Hay’s Art Competition

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29299, 2 September 1960, Page 3

Hay’s Art Competition

Sir, —Congratulations to Hay’s and the three judges on their difficult task. It is interesting to see the selection made by them such diverse men, highly qualified in varying fields. No doubt there will be an outburst of disappointed, disapproving, emotional, unthinking and thinking correspondence. J.N.K. is bound to get his fair share. I wish to recommend before going along to the show or bursting into vitriolic print a small book obtainable from library or bookseller for 14s, “Modern Painting,” by Paul Klee. Don’t be discouraged by his painting or the descriptions of his work but read his words on the subject It will help in beginning to understand, appreciate, or at least tolerate those who try or succeed. It will also make less tedious those people who glance at a picture, see that the symbols do not look “like” something, laugh selfconsciously, and make the usual irritating remarks.—Yours, etc., LOUISE LEWIS. August 31, 1960.

Sir, —Being one of what he or she concedes to be an “awful lot” of convinced people, and finding such letters entertaining, there seems no need to mind seriously correspondents such as “Ilam,” who succeed only in making themselves unintentionally funny. However, no one, not even "Singing Red” or “Ham,” can be dogmatic about what is artistically right, good, progressive, or otherwise. But it is the experience of history in all arts that great works are at first greeted with derision and misunderstanding, the extent of which usually varies in direct proportion to the degree of subsequent acceptance. Any idiom will naturally and inevitably be modified and superseded. This is fundamental. For his little outburst, “Ilam” chose English—and modern English at that—in the expectation that readers had bothered to learn and understand it But such people will not let contemporary artists make the same assumptions with their language, and, being in the dark, naturally become frustrated.— Yours, etc., September 1, 1960.

Sir, —If Mr Hay lives through the shock, and next year organises another show with the same

three wise men judging, it is possible to find the prize money in the hands of ambitious housepainters. Groomed appropriately, they would be certainties. A beard, an off-beat look, a cool, serious expression, a copy of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” a pot of the gas company’s bitumen, a handful of crude colour, a stove brush, are the essentials. The painting may not be understood —only a chosen few know about such things. But those who don’t could follow the advice of your critic, J.N.K., who, writing of Mr McCahon’s masterpiece, states, "It needs to be looked at for a long time before it yields its secrets. It is a contemplative painting, which needs contemplating upon.” So house-painters, up and at ’em. —Yours, etc., PEGASUS. September 1, 1960.

Sir, —Congratulations to your contributor, J.N.K., tor his excellent repprting of Hay’s art exhibition. It is not necessary to agree with all his opinions to appreciate his most interesting review. Why do so many people who visit exhibitions of art feel disappointed, even indignant, unless every picture suits their particular conception of what art should be? One does not expect to enjoy every item from 3YA nor every work of a great composer, particularly at the first hearing. If a composer is justified in stirring the senses through his music, why should not an artist try to do the same thing with colour? Much “modern” art is probably merely in a state of transition and experimentation. When the desire to experiment is lost when will there be any progress? Congratulations to Hay’s for bringing to Christchurch “the best collection of New Zealand art seen here.” That does not mean every single person has to approve every single picture hung. And congratulations to all the artists, those hung and not hung, who made this possible. Christchurch is better for this.—Yours, etc., DIANA. September 1, 1960.

Sir, —“Singing Red” and "Ilam” have voiced the opinion of thousands of the people of this fair city. Surely they deserve something more than a lot of thick paint smeared on good canvas and called modern art. I have seen paintings of every description all over Europe, * and also New Zealand, but in my opinion there is not a real work of art in the whole exhibition; just a lot of tripe. Put the children’s pictures back again. At least theirs were a genuine effort to paint something real and far, far advanced to anything now showing at the Durham street Art Gallery.—Yours, etc., ANOTHER SEEING RED. September 1, 1960.