MODERNISM IN ART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21931, 15 October 1934, Page 14

MODERNISM IN ART

LEGACY OF VALUE € GREATER FREEDOM GIVEN INFLUENCE IN FUTURE The opinion that the modernist movement in art would have a permanent influence of value was expressed by Mr. C. R. Ford, president of the Auckland Society of Arts, in opening the society's spring exhibition in the Kitchener Hall on Saturday night. "I feel sure that tho battle between tho traditionalists and the modernists is approaching its close, and I feel sure it has been won, but by neither side," ho said. "The modern movement has brought good with it and it will leave good behind. In architecture it has been of value by freeing work from traditional forms, yet I do not think that architecture will always be stark and inhuman. "The evil of story pictures was that tho story was often the only thing of interest, in tho painting, and there has naturally been a revolt. Yet I think that tho modernists have over-emphas-ised the evil of the story picture, and 1 do not think we shall always have abstract art without representation. I think we shall have beautiful composition and beautiful colouring, yet with representation as well. Modernism has freed vis from slavery to forms of art which have served their purpose, and art will now bo able to move forward with more freedom to a still greater future." Mr. Ford expressed the opinion that the dictum, "Art for art's sake," was incomplete and unsound. He hoped that art would again be used iu the service of religion, in tho encouragement of civic patriotism, and in the design of the common articles of life. While avoiding the pitfalls of the "art and crafty" school, ho hoped the society would attach importance in the future to fostering attention to beauty and simplicity of lino and mass in the design of everyday objects. In England great attention was being paid to industrial art. The Royal Academy itself was arranging, at a cost of £20,000, an exhibition of art in British industry. "I can assure painters and sculptors that their own hope lies in the encouragement in every way of tho minor arts of life," Mr. Ford added. Referring to the exhibition itself, Mr. Ford said that it was virtually a nonselection exhibition, all artist members having the right to exhibit at least two works, and while, as a result there were some works which in his opinion were not of reasonable exhibition standard, nevertheless tho presence of a wide variety of standards gave the artists a chance for criticism among themselves, and also afforded the public an opportunity to exercise its own critical judgment Tho exhibition will be open daily until the end of the week.