EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21040, 31 May 1930, Page 5

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

DUNEDIN ARTIST’S WORK. An interesting exhibition of paintings by Mr Robert Bonn, F.S.A,Scot., art lecturer at the Dunedin Training College, was opened yesterday in the art room in the old Dental School, and will be on view until Tuesday next. The collection will doubtless provide a pleasant surprise to many art lovers in.the city who have not had an opportunity so far of inspecting the work of this artist. The collection consists of a number of delightful water-colours of wellknown New Zealand beauty spots and some figure work in oils illustrating Maori legends. One of the outstanding features of the water-colours is the feeling of typical New Zealand sunlight and atmosphere that Mr Donn has achieved without sacrificing the unique qualities of his medium. By the use of clean washes of transparent colour, broadly and freely handled, he has obtained the maximum power of his materials. The beautiful scenes in and around Dunedin have provided Mr Donn with the material for several charming subj'ects, such as “The Caves, St. Clair,” “ Tide Marks,” “ April Sun,” and “ The Kindergarten School.”, Sunshine is a feature of the majority of these pictures, but Mr Donn has also made good use of the subtle colour values to be obtained on a dull day, as may be seen in “Rainy Day, Kaikoura," and “A Thun dery Day, Marlborough.” In the latter the artist has dealt with the technical difficulties in the treatment of bush-clad hills in water-colour in a noteworthy manner. This technical excellence is also apparent in the two Blue Borage pictures and in “ Blue and Gold.” Lovers of the water-colour medium will find much to please them in the various aspects of our beautiful land as portrayed by Mr Donn. A typical New Zealand subject about which much has been said in the past but little done is the illustration of Maori legends. Mr Donn has devoted a lot of study to the question of the Maori and his art, and the beauty of the stories has impressed him to such an extent that he has felt a call to depict them in paint. One of these—“ The Creation ” —has already been reproduced in “ Art iu New Zealand.” The “ Fire Legend,” a large panel in oils, and the sketch designs for “ Maui Snaring the Sun ” and “Tawhaki and Karihi,” show abundantly the decorative value of the Maori legends for the adornment of public buildings in New Zealand. Those who take advantage of this opportunity of seeing Mr Bonn’s art will no doubt look forward with interest to a further development of this decorative work. Visitors enter by the north gate in Castle street.