ART AND ARCHITECTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20084, 23 October 1928, Page 5

ART AND ARCHITECTURE.

Art and architecture formed the subject of an interesting address given bv Mr. A. J. Brown to the art section of the League of renwomen last evening The speaker, who was" introduced by the convener of tho art section, Mis. S>due\ Wright, explained that architecture was in a different category from the other arts in that it had a much larger scope. Building to-day was a highly organised industry, and if the architect was to work on a big scale and in conformity with modern progress it was impossible for him to do any of the manual work himself, as was done in medieval times, and in that respect architecture had changed. From the Victorian age had sprung tip a misconception of the scope of tho architect's work. In those dajs he was not looked upon primarily as an artist, whereas, in reality primary mental conception of the building was the principal thing. Architects, in fact, were looked on more as building surveyors than as creative artists. Architecture, the speaker said, could reasonably claim to be the mother of all arts. Without it painting and sculpture could not have progressed. It was also one of the purest forms of art. for, while painting and sculpture were chiefly representative and sometimes imitative, the highest form of architectural expression was purely monumental or symbolic. Church domes, for instance, and triumphal monumental columns were symbolic, having no utilitarian aspect at all. I hen another proof of the presence of art in architecture) was the fact that form and colour were used by tho architect to stimulate the various emotions, such as mourning, triumph or spiritual aspiration. In referring to the Gothic style of architecture, the speaker said it was a generally accepted axiom that Gothic was the only stylo lit for ecclesiastical architecture/ 'l'liis, he considered was quite unfounded. Although the Gothic style was suitable, yet there was no reason why inspiration for churches in modern architecture should not be found in the Romanesque and Renaissance periods also. At the conclusion of bis address Mr. Brown answered many questions on the subject, and supper brought an enjoyable "evening to a conclusion.