ART AND UTILITY HANDICRAFT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22790, 14 January 1944, Page 4

ART AND UTILITY HANDICRAFT

Inventive Ingenuity Demonstrated

Clever Exhibition By New Zealanders From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F. IN THE SOLOMONS, Jan. 7. All a New Zealander’s inventive ingenuity was exemplified in a collection of art and utility objects exhibited at a Brigade Headquarters in a forward Pacific area. Men of all ranks put many hours of otherwise idle time into making examples of handicraft of an exceptionally high standard. In most instances the carving of intricate metal design was done with pocket knives and small tools made on the spot. The objects range from a comfortable cane chair to a minute fullyrigged sailing ship carved from a coconut shell and polished to a rich, natural colour. Judged the best exhibit is a canteen of cutlery comprising knives, forks and spoons in three sizes, fashioned from aircraft duralium. The set is enclosed in a lined wooden case, also made by the soldier. The ' woodwork section, including exquisitely carved boxes of various sizes, a fine pipe and ornamental kiwis and elephants, represents many hours of patient work and contains examples of fine inlay work that would attract attention at any jeweller’s window. The soldiers found an outlet for all their inventive constructive genius in the metalwork section which contains such exhibits as cleverly mounted model planes cut from aircraft aluminium, ash trays made from shellcases and complete smoker’s sets. The first, prize in this section was taken by an attractive reading lamp. Musical Instruments When the New Zealanders came to this forward area they wanted musical Instruments more than anything. Soon some music-hungry soldier began experimenting with steel signal wire and various kinds of sounding boards, finally producing an ukelele of an excellent tone. Others quickly followed his example, and now on this island there is a complete band of ukeleles, guitars and other stringed instruments, all made by the men. These instruments, made of teak and mahogany, attracted considerable attention in the exhibition. Tire sounding boxes also include a cake tin from home and a Japanese flare case dropped in combat. There are ornaments of tortoiseshell and sea-shell to delight any feminine heart. “Plastex "glass” used in aircraft has been made into watch-straps and iaper knives, while sheath knives of i jeautiful finish and variety of design have been made from jeep springs and aircraft aluminium.

In water-colour, pencil, pen and ink. artists portray Island scences, still life studies, cartoons and sketches forming another attractive section of the exhibition.

Brigadier L. Potter saw some objects made by the men in their spare time since the fighting in this area ended, and had the happy thought of offering prizes for the best in a Christmas exhibition.

Lieutenant A. A. Congalton, of the Army Education and Welfare Service, organised the exhibition. MajorGeneral H. E. Barrowclough, Officer Commanding the New Zealand Division in the Pacific, was so impressed that he has expressed a desire that the exhibition should be sent to New Zealand for general display.