“Paintings Seldom Seen”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 17

“Paintings Seldom Seen”

“Paintings Seldom Seen” is an exhibition with a difference, it is made up of prints, paintings, drawings, and reproductions lent by members and friends of the Canterbury Society of Arts (including the Dunedin Art Gallery) specially for the occasion. Apart from the odd map or reproduction, the works come from artists who worked mainly in countries other than New Zealand. Indeed, while English and Australian artists predominate, the Netherlands, Spain. Italy. France, Greece, India and China are represented. The exhibition can be found in the ground floor gallery of the Canterbury Society of Arts building. Gloucester Street and will be open at the usual hours until Saturday, August 24. Understandably the temptation to emphasize big names has not been resisted though apart from Nolan (80) important artists are not particularly well represented; instead it demonstrates the wisdom of those collectors, unable to compete with large galleries, who prefer the better paintings by so-called minor artists to the secondrate achievements of Masters.

The obvious point about the exhibition is the opportunity it gives us of seeing things we may never again see (though the thoughtful person may remark that many

of life’s experiences fall into this category and what matters is not the rarity of the occasion but the quality of what we see). The fact that the exhibits are cherished possessions may have created difficulties for those who organised selection and hanging. Certainly, criticism in the ordinary sense is impossible and what follows is aimed at helping the visitor find his way round and not miss what, in my opinion, are the plums. Half-way along the east wall a tiny water-colour (10) claims attention even before one discovers it is by Frances Hodgkins. Then. further along a landscape or treescape (28) by William de Gouve de Nunques distinguishes itself by virtue of its excellence of design and delicacy of colour. Out of sequence—and the disparity of picture order and catalogue number keeps one on one’s toes. Beautifully presented eighteenth and early nineteenth century painted ivory miniatures (94) will repay close study and so does A. J. Cowenberg’s Landscape (38). Two really excellent modern works are Nolan’s “Africa 1963” (80) and. benefiting from a good sidelight Francis Bott’s elegant painting (82). Two drawings (89 and 90) by Brett Whitley, who was born in Australia in 1939 but who is now living in New

> York, show how true inven- . tion is never a matter of , media or method, but of mind. ; What delight and wit there is ■ in these two drawings and 1 like most true invention how 1 obvious it seems after it has I been done. These 10 exhibits made the ■ show well worth visiting. This 1 personal choice may also be ■ a guide for those visitors with > little time who prefer to ' study a few works in depth. Near the steps linking the ! upper and lower levels of the ground floor gallery hangs a ' large map (95) of the province of Canterbury. Com--1 piled and printed in Christ- ' church in 1867. it reveals the almost incredible energy, en- ■ thusiasm and vision of the ! early settlers—the amazing ■ amount achieved in a few 1 years. It is against such a ■ background the exhibition ; can and perhaps should be viewed and remember it will 1 be the response of the public j which eventually will decide I the relative success or failure of the new Art Gallery. —H. J. S. House Sold.—A two-bed-room bungalow on a section of 26 perches at 721 Glouces- . ter Street was sold for 55500 ;at auction last week. The ■ property, with a Government] ; valuation of 54900, was] offered on behalf of the trustees of the estate of L. C. ; McNeill. The auctioneer was : Mr R. Simes, of W. E. Simes ’ and Company, Ltd.