AUSTRALIAN ART.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18990, 11 October 1923, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ART.

PAINTINGS BY LINDSAY. CLOSE SCRUTINY IN LONDON. LONDON, September 25. The opposition manifested toward the Australian Exhibition and Mr Norman Lindsay's pictures to bo shown at the Academy on October 10 culminated in an extraordinary incident at the London Docks. Customs officials called in the services of an expert and picture packers, and within the precincts of a gloomy riverside building opened every case of Australian pictures, and minutely examined them. Even the water colours, which were reversed in frames for the purpose of protection, were taken out and held up to the light. Though the Customs authorities are perfectly entitled to inspect every imported article, the methods adopted with Mr Lindsay’s pictures were unprecedented, and ■were comparabale only to the war-time inspection of suspected contraband cargoes. The Customs officials ordinarily open only one case of every consignment of pictures intended for an exhibition. If it agrees with the manifest, the remainder are passed unchallenged. The present procedure suggests that the Customs officials’ curiosity was aroused, either by reports in British and Australian newspapers, which questioned the pictures’ suitability, or by direct representations made to them, •‘We have never known such action in the whole of our 150 years’ experience,” declared Messrs Bourlet and Sons, the consignees. ‘‘We ship 3000 pictures a. year, including those of the extremist French school, which pass unchallenged. We have found that the Customs instructions were lo inspect every one. We wore forced to comply.” The Customs officials were asked to explain the reason for such a vigorous search. After a day’s consideration the official reply was: ‘‘None of Mr Lindsay’s or other pictures were detained. Tlierefore we have nothing to say on the matter. Mr Elliot! Gruner. in commenting on the matter, said: “It brings a blush of shame to a good Australian to discover that any Australian artist should suffer such an indignity. The result of the search gives extreme'satisfaction, and renders me confident that the British public will favourably receive the pictures.**