MODERN ART

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 1

MODERN ART

EMPIRE LOAN CttLLEGTHHI AifIBESS BY MR H. V. MILLER “At the exhibition now on view I have seen anil heard, with anger and pity, open and unrestrained laughter directed towards paintings, the only sins of which are brilliance of colour and simplicity of execution. Modem art, however, is an expression of lilo to-day, and is to be appreciated by the public to-day,” said Mr H. V. Miller, in the course of a lecture on an explanation of modern art given in the Pioneer Hall yesterday afternoon. ' His remarks were designed to be of help to art students, who had been puzzled by some of the paintings in the Empire loan collection now on view in the Upon “ modern art,” said Mr Miller, a great deal of bitterness had been poured. Disciples of it had suffered shame and pain, and had roused fury and horror by their harmless putting of paint to canvas. Constable had been considered a revolutionary because he had painted trees green, and Whistler’s pictures had been booed and hissed. A great deal of common criticism or modern art had been heard _by the lecturer-at the present exhibition. • Hie commonest of all was “ But it is so unreal.” This showed at once a complete misconception of. the purpose of art. If the artist’s chief .business was to represent Nature why should he not buy a. camera instead of paints ? _ Why should people pay to see an exhibition when the same things could he seen in the ■ sunshine and fresh air? It must he realised that the artist’s business was not merely concerned with a straight-out representation of Nature. A second criticism, “ 1 don’-t like tha way the modernists slap on the paint,”, merely showed a lack of knowledge. Modern artists used this method ikj more titan other-artists. A third criticism, “The colours are'too brilliant,” could be dismissed by asking the criya to remember Nature herself in her most brilliant moods and by pointing out that the work of a host of modern painters was subdued and rich. Mr Miller described the'methods em. ployed by various groups of artists represented in the exhibition, and went ,011 to say that in individual expression, of feeling lay the connecting link that united the painters in one great bro. tberliood of modern art. It was in their honesty of purpose—refusing to ba led aside by things and refusing to paint pretty bits of Nature that might readily "be bought by art con. noisseurs—-that. the modernist had earned his place in the history of art. He had definitely the same aim as had prompted all the great art movement* of the past—honest self-expression through the medium of _ paint. If hi* work were regarded without bias it would be recognised that the artist had sought to express a genuine feeling for beauty of colour, form, and pattern. If he was moved by the beauty of Nature he painted the feelings that had moved him. “If we really put ourselves in a mood of sympathy with him.” the lecturer’ concluded, “we shall experience the feeling he has had.”

The Chairman ('Dr F. S. Batchelor) and Mr A. H. O’Keefe expressed appreciation of Air Miller's effort to explain modern art.