LIVING STATUARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13941, 28 June 1907, Page 5

LIVING STATUARY.

iCTION BY THR LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL. OPINIONS OP EMINENT MEN. Tress Association-By Telegraph-Copyright, LONDON, Juno 26. The London County Council, by 66 to 45, resolved to inform tho proprietois of music halls that tho continuance of living Statuary exhibitions is undesirable. In the course of his opening speech at rn;t™?T Vcrsary of tl,p L « mlo » i'l" Ift'npcrance Council tho Bishop of J-ondon, who presided, said he had been <liseussing with his Nonconformist brethren "leans of puttinf- down a great London ewl -living statuary. He hoped Nonconformists would support tho Archbishop of t-anterbiiry and himself in protesting ay.nnst that evil. Tim Tiev. J. S. Lidgett said (bat- some of the spectacles to lie witnessed in the West J'.nd place of amusement were a disgrace V> civilisation and a standing danger to the weakest and most tempted community. . ' D" vou consider livintr statues elevatlnir or degrading to public'taste?" was tlm "I'.iestion put, to a number of eminent- m»n bv the Daily Mail. Somo of the replies ere as follow: — Tnr: Bishop ov SoPTiiwm.-Most strongly, the second alternative. Mr Geome Cwucen-, A.R.A.—Living statues are neither elevating- nor artistic" tliev have nothing to do with art. Mtt Kvp.>" Crowe. A.R.A.—I have not- seen any of these shows, and consider them decidedly degrading to publin taste. fita Ti. AfAtA-TAOF.MA, R. A.-—Living statuary IS ortainly not so artistic or elevatinir as the art it represents. Mp P.r/TOV PtviERK, JLA.-I have gi;nvo doubt' as to _ any good—moral, iritellect":ib or nrli«|.ic—from living statuary exhibitions, and recognise in tliein many possible dangers io society. Sin Wu.moi P.iciision'd. R.A.—T have never seen living pictures, and never mean to. M». SoroMos .T. Solomon, P.A,—Public iniercst in living statuary is certainly not artistic. Jltt W. 0. Onriunnsov, R.A.--T have not. seen tho exhibitions referred to. but «houWI say " Neither" to vour ciuestions. JTii Sryjioph Lticar. R.A.—Degrndinir. Mp Con-rip Dressi.er.—lmpossible to tret at (he beauty of statuary with living Mi TT\nv*nn Thomas.-Often ouite enter- ♦ nininsr; no harm to nubile taste. Me DrtjM-nvT Wood.—lf artistically presented tivins statuary "turns" at music balls should 1«3 elevating to the tasMu] public, but to vulgar minds degrading Mn. \. Hack™, A.R.A.—They ore rarely artistic. «nd certainly not elevating to the general public. P-isimp or Man-chkptcp.—Degrading. Bishop op Li.andaff.—l have not seen th*> ' e-tbibi'ioM referred to, lint, from all I bear I should think it- degrading jn its influence nn public taste. P.tsiiop or Linooi.k.—l oonsider such exhi-bit-ions most dantrerous. 11. AiictJSTK Hodis, the famous French soulntor.—Nature is admirable, and stud" makes verv clear to us its supnle Ivnity. Mefinvhilc, this very beautiful animated architecture cannot be understood bv the public which lauprhs at it. T,a f "r. perhaps, we shall be worthy of it. Ste T.rrr. FII.PP.S. H.A.—I have not seen the "livintr sculptures." so mv opinion as to their being "elevating" or "deprn.linit" may have no weight, but the Tvdnable obieel of the entertainment Vine what it is. -there can be no doubt in mv mind that the exhibition is degrading in its tendency. Jin Fiunk TVtsse. T!.A.-T Imto seen but fe-v. Consider +li<> exhibition neither i.rl ,r He "or elevating. Tifn F. W. Pomthov. A.Tt.A— Not ncocssarilv elevating or ''egradifur. but it mav editeale the public eye to diflerentiat" good art from imperfect nature. If ii T>i-EPBOira Tar.r —I have noticed this discussion upen the _ qnost'on of livint statuary in tho music halls. Although T have not yet seen any of these performances. I consider the whole question is one of personal taste. P"oplo can read into a performance anything they desire.