“ART IN NEW ZEALAND”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 81, 17 March 1933, Page 13

“ART IN NEW ZEALAND”

This month’s issue of “Art, in New Zealand’’ gives prominence to the work of the Canterbury artist, Mr. James Cook, Born at Heathcote Valley in 1904, Mr. Cook is still quite a young man, but his works show a high standard of artistic perception and technical skill. Eleven of them are reproduced in “Art in New Zealand,’’ three being in colour, and his selfportrait in pencil is a striking example of delicate, yet forceful treatment. Winning a scholarship in 1926 he proceeded to the Edinburgh College of Art and “was there given respectfully to understand that when ho thought he was drawing and painting he was merely indulging in a habit —and a bad one at that.’’ However, they had hope for him. He had asked for criticism and he took it cheerfully, afterwards continuing his studies in London and Home, and returning to New Zealand with his outlook upon art greatly widened. After a few years as instructor at the Canterbury College School of Art, Mr. Cook has again gone abroad to explore at first-hand the various conflicting theories of modern painting.