolation works t«« « a .'- At the best it may make for . ality and at croo ve it lanas the pai te, m a d I • into whicn ne .-udes so nn<; itinn he is himself unaware ot his position. ~,, . , ~ T i 1(U; "liI tind fewer in this' lhan in last . i s n> oi d.. . • think they year > <ho\v. i cikuil arc "till there.

Landscape As usual this is by far the largest, mmericailv. of the sections. this, voar however, the selection commit- j Ice has used a more admirable discre- . Hon with the result that the standard is considerably raised. Here the sec- j ond of our two S.roups. is very well ; represented, especially in the work ; of Olivia Spencer Bower and of Rita f'nek' * These two painters are always and at times brilliant. Miss Siiencer Bovver shows a great advance in all her pictures. They are better held together, more controlled, and . ttiil more interesting in pattern. In the oils section X like best No. 157. : '•Nor'-West Haze, Conway Valley," by Richard Walhvork. This is a most beautiful canvas, subtle in tone and i'n colour, profound in feeling. Cecil F. Kelly shows a group of charming landscapes. He has a delicate colour sense and an admirable appreciation of simplicity in technique. "Mount Cook from the Tas- ■ man Valley" is laid down easily, with slick brush strokes and sharpened by tiie clever use of accent —an interestins treatment. The work of Mr and Mrs Kelly is closely correlated: they paint as it were in antiphony. Of Mrs Kellv's canvases. "Mid-day Rest' ap- , peals to me. it has great charm both in colour and in handling. A marked advance is to be seen in - the work of E. S. Hope, a watertolourist of great ability ind elan. Her "Kaikoura Coast" is ve:v well done : ;nd has real beauty. She now depends less 011 accidental effect, her management of water-colour is more : controlled, and her composition is bett<4 considered. In the smaller pieces the paint is perhaps still a little 100 nebulous; but they show u real i-ppreciation and poetic feeling for her subjects. Marcus King is a painter of ability lie draws well and he composes well The little figures in "The Paddlers" • pre beautifully grouped and the colou v very cleverly spotted. It is a picture : that one remembers vividly and with pleasure. I do not always care for liis purples and acid greens and find ! 'rim at times a little obvious; but ! "chacun a son gout." Of his other ; canvases I choose "Marine" and "Com- ; merce." "Jenny's Leap. Kaikoura." j rnd "Summer Afternoon, Island Bay," i ri'e theatrical without being quite ! c'ramatie. Work From Abroad The show is very greatly helped by I Ihe work of Sydney Thompson and' A. E. Baxter, the two I.'ew Zealanders | who have been painting abroad for ; some years. Mr Thompson has land- i scapes both in the oil and in the j water-colour sections. He puts his ■ brush strokes down side by side bold!;-' j r.nd leaves them alone. His style 1? j rich and sparkling and he is a master j :"i aerial perspective. He loves bril- j "Want colour. Of the oils. "Provencal j Jars" is perhaps of most arresting; of j the water-colours I like best his rose- ' coloured "Fisherfolk." _ Mr Baxter's "St. Paul's from Ludgate , Circus is enough to give a Londoner . the heartache. This, however, is not | artistic criticism. Of its type this ■water-colour could scarcelv be better It is admirably executed and beaut'- ; I'iljy composed. A most distinguished ; picture. Mr Baxter has m the exhib : - i lion several other water-colour.- o r which the "Sand Boat Venice," oer- ! the most notable. "The Encroaching Tide." by M. O. : Sioddart. is an example of how a: ; exceedingly simple subject can be : to make an interesting and satisl.\mg p'cture. Pattern, tone-gradation. : and colour are here emoloved with subtlety and understanding." and tlv Jesuit is delightful. I. M. Copeland. an important exhibitor in the portraiture : eetioil. lias sever;.' good landscapem the show. "Auunnn. Christchurch." .lice in colour and in arrangement. : 1.e.-lie G. McCulloi.gh has two excellent studies of rapids. The weight and ■ >wirl of falling water arc cleverly in- ! lerpreted. Cedrie Savage's work is 1 thoughtful and solid. "An Inlet, Lak>' ■ "U anaka ' is particularly well carried ' c;t. _ "The Lane. Hilltop." by Archibald' • !. Nieoll. is perhaps the most import- ! ; nt landscape in oils in the exhibition. ! Yhe subject is a quiet one. a turn m 1 hilly load, with sunlight dappliir; ! warm colour through the leaves of a ; -roup of trees. Like all Mr Xicoll's i ! mdseapes it i« moilow. serene, an 1 : 1 xcel ienliy well painted. Kata Loveil-Smith shows eight ' lund.-.capes in oil that place her among , vie most notable of our second group. t-;ne has evolved her own technique ■ for rendering the uncompromising beauty of our landscape, and her work i ; - remarkable for its honesty, its di- ! i ectr.ess. its economy, and its courage. Colin Lovell-Smith approaches his subjects from a similar viewpoint. ■ While their work is fresh and sincere. 1 feel it lacks swoilety a little, and ; : iiouid like to see :hem tackle subjects in which the colour problem is fiuicter and the rc-i.it more dependent ' ii the gradation of grey tones. I think Their outlook would be enriched by : fcueh a departure. The work of W. J. Reed shows a very iust appreciation of the possibilities of water-colour. His landscapes are remarkable for the masterly control of the medium. He makes water-colour behave as it should. In "Decorative Sea Piece." the wide wash c f green is particularly well managed. This i* a most successful painting and very pleasant in feeling. I think the conventionalised peak of foam is placed a little too centrally and that the treatment of the distant hills Li too Continued in last Column. 5

j ; (.-presentational. Mr Reed is an extremely clever water-colounst. - 'Biue I Ranges. Lake Wakatipu." by R. J. I has both delicacy and ! -irength. ll ;- \ erv freshly and d> | redly pamted and is" alluscthcr charir,- ! ill!. j K. Baird Friber.s is always prom.:.i •-■lit amonq the water-coloui-ists. This : voar I find her work a little Isckir.: | :ii vitality: but "Wrapt m Winter ' Snow Arllmrs Pass," is food. "Coast | Scene. Wellington." is an improye- ] '->ent on the canvases shown by Nuj -('lit Welch last year, lone E. Todd, whose manners bear a certain rela- ! iion.-hip to that of Mr Thompson. haj I three verv spirited small canvases it ! the show. Ruth D Browne, an elusive I painter, is represented by severs. I unequal canvases. At her best jas in -The Old Bridie. Under- ! barrow Pool." .-lie i- very gooc I indeed. Elizabeth Wall work nas I two excellent harvest pieces ■ oaintod with individuality and las- • '.idiousne.'s. The "iMtriernV I Tin? second (•roup is. as I !iju' ;<i' c > ' '.veil represented iii ih.e landscape ?eci -ion. Oli\-ia Spencer Bower and Jbta ! ; 'ook ! have already noticed. "'The i llaimcs" is perhaps" the rr.ost corr.i olctelv satbfviu- of Miss Spcncc' i Bower - -- wate' : -c(i!i>ur-.. all rcmarkab:* 1 mod. Mrs Cook cams in surene-s c- ' iitack. make- vtrv clover use of ac- ! cent, and paints with nor-omuity ana I Ji-criminatiom Roland Hipkitif. *■■■* ' •■xhitnt- two inost interest: n- works. :« j perhaps the ra.-! cenmneiy modern i painier in the show. IBs method :» 'austere and deliberate. N'>. B- ■" ; a brilliant expia-sion of the feres ! -tru-ide for c.xbtcuoo -.hat I 'lie imdonrrow! h of native forest. -'•■-"■ ' ■ me F. Whit- show- the modern ter.- ' dencv chieflv u, her treatment ». t cdi'es, Stella Hudson in her colour a;i ! - i arrangement. Ida CI. Ei.-o in her choice i of subject and handlin- of ma?-?-- | "Tin.- Winding River" maV.es very good j pattern. .Jenny Campbell has only- ,: "- i canvas, in which it i- interesting t-i j '--ote her use of narrov.. -cpars'™ I brush strokes and empl.a! m line.. A- ! Fred Cook, n yum.- landscape mm".;'* small picture-. "Kub-Wi -:" i.- *•'-' j quelit of i!= subjre'. Phvlli- Dnm.mm.d Smmm b renrfI sented n s:n-io canvas, broad:' j treated, hmh in f.ne. aid vry charj actenstic. J. Turkiimtor.'- "bate A ; - i iornoon, Banaoolme." i. a -'• mpatheff | renderum in a low k.-v of a 'ombre landscape. Viola Maciniiian Brown« "Afternoon" .■- dchcaUiv p:m ted aH has the qualuv of repo. ( :;•-.. It" j by Marion- Rasmus- u. 1.;:-' piorrus-. : two very pleasant httle v. f There is onlv one :mm ai pamter o- ■ lu.ie exhibit in-.;. V;., 1, • 1 . ('raw.- hor-rs wei! and b.• r ow.se c : i composition i= '.mod. She :- incline-' ; to be too pbotomapmc :md her tccn- : mono mmlil be more e\e: 11 f:: i. ! F. C Bipscomlw shows four in if'; ostimt example? of w-od souin'urr. H;s ' work, which ha- charm and mrhvidua;I itv. adds a plcasm- note to the cxhiI bition. ' lam only p,o onsrios 'hat in the?? ' note- I hav- m\ on a verv scanty rcI view of individual work. Mar£ j nam.es are b-ft out a!to-et!'. r :". J' r Thompson, Mr Kellv. Mr Xicoll. »• Wallwork, and Mr Baxter all &?*? small canvases of the first rank, whiea soace will not allow me to review'l he -taidard of the v.oik -eneralb I has advanced and the held has con-|s.-uueu!b- wncne * a im healh» i.iiii. The Canterbury Society 01 ! Aits is to be corioi'atuhi'iCil.