LOAN COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Evening Star, Issue 22989, 21 June 1938, Page 15

LOAN COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

EXHIBITION FORMALLY OPENED " THE GENESIS OF THE ARTS " The first loan collection of pictorial photographs from the Royal Photographic- Society to visit New Zealand Was formally opened in the Pioneer Hall last night by Sir Percy Sargood. This collection was the same as exhibited from September 11 until October 9, 1937, by the Royal Photographic Society, in London. At the conclusion of Sir Percy’s address members of the Dunedin Photographic Society spent some time in inspecting the very comprehensive display which includes no fewer than 232 photographs of a quality never before seen in Dunedin. The chairman was Mr E. F- Lord, vice-president of the Dunedin Photographic Society; After briefly referring to the work of the Dunedin Society, Mr Lord l called ppon the principal speaker. “ It is with pleasure that I am here to-night to open this exhibition of expert photographic art,” said Sir Percy Sargood, “ and there are three reasons for my pleasure. The first is because, having already seen it in Melbourne, I am convinced it is well worth a study, for it exemplifies the best in photography, The second is that, as believers in the artistic value of photography, when my wife and I gave the Art Gallery to the city we stipulated that photographic art should be encouraged and that it find a home in the gallery. as the presumed Cinderella of art it is duo every support which can reasonably be given it, “ The Royal Photographic Society, under whose auspices this collection comes to us free of cost, deserves our thanks in more than words, but rather in the support of the community shown by its attendance/’ The speaker added that it was fitting the public should know and appreciate the fact that Messrs Kodak Ltd. had guaranteed- to sponsor the exhibition throughout New Zealand. That firm was acting as agents for the Royal Photographic Society without any pecuniary gain.

“I am going to dispute the idea that photography is the Cinderella of art,” Sir Percy continued. “ I assert it is the very foundation of art, was before art, and without it art would not exist to-day, nor have ever been born.”

Admitting that his claim was no doubt open to controversy, the speaker proceeded to enlarge and answered his own question, “ What is art!'” by saying that generally speaking art was the portrayal, whether on canvas, paper, stone, or other material, of things seen or of things imagined as seen. There were rules to guide the physical means to produce art, though there were many attempts to depart from these rules, and consequently there arose atrocities. There was genius, associated with the rules which raised the executant above his less gifted confreres. Nothing but long practice on tho mechanical side gave genius an opportunity to express itself. The speaker contended that tho same remarks could be applied to photography. Emphasising his claim that photography was the genesis of art, the speaker stated that the eye acted as a camera, phqtographing what it saw, and in the brain transformed the picture into a permanent vision. Because this was so the cave dweller who reproduced crude drawings on the walls of his cave only tried to register on rock what his eye saw and his brain recorded. As man developed, so did the manner of his presenting what his eye photographed, develop- Photographic art of to-day was one principal outcome. The development of photography had caused the dread to rise among painters that the day of the painter was ended. But that was not so. Indeed, painters had sought the aid of photography and then - designs and composition had been influenced by it. The speaker outlined the importance of photography in tbe modern world. It played its part in every phase of life, and in every event which arose. Without photography the advance of human knowledge and spiritual evolution would be very slow. “ So.” concluded Sir Percy, “ I come back to my original statement that photography, in its wider sense, is the parent of all pictorial art. 1 commend these examples done by many veryeminent photographic artists to one and all. and now declare the exhibition open.”

Moving a vote of thanks to the speaker. Mr George Chance said that the Dunedin Photographic Society had been formed in 1890 with the object of encouraging pictorial outlook and photographic technique, and in 1927 it affiliated with the Royal Photographic Society. Regular instruction and demonstrations had been given to members during the past 48 years by the more advanced workers, and that this had been productive of. success was shown by the fact that members of the society had submitted pictures to the Royal Photographic Society and had been honoured by having some accepted and hung. The society exchanged portfolios with other New Zealand societies, and exchanges had been made with Sydney, Hobart, Edinburgh, and Johannesburg. With this exhibition the society felt it was coming in contact with the rest of the world. Mr R. F. Riggs, representing Messrs Kodak Ltd., spoke briefly on the exhibition, and gratefully acknowledged the co-operation of the Dunedin Photographic Society in assisting with the display. The exhibition will be open to the public from to-morrow until July 2, between the hours of 2.30 and 5.80 p.m. and 7.30 and 9.30 p.m. There is no charge for admission.