TECHNICAL EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4293, 28 February 1901, Page 5

TECHNICAL EXHIBITION.

An interesting exhibition is at present open m tho large hail belonging to the. Education Board. The exhibition consist i of various collections of students’ work culled .from the several departments of tho Wellington Technical School. W hile the subject, of technical education and the necessity fur giving it more prominence in schools is only emerging from, the initial stage of discussion, the local technical school,with its twenty-live instructors and large roll of pupils, has been' steadily forging ahead. In the-.-' busy times periodical exhibitions are perhaps the most convenient test of progress in the students’ work nl; such institutions. In a, 11 hour a very fair idea of the success which is being attained in the various departments of ■ho school may be gleaned by the viol,. | for to the excellent cxhibilion. which I was opened yesterday. Admirably ar--1 ringed, the scheme of the display, despite the absence of a, catalogue, may he readily grasped, and its merits recognise d. Generally speaking, the work shown reaches a. comparatively high level. Some of it is very excellent. The highest average of excellence would appear to have been readied in Hie practical departments, though in some of the artistic work shown, there is < unsiderable imaginative power and de. licucy of expression. In the mechanical drawings, tho building construction f-ection, the collection of designs and (he plumbing section. the average of skill shown is undoubtedly high, judging Hie work as students’” work. And that shown, it is to be remembered, is absolutely the pupils’ own, finishing touches by the teacher not being encouraged by the director (Air A. D. Riley). In one department this is specially noticeable —design—and the pupils? individuality is Stamped indelibly on all the work

shown. To the public the .section de- ■> oterl to the display of water-colour?, oil painting and drawings from the antique will doubtless prove tho most attractive, though the exhibition is robbed of much interest by the decision of ■he authorities riot to publish the pupils’ names! Many of these are wellknown, and it is always interesting to lie able to compare later works with a sbiidont’s earlier efforts arid note (ho progress made. Again, curiosity to loam the artist’s mime is irresistibly aroused by snob water-colour studies as those which won the National Book prize of the South Kensington Department of Science and Arts. The subjects of Hi" drawings arc ail native birds, and they aro executed with strength, rurity- and delicacy of colouring as well is with fidelity to nature. Then, too, tome of the studies of still life, especially that of a. piece of heavy drapery thrown carelessly over an antique chair, awoken a clesiro to learn the names of Mich clever artists. £sOlllO of tho studies in crayon and chalk aro highly meritorious. and tho collection on the .screen, •■which. with another collection consisting of oils and water-colours, hung on (.ho same, screen, is to bo sent Homo for competition with tho work o' students attending English schools of art , cannot fail to arouse warm, commendation, even in the most "critical. The water-colour 1 ;,nd other sketches and studies hy menu i tiers of tho Arts and Crafts Guild arc ; decidedly interesting. ’Hie time sket- | ches, as, for instance, that of a Brai forth. Highlander, who, (Turing (he rc--1 cent visit of the Imperial troops, gave 1 the students a thr ec-and-u-half hours' ■ sitting, show a great Variety of executive ability. Tho exhibition of woodcarving is' an unusually attractive one. .-ind contains many examples in early English carving of more than pasain? merit. Some of-the work, such as, fci exam ole, sonic of tho specimens of Italian Renaissance and low relief, would hold their own in any school or carviuc in the 'world. Referring to the designs it should be mentioned that those marked “selected’' have all tc be worked out by other departments/0.. Mm school - In four departments there arc exhibits that are lo he sent. Home l ‘or Hie nrt* master of South Kensing. ton’s certificate. Very interesting, too is a screen of original drawing* for boor illustrations’ by celebrated English artists such as Gordon Urowiia. Barnard Davis and others. These were presented to,the school by Messrs Cassc.c and Co. at the re.pic*l of Mr Riley. The exhibition, which will wen repay a visit, will he open till 5 o clock thr evening.