THE EXHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13785, 25 December 1906, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION

A UTS AND GRAFTS,

REPOUSSE WORK.

What, is known as the Arts and Crafts movement continues to show a. steady growth and development. ,So Waller (Vane, the president nf (lie Arts and Crafts 'Society, assured his audience at the last annual exhibition The movement, which may be characterised as a search for increased Ix'auty, refinement, and sincerity m design and workmanship, in the ordinary articles of utility of our daily life, united to a finer architectural taste, has made great headway. I| may he considered as a. contradiction lo (he previously prevailing idea of quantity Ix'ing tatter than quality, and as an exposition of tho individual artistic taste as opposed to machine-made articles turned out. all alike by the bundled.

In England the craft movement has made great strides, and in New Zealand there are. springing up here and there small craft industries that ought to ho fostered by every cultivated person in the community. •)f these two, the first in order as coming industries are hammered metal and leadfellls. '1 liese Iwo crafts are established in our midst, and are receiving a certain amount of support, and if is in relation with their claims that visitors to the Art ttallery are advised carefully to inspect there, tile specimens of the best English work. Especially is I his the ease in numocr 551 a bronzed copper candlestick. Th's article should be carefully studied by all repousse workers, because it is elaborated in detail in a. manner calculated to appeal to the eye of Iho colonial craftsman who craves after iiineli detail, generally greatly lo tho detriment of the dignity of line. There is not a lino in this article that has not been studied: even the lines running up the stem are graved and decorated with a 'hart) tool; yet- they lose no beauty ihercby. Around lhe botlom of the stem the decoration is relief with conventional'." treated leaves, the circular piece of copper beaten out to surround the candle is treated in similar _ fashion. Yet so perfectly is every detail subordinated t<» the main idea, that from a distance there is only pure beauty of line, a fact that ought" lo he driven homo to each and all those whose souk long to heat the pliant copper or carve the erratic wood. This, particular candlestick was designed by Mr Kalhbone, of the 'Vrts Crafts Society, and has the merit of being as stable and useful as itl i« beautiful The three candlesticks exhibited stand on a corner cabinet made of plain wood ornamented with inlay of a darker coloured wood, and plain hammered iron hinges. These simple, beautiful things in steel ought to be noticed, because all their beauty lies in line: even the nail heads have a feeling for .lino in their design. These things deserve to have attention drawn to them because they could so easily be manufactured in the colony lhe plan hinges and look ornaments could equally well 'be produced here in any quantity if we had a sense of beauty, which we slta.l never attain till our schools take design seriously, giving a year to design l«foro allowing any student to start hammering copper or carving wood. Numbers 421 and 422 are two large copper bowls, the sides hammered up out of the flat and the bottom brazed on. These large bowls, designed and executed by John Pearson, are exhibited as especially fine examples of what to follow in beaten metal. They are fine specimens of repousse, lieeause t.he designs arc bold, and treated in low relief. The designs of slr'ps on one, and fishes on lhe other, have the charm of being equally decorative from every point of view. This is sometimes rather lost sight of in our local work, upright, decoration being used on horizontal surfaces.

Just beside the Morris exhibit of textile hangings, cabinet, jKittery, and copper, hangs a small article of daily use—a common toasting fork, but it has Ihe distinction of being uncommonly artistic. It lias a movable shield to protect tho hand from the fire, a shield that falls into position, naturally by its own weight, and is ornamented by a very simple design in plain ami punched diamond-shaped surfaces. Tlio fork was designed for a craft display held in Kngland, and found such a ready sale thai, tho artisi said he was cpjite tired of the sight of a toasting fork. There is an item standing on the top of one of I lie cases thai: is deserving of more lhan a passing glance. It is a fine, light wrought iron candlestick, relying wholly for its charm on tho beatilv of line, and could be reproduced by any of our young workers in iron, if they had only had a (raining in design and the bounty of pure line. To f ho joy of light a good' many of tho finest: melal exhibits are devoied. On a side fable stands an electric light lamp sland, of great beauty. Tho beautiful shade has all tho charm of Tiffany glass, and the lines of (lie wrought steel are extremely elegant. Another application of beaten metal to electric light is the very line hanging chandelier, with pendant lights, suspended from the .roof hi the main section of tho British exhibit. This has a very bold treatment of foliage oJul flower. The centre of the llower is beautifully carried out with a large scarlet piece of glazed pottery. This is a subject that ought to bo studied by our workers in metal, as r-H'ording a good lesson in boldness of workmanship. Although not coming under the heading of beaten copper, Ihe splendid decorative display made in Nos. 22 and 23 has so nntcli merit thai, everyone must, be attracted by the performance, apart from the beauty r.f technique. In this splendid bronzed-copper relief, clear and sharp cut, an ancient Grcoian warrior, Jason, is ploughing Ihe acre of Mars, one of the three brave deeds required of that hero in his search for the Golden Fleece. It is recorded that—

Now in the open ground did Jason stand. And to the plough ptilts set his unused hand. He is seen habiled in helmet and cuirass, driving his straining bullock team across the field of Mars. The warrior is attended by hovering eagles. This ha 6 a stronjr decorative feeling, a boldness in modelling, in movemoi'it. with a beauty of clear line not. to bo surpassed outside the ancient (!ree!< friezes. It, was modelled in clay, in the first instance by an artist, a .method recommended to all workers in relief, both' in wood and copper. Then it was cast in plaster, and from the mould thus obtained the beautiful work hanging on the wall was taken.

Close by this large pane! in metal hangs a study in plaster, in high relief, that has a. peculiar story attached to it. The motive oi which the designer founded his idea is contained in this history. It is a commemorative, tablet, the winning design in an open competition. The Princess 1 Skating Rink, a, large place of fasliinnabln resort, was to Ito demolished bv the authorities, and in its placo there wns to.be crccted a row of flats of the jerry-built ivpe of architecture. A large meeting of society ladies, prominent amongst them bcinsr the Duchess of Bedford, succeeded in their efforts to frustrate these plans, and the tablet was designed and erected to commemorate their success. It was decided by competition, this piece of figure being one of the competing works of art. It represents a bevy of beautiful maidens joyously forward and thrusting aside the jerrybuililcrs. whose coarse figures and elum faces can be distinguished in ihe background.