ART IN BRITAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21314, 15 October 1932, Page 8

ART IN BRITAIN

HIGHEST PEAK IN HISTORY LEADING PAINTERS' WORK REPRESENTATIVE EXHIBITION / - ■ 'A valuable opportunity to get into fouch with the best in contemporary art. in Britain is to be afforded Aucklanders through an exhibition to be opened here next Tuesday. Not discouraged by the 6evere loss he suffered when the wreck of the Manuka in December, 1929, carried to the bottom of the sea a collection -of British paintings, Mr. E. (Murray Fuller set to -work again, and in the intervening years has succeeded in bringing together an even more valuable collection than the one that was lost. Of the 200 pictures that went down in the Manuka, very little of any consequence was recovered, and the missing ones included some priceless treasures, f'l shudder every time I think of it," eaid Mr. Fuller yesterday. Mr. Fuller has now had the satisfaction of carrying out, in the light of added experience, his original design of bringing to New Zealand a very full and representative selection of the work being done by leading British artists. He has devoted more than two years to a survey of modern art in France, Italy, „ Beljgium, and especially in England, where he had the privilege of the friendship and iencouragement of leading painters. The present collection possesses special significance, because of the very high level ■which British art has now admittedly attained. Artists, critics and directors of the great galleries are all agreed that never before in its history has the sta-ndard been Co high. Revival of Art The revival of to-day, following the Head period of the Victorian era, is being led by such gifted artists as Augustus 'John, Richard Sickert, Dame Laura Knight/ khe late Sir William Orpen and not a few others. This revival of genuine art has fittingly been accompanied by a great awakening of public interest in artists' work. During the past few years each of the Royal Academy exhibitions has established fresh records both in the matter 6f attendances and in the sales recorded. Similarly, the recent exhibitions of Flemish, Dutch, Italian and Persian art all aroused much enthusiasm. At the Italian exhibition £BO,OOO was taken in a little over three months, with the result that both the Royal Academy and the Italian Government made profits that ■were wholly unexpected. So constant were the crowds that artists afterwards complained that during the whole exhibition they had pot had the opportunity they desired of seeing certain pictures they ■wished to study. / This quickening of interest in art Mr. Fuller has found to be just as strongly marked in New Zealand as it is at Home. In Southern centres his exhibition of pictures attracted record attendances of as many as 600 and 700 daily, increasing as time went on. "It seems to me that much more interest is being taken in art here, eaid Mr. Fuller, "and that students are working on more modern and better lines. I honestly believe that the New Zealand people are in proportion more interested than are the people of older countries. Modern Art Tendencies The exhibition which will be opened next week includes 200 paintings and 150 etchings. Ninety-five per cent of the works selected are by the most notable of British artists who are represented in the National Gallery. Mr. Fuller enjoyed the personal' friendship of Sir Wiliiam Orpen, who died last year, and both he and Augustus John gave him valuable aid in making his collection. It was regarded as a message of good will from the painters of England to let the Dominions know ■what they were doing. The young painters there are changing their outlook and ideas, said Mr. Fuller, and although he does not have any purely abstract pictures in his collection, he lias some that will give an idea of the modern tendency toward rhythm and movement in design and beautiful colouring, as of more importance than subject matter. Some of these .pictures are of real educational value to students. As may readily be imagined, the greatest care has to be exercised in preparing Euch valuable canvasses for transport across the seas. The work is all done by a London firm, which has practically a monopoly of the handling of valuable pictures, and prepares as many as 27,000 a year for transport. Heavy pads are fastened on each corner of the frame. The canvas is removed from the fcame and wrapped in tissue and brown paper before being replaced in the frame with corrugated straw b<ferd in front? of it. The glass is pasted over with brown paper to hold it in place in case of accident, and then the picture is ready for packing in a strong wooden case. As a result of these precautions the pictures are transported in perfect condition.