AUTUMN EXHIBITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 26 March 1936, Page 8

AUTUMN EXHIBITION

SUTER ART GALLERY LOCAL WORK Those who have already visited the Art Gallery will agree that the present autumn exhibition of the suter Art Society is one of the finest it has yet held. Oils, water colours, black and white, modelling, photography and craft work are all resprcsenled. Watercolour landscapes predominate and one misses what is usually called “o-enre” —the depicting of the homely events of everyday life —made famous by the great Dutch painters. This is largely due to the lack of opportunity for the right kind of study and i it is one of the immediate aims of the Society to remedy this by providing a studio and club room where members might meet to discuss and do some life work without which they can hardly be expected to undertake actual subject work. While tins omission is to be regretted it must not be assumed that the exhibition lacks variety lor practically every style of painting is represented from the medieval madonnas of Miss Vitetta to the ultra-impression-ism of -Mrs Wollaston. There .s the bold and brilliant colouring of YVaghorn, Allen and Kerr, the quicker values of Alan Elliott or -Miss Waslibourn and at the other end the Chinese semi-tones of Bensemann’s three water colours, or the delicate tracery of Mr McCubbm s very pleasing etchings. If you like it there is the meticulous detail of Mr Lord’s interior or the broad effects of Mr Kerr—a new member of the Society. Looking round the Gallery, _if the light is good (unfortunately rather the exception) one feels that colour is quite the strongest point of the very fine show. Visitors tel! us they miss the haze and (he subdued outline of the old Country and complain of the hardness from landscapes. Atmosphere is certainly lacking in a considerable number of the pictures, due partly to our wonderful climate and partly to (he lack of experience in our younger artists But v/c must remember that while our new land lacks some o! the mysterious charm ot the old land it is also true that wo have many compensations in brilliant colour, in the folds and contours of our hills and the limitless possibilities of expansiveness and distance. Artists ill get these impressions by travelling to Italy and Spain for them. Nelson is specially j favoured in that it can give something of all these localities traditionally favoured by painters. Mr Cockbuni has got ( much of the English mellowness, Mr Waghoni has caught Devonshire brightness in his “Clover Stack,'’ Miss Washbourn something of the expansiveness of i the Tyro! in her . Mackenzie country, | there is more than a suggestion of the c lliviera in Mrs Everett’s “Wakapuaka j road” and the Cote d’Or in both the j Gilberts’ pictures. We are or should be a maritime people but the sea lias been less successfully treated and no one lias taken it as ! . a major theme. Miss Thorp has gone J a long wav in portraying the Nelson . spirit in her “Oasthouses.” Portraiture j is represented by Miss Vitetta’s ‘Wins- ■ . snlini.” Mr Benseniann’s two vivid and ’ colourful heads, Mrs Robinson’s four *• portraits and Mr Allen’s head of a Span- v ish lady. The merit of all this work !i shows what might he done if some of our younger members could work v with these more experienced artists in c a club studio. Architecture is, perhaps F naturally, not. favoured by our artists. Mr Cockburn’s Italian scene is there- t fore all the more welcome, but Miss ( M. Johnston's “Cloisters” are faithfully I drawn. h

Tennyson lias described what we mean is his lines:

“Green 'Sussex fading into blue’ “With one gray glimpse of sea

On (lie other hand it must he admitted that one of the features of the exhibition is the prevailing cleanness and crispness of the colouring. This is well exemplified in the work of Allen. Waghorn. Alan, Elliott both Gilberts, .Tohnston.

Quite a number of our members have attempted to portray the grandeur of our rugged mountain scenery with less Grandeur is a. difficult pictorial task and

'.many great artists have only attaint'd pomposity or size. Van tier Velden has been more successful than any artist, known to us either here or in Europe and it is a pity our gallery has not one of his landscapes. Waghorn and Allen have been most successful in catching the right spirit. Though we have the most beautiful flora in the world few of our painters have attempted its portrayal except as adjuncts to other themes. Mr Buckcridge has two studies hut they are hardly pictures. It is to be regretted that. Mr Davies had not included on bis screen some of his delightful studies from native trees. Tile artist naturally “jibs” at the mention of photographic detail blit after all that is the basis of what he calls texture. Mr Allen probably lies! illustrates this in his treatment; of trees and grass. Whether protography should be included in an Art Exhibition may j be a moot point but the Society s in- j elusion of the work of Mr W. C. Davies, Mr Dodgson and Mr Champleloup seems more than justified by the studies shown and many of our painters might learn much of composition and tone values from them. Mr McCubbiti is the only exhibitor ot etchings. No detailed description (or criticism) has been attempted here but we can assure visitors of a very pleasant and profitable hour if they will only come along and spend that time with the enthusiasts who have made the cult ol beauty their special hobby. The following is a detailed list ol those who have exhibited work in tins exhibition: — Oils: Mrs N. A. Robinson, Mr Lord, Mr W. IT. Allen. Mr W. Uoulker. Mr M. J. Kerr, Miss Vitetta. Mr TTuffam, Mr Drake, Miss Cun-in, Mr Lee Bensimann. Water Colours: Mr W. IT. Allen. Mr Cockburn, Mr Waghorn, Miss Thorne, Mr Elliot. Mrs Gilgert. Mr Rav Gil--I,rei, Mrs Everett. Miss A. Johnson. Mrs Stinenr, Miss M. Rhodes. Mr Burkeridge. Miss .Tump. Mr W.F. Robinson. Miss Engn Waslibourn. Miss Dorothy Patterson. Miss S. Brown. Mrs Johnston. Mrs McKee Wright, Miss Marigold Johnston, Mrs Brocket!, Mr Woollaston. Mr L. Bensimann, Mrs N. A. Robinson. Etchings: Mr W. Moniker. Mr AlrCulihin. ' .

Black and While drawings: Mrs Stineer. Photography: Mr Davies. Mr r. Dndgenn. Mr Chamntaloun. Art craft : Mis s Ruddle. Miss M. Davies. Miss Shanks. Miss Tanner. Miss Rilev. Mis A. Johnson, Airs Brockett, Mr Drake.