Responsibilities Of Artists Discussed

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32322, 13 June 1970, Page 12

Responsibilities Of Artists Discussed

The title of “artist” carried with it large responbilities, Mr John Coley, a leading Christchurch artist and a lecturer at the Christchurch Teachers College, told nearly 200 persons in the Canterbury Society of Arts gallery last evening at the opening of the society’s annual open exhibition.

The artist’s responsibility ito the community should be Ithat of preserving the visual integrity of his environment, Mr Coley said. “You should, as artists, be speaking out and taking the necessary lead in these things,” he said.

In Christchurch some artists had been leaders in helping to preserve the city so that it did not develop into a chopped up jungle, he said. The second responsibility was in the aid and support given to the other arts. By artists helping and taking an interest in other art forms, art generally would forge ahead.

Mr Coley said that another responsibility of the artist was to maintain and extend his standards. An artist could paint a picture, but its impact, influence and life would depend on the quality of the vision that concieved the work. An artist, therefore, should be continually researching and exploring, and at the same time, being extremely self-critical of his work.

Mr Coley said that the work of the artists in the exhibition was technically of quite a high standard, and much of the content was interesting material. There was a great deal of potential Improvement Noticed

Welcoming persons to the opening, the president of the society (Mr John Oakley) said that he did not know of any other society in New Zealand which held an exhibition of this nature. The exhibition had been running at least five years and during this time the standard of the work shown had improved steadily. The exhibition was open to all members of the society who had not already qualified for working membership. The work was not selected, and therefore the work was free and uninhibited, as the artists were not concerned

about having it turned down. Each artist had been invited to send in three paintings, but because of the number sent this had been limited to two. The exhibition, which will remain open until June 28, consists of 191 paintings, five sculptures and two examples of weaving, by 104 different artists.