NEW ZEALAND ART

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND ART

Typical Collection Need MR. TROUP’S VIEWS “Should Be First Aim” In declaring Mr. G. A. Troup elected last evening a# president of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Mr. A. R. D. Carbery, who was ehairman at the annual meeting, said that he was certain that there eould be nobody better fitted for ■ the position in the world of art in New Zealand to-day. They owed Mr. Troup an enormous debt, mote especially for th# work he had done in connection with the national gallery. Mr. Troup, after assuming the chairmanship of the meeting, said that in accepting th# position he realised that he entered on a line of succession of very great presidents. Notwithstanding the fact that they were living in very strenuous times, Mr, Troup was hopeful the cause of art would not suffer, at any rate during the present year, and he was certain that as president ho would do his best to keep it alive. It had always appeared to. him that the first essential they should aim at was to make their collection representative in the first place Of New Zealand art. It was the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, and if in the veara to come they had nothing but' pictures by outside artists or of scenes connected with other countries, they would'have come very far short of what was expected of them. - They should aim first of all at New Zealand art, then perhaps at Australian art, and finally to have a representation of the various schools of art—ltalian; Dutch, French, British; and So on. He liked to imagine that each school would be in its own -saloh in the new gallery. ■ ... Looking round the walls, one saw that New Zealand" art was not represented to any great degree, Mr. Troup said. He hoped that in years to come they would remedy that. The academy would be judged in th# future not by mediocre works, but by the outstanding works of New Zealand artists. . Mr. Troup confessed that he had not yet seen one really good painting’of the New Zealand bush. He had seen some magnificent painting# in America-of the American forests and had seen some’wonderful paintings of woodland scenery in England and’on the Continent, He . hoped that. In the near future the academy wotild- be able to include' in its permanent collection some outstanding- picture of New Zealand>bush scenery. The academy stood for New Zealand art,’ for the encouragement' of New Zealand, artists, and;- of course!, for the ' public,-■ / Earthquake Insurance. Later in the meeting some discussion took place as to whether the academy’s permanent -collection; .valued at £B5OO, should be .insured against the risk of earthquake and fire consequent upon earthquake. The annual premium, it was stated, would be approximately *97, including, insurance on the, building. Mr. D. A, Ewen said he; did not think they could-really afford the full premium of £97, but. that he would; like to move (that the committee.should be .authorised to select certain of the, more valuable pictures and insure them. - It was impossible, he thought, at last evening's meeting, to say just what the amount would be, but the meeting eould perhaps give the committee power to decide the total amount and the particular pictures which should be Insured. Mr. Ewen proposed a motion along the lines he had suggested. It was seconded by Mr. M. King and carried after discussion. -: ■ A motion was also carried which debarred members whose subscriptions', were outstanding for .more than two years from participating In the .aCadhmy’A.art .anions. '■ The election of officer# resulted as follows .'—President, Mt. G. A. Troop; vicepresident, Mr, A. R. D. Carbery; four .vacancies on council, Mrs. M. E. B. Tripe and Messrs. W. F, Hogg, Marcus King, and W. Gray Young; hon. treasurer, Mr. T, D. H, Hall; auditor, Mr. OL D. Mor- . peth. : Appreciation ’of the services of Mr. Carbery and Mr. Charles Wilson, a retiring member of th# council, was expressed in motions which were carried - by acclamation.. Mr. Troup paid a, tribute to Mr. Wilson for the work he had done for the academy and th# debt Wellington, owed to him. 7 5 .....