Art and Artists in New Zealand.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

Art and Artists in New Zealand.

3^*N offering to our readers the following examples of New Zealand art, with short biographical notices of the artists, we do not attempt to claim for our selection finality in any Y| sense; it must not be taken to represent only the best artists, or the hcsi work of those artists. We do not deny that such was our original intention, but to carry it out ijA has proved impossible, owing to the unwillingness, of many artists to co-operate and the fact that much of the best work of those who were willing, was beyond the seas, or jk otherwise unattainable. Our aim, therefore, has been confined to producing typical examples of the men and their work, and in doing this we have endeavoured to make the list lR^ as representative as possible, including the " native born " and the sojourner from othei 1 lands, young artists just starting on their careers, and older men who have already made their mark, not omitting some of those who. having borne the heat and burden of the day, have now passed to "where beyond these voices there is peace" — the men who did O / C7 l^jjj, s yeoman service in the earl}' days, founding Art Societies, opening Art Schools, inaugurating Art Galleries, and in all ways doing their utmost to awaken a just appreciation of the "beautiful in the minds of the rising colonials. On every count we would gladly have made our lists fuller and more exhaustive, but limited space and the reasons already recounted forbid. It must therefore be clearly understood that the selection here offered is typical, not complete, that ifc does not assume to be in any sense an art criticism, but merely aims at introducing a few New Zealand artists to some New Zealand readers, and, incidentally, perhaps to a still wider circle of art sympathisers in more distant lands. A history of art in New Zealand, its inception, progress, and ultimate bourne has not been attempted : we consider it as much outside our province as it is beyond our powers.