THE 1969 GROUP SHOW

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32152, 22 November 1969, Page 18

THE 1969 GROUP SHOW

The 1989 Group show at thegallery of the Canterbury Society of Arts is smaller than usual, 34 painters, sculptors, potters and weavers contributing .works. The fact that many major New Zealand painters are not represented illustrates the growing depth and variety of painting in this country. A new exhibitor is the Wellington guest artist, Brent Wong. His "Trade Winds” No. 15 is reproduced here. This and his three other paintings of exaggerated architectural or geometric forms floating in a landscape are startling in their clarity and detail and though the relation of these rather enigmatic forms to the landscape is not particularly clear bis draughtsmanship and technical command of paint are unquestionable. Unquestionable, too, is Patrick Hanly’s ability to create movement; and light through colour. The two paintings from his "Molecular Series” have a sense of dynamic movement that has some affinity with abstract expressionism. The 1969 Frances Hodgkins fellow, Ralph Hotene, shows five of bis finely inscribed "Black Paintings.” These works are pure composition, a complete visual experience in noa-objectivity. The most controversial painting is, predictably, by the Auckland artist, Colin McCahon, entitled “The Lark’s Song,” it is a poem in Maori painted in white and grey on a black background, the words on occasions fading into sky or mist. McCahon introduced writing into his paintings some years ago, but "The Lark’s Song" contains more writing than those previously seen, the written forms dominating the landscape.

. Leo Bensemann, in three small paintings of hill forma, has created the disquieting sensation of hills as though covered by white, blue and green shrouds. Quentin Macfarlane’s paint

i is as fluid as usual in another , seven paintings from bis ’ “Marine Series,” but in No. i 45, “Peripetea,” the blues I become too light in tone, to the point of floating off the : canvas, whereas in No. 47,

“Edge (Blue),” an area of dark blue acts as an anchor, giving more weight and depth to the composition.

Doris Lusk exhibits four excellent water colour and ink paintings entitled “Beyond Porter’s Pass.” She has used controlled washes of colour combined with accidental splashes of ink on wet paper to suggest some of the flora. She has successfully combined both techniques into an impressive interpretation of what can be a bleak and uninviting landscape. Rita Angus shows one oil painting and two drawings. The painting is a simple, clear portrait entitled “Mother Watching Television.”

Barry Cleavin, Olivia Spen-cer-Bower and Freda Simmonds all live up to their established reputations. Richard Rudd and Maurice Angelo are Christchurch painters exhibiting with the Group as guests for the first time. Rudd’s major entry is called "Two, Three and Probably Four.” Painted in enamels, it has three concave surfaces whicji tend to! become lost in the equally weighted areas of brightlycoloured paint Angelo has turned the Mackenzie Country landscape into sensual forms and colours that as yet lack subtlety. Sculpture in the exhibition is variable In standard, with no-one outstanding. Pottery is dominated by Nola Barron’s nine simplyformed pieces.

Interest in the weaving section centres on the 'efforts of Solvig Bass-Becking, Irma Trickett, Zena Abbott and Ida Lough to introduce tapestry weaving into New Zealand. The exhibition will remain open until November 29. G.T.M.