CULTIVATION OF ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 13

CULTIVATION OF ART.

MANY ASPECTS DISCUSSED. USE OF COLOURED STONES. Aspects of art in different spheres of life were dealt with by speakers at a gathering, arranged by the Auckland Society of Arts and the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, in the University College Hall last evening. There was only a small attendance, probably owing to the wet weather, Mr. H. G. Cousins presiding. Speaking of art in the church, the Rev. George Coats said New Zealand churches—the term churches used in the most catholic sense —were as yet very much in the mission stage from an aesthetic point of view, lie considered the First Church, Dunedin, the most beautiful in New Zealand, making an impressive spectacle with its dignified Gothic treatment. Ilefening to St. Matthew's Church, Auckland, he considered the white of the Oamaru stone needed relieving inside with splashes of prima) colour. He did not see why all churches should not be relieved with more colour. To-day they were suffering from the system of divided labour. Churches should be planned by the architects and the work carried out by them in conjunction with the decorators, painters, artisans and clergymen. The chief difficulty of carrying out this idea was the ignorance of the clergymen. They lacked knowledge and if the churches were dull, inartistic and uninteresting, it was because the clergy knew nothing about such matters. lie suggested that lectures by authorities should be given to ecclesiastical students. "Why should churches fall into the snare and delusion .ol having red everywhere—red carpets and bits of red plush," Mr. Coats said. "There are ever so many other colours ecclesiastical and more beautiful. Why could we not use some of our coloured stones in the building of the churches —the colours worked in harmony ?" Touching on inside decoration lie suggested judicious heraldry. All decoration had a double purpose—first for the glory of God, and secondly for the edifvuig of the people. Mr. G. S. Keesiug, who spoke on art in the street, said all the business streets of Auckland presented, at present, an appearance of shabby patchwork. lheie was no prevailing colour tone, no harmony between adjoining buildings, and except for the Dilworth Building, no emphasis of important intersections. To make matters worse, a medley of posts, standards and wires, unseemly verandahs and awnings did not in any way help to bind together the architectural specffnens behind them. Dealing with colour tone, Mr. Keesing said a harmonious effect could be produced without all buildings being of the same colour. The broken jumble of up-and-down awnings 'in Auckland's retail centres did nothing to promote unity. This incongruity could easily be overcome by all awnings conforming to type with a maximum and minimum height fixed from the kerb level. On the subject of art in business, Mr. Arnold Goodwin spoke of the wonderful improvements which had been made in advertising. Speaking of art in the home, Mrs. A. J. Brown emphasised the need of teaching children to love beautiful things. The result would be that later on they would not be satisfied with meretricious substitutes.