Commercial Art

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 228, 22 June 1933, Page 11

Commercial Art

Sir, —I read the news item in to-day’s “Dominion,” referring to the success in America of a New Zealand artist. It is stated: “Beginning his career in commercial art —now his exhibition gives him the standard of an accepted artist .... and there interrupted his commercial work to go to Europe and study fine art.” I sense in these remarks (I may be wrong) a derogatory attitude to the “commercial” artist as compared with the artist who paints for exhibition; an attitude I know to be somewhat prevalent in New Zealand., particularly among the dilettanti, and which is to be regretted. Commercial art is a particularly exacting form of applied art, and to be successful a commercial artist must have a command of technique, a sense of arrangement, and a grounding in the principles of art in a degree not possessed by many an artist whose work may be regularly hung. To those people who hold this ignorant attitude towards commercial art, I would say glance for a moment at illustrations in the leading magazines and try to appreciate the ability behind them. Look at the high artistry displayed in the typesetting and layout of much of the up-to-date advertising. I recall a very prominent R.A. being commissioned to paint a head for a poster advertising a well-known garment. The result was generally considered to be inferior to the figure previously, done by a prominent “commercial” artist. I think this misconception about commercial art should be realised by our art schools as there are numerous promising girls and boys in New Zealand who appreciate better perhaps than their elders the lucrative field open to .really qualified commercial artists of ability, and yet are aware they cannot get the right training here. Again when an advertising concern in New Zealand requires the services of an artist of more than mediocre ability and experience they are of necessity put to the expense of importing one from England. This situation surely is worthy of consideration by those responsible for the art education of our' youth.—l atn. etc.. C. WADE. Wellington. June 21, .