NEW ZEALAND ART

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22137, 6 July 1937, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND ART

VALUE OF CRITICISM

That a false value is often placed by New- Zealanders on works of art from abroad is claimed in a leading article in the latest (June) number of "Art in New Zealand," which adds, however, that there is also a tendency to overpraise the work of New Zealand artists.

"There is in our galleries too great a proportion of British paintings of doubtful merit compared with the works of established New Zealand artists," the article states. "The theory tha,t a prophet in another country must necessarily be the superior of the prophet in his own country has too long persisted; it should be given short shrift. Just as distorted a perspective is the almost universal view (to judge especially by newspaper reviews) that even the work of the rank and file of local artists is always entitled to be appraised in terms of the highest commendation. That perspective, also, sadly needs correcting, and the only effective way of dealing with it is by the steady application of competent. constructive criticism frankly exercised, within reason. New Zealand literature would by larger doses of a similar medicine. Other articles describe the work of Roland Hipkins and Jenny Campbell, criticise strongly the exhibition of paintings done in New Zealand Dy Mr S. J. Lamorna Birch, R.A., ana analyse the work shown by Mr T. a. McCormack in his recent exhibition.