Visions of Australia

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33653, 1 October 1974, Page 21

Visions of Australia

An exhibition of prints by Australian artists is being displayed at the Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery. Seven out of the 10 printmakers exhibiting use silkscreen processes, which has the effect of giving the exhibition a somewhat bland appearanc overall. Tom Green gets some

effective and decorative colour arrangements with his silk screening, as does David Rose with hfe deceptively simple explosive splatters called “Primaries I” “Circle II” and ‘‘Bateau Bay”. Ray Crooke, on the other hand uses silk screen more as an illustrative medium in three prints with Tahiti and Tahitians as the (Subject. The most impressive illustrations however are three lithographs by Kenneth Jack — one of which is shown in the illustration. In these he describes, in strong colour, and clear detail, part of the Australian outback architecture. Only one set of etchings is included, the work of Earl Backen. The subtle qualities he achieves come as something of a relief, although his content leans rather towards the esoteric. The exhibition will remain open until October 17. Linda Smith

An exhibition of drawings by Linda Smith opened last week at the gallery.

Linda Smith was born in 1946, gained a Diploma of Fine Arte from the University of Canterbury and has travelled in the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Malaysia and Australia.

Trees, nudes, still-lifes and landscapes are her main subjects. A set of six black and white tree (studies makes an encouraging introduction to her work. Strong rhythmical movements in the branches, seen almost in silhouette, are drawn with broad and energetic strokes. Two colourful still lifes also hold out some promise of exciting things to come but unfortunately the promise is not fulfilled by the remainder of the work exhibited. One series of nude studies is thickly outlined and another heavily modelled, and in both the effect is heavy and the texture unfleshlike. In Nos 26 and 27 an attempt is made to introduce some sensuality into the landscape forms, but this also lacks subtlety in the contrived shapes and heavy draughtsmanship used. In Nos 14, 15, 16, and 17 she reverts to colour in abstracted landscape renderings, but these have nothing of the vibrancy of her still-lifes. The exhibition will close on October 6. Gordon Crook

Gordon Crook was born in England and studied at the Central School of Art, London. He has travelled extensively in Europe and lived for six years in the Middle East. He settled in New Zealand in 1972 anfi has tried to live by his efforts as a painter and weaver since his arrival. In this exhibition at the gallery, he has 12 paintings, six prints and 16 drawings. His paintings show a concern for textural effects and subtle colour modulations and when subjects do occur, such as in “House on Fire,” they are rendered with child-like simplicity. People, flowers and chairs are some of the subjects'

that appear in his prints and drawings. Again, he employs a Klee-like approach, particularly in the simplistic linear representation of people, which at times involves heads, arms and legs, and nothing else. His few excursions into

brighter colour — “Crocus I”, “Crocus II” and “Painted Chair II” — are (some of the most pleasant works in the exhibition. The exhibition will stay up until October 9. —G.T.M.