Ornaments of Beauty

Southland Times, Issue 20667, 24 April 1929, Page 13

Ornaments of Beauty

London.

If there is one art in which Parks excels beyond all others it is in the creation of beautiful set pieces of spun glass. Trees and flowers are reproduced in this ethereal and fairy-like medium. During daylight they catch and imprison every ray of sun there is, and at night time they are even more enchanting, when tiny' concealed electric bulbs may be used to display their beauty. The trees and most of the groups of flowers are mounted upon their own crystal base, so that the beautiful line need not be marred by the use of a bowl. Unlike most modern creations, the artist does not seek to improve upon or satirise Nature. He is content to portray her faithfully and some of us come back to earth with a jolt after our pursuit of ugliness for modern art’s sake, and discover that Nature has something to say on the subject of beauty after all.

The ornamental beauty of hoar-frost finds expression in three different creations, one of which shows a Norwegian fir-tree, the second a pine, and yet a third, which is a fantasy of bare branches and rime. But if you would rather be reminded of high summer than the winter, there is a most fascinating pear tree trained cspailer fashion, which would make a most suitable ornament for a side table, its flatness being an advantage, or there is a jolly little “Pomme d’Api" with its decorative small red apples. For flower-bowks, there arc besides a water-lily and a beautiful curled chrysanfhertrum, a delightful little family consisting of a dolphin, a flying-fish and a lizard. The fashion for ships as a decoration is

given an entirely new twist when they are reproduced in glass. With canvas furled and a suggestion of snow and frost about the. rigging, every detail is shown with marvellous fidelity. It is, indeed, a. fairy barque.