TENDENCIES IN ART

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 11

TENDENCIES IN ART

TO THE EDITOI. Sir, —Art, as we have had every opportunity of noting in Duuedin recently, is a. subject upon which the indifferently-quali-fied are eager to air their views. I need not, then, apologise for presuming to enter the lists in opposition to your correspondent " Sincerity," whose authority seems uo more final than mine, whose appreciation is—shall I say?—more circumscribed? As I read his letter, it seems that he believes that the evolution of artistic expression ceased its proceses —having reached perfection—with Bas-tien-Lepage. S? J. Solomon's " Eros " is cited, apparently, as the ultimate achievement of the marriage of draughtsmanship and naint. I should like to protest, in reply] that Mr Solomon revealed himself in his work as entirely incompetent to dogmatise on the subject of modern trends in art. His canvases preclude the possibility that he should bring either sympathy or understanding to the discussion. It is scarcely permissible that, from our limited opportunities of peeing the work of the modern*, we in New Zealand should attempt to assess or criticise them,

but the loan exhibition in this city does provide an opportunity for making ourselves acquainted with the influences that have motivated the experimentalists. " Sincerity " will find in the collection no extreme examples of " modernism," but perhaps some visual guidance towards the scope and spirit of the movement. Enough, at least, to indicate that between Leighton and Augustus John there is a great gulf fixed, which could only have been bridged by artists having forward views. Schopenhauer has stated very succinctly, I think, the attitude of mind in which we should approach eerious pictures, of whatever period: " You must treat a work of art like a great man; stand before it and wait patiently till it dcigus to speak." All I would ask of your correspondent is that he should bring to his contemplation of modern art an inquiring, open mind. I think he would then discover that the conversation of, say, John's " Yvonne," would prove a great deal more inspiring than that of Solomon't two pallid, one dimensional nudes, engaged in their static embrace upon a wall of the Dunedin Art Gallery. —I am, etc., Neuter.