Quite Different from Traditional Art

Te Ao Hou, March 1964, Page 35

Quite Different from Traditional Art Art of this kind is, of course, quite different from the art of 50 or so years earlier, and it cannot be judged by the same standards. As the old religion and the old society disappeared, so, inevitably, did the great traditional art of the past; even when carving continued, it was different in spirit from the older work. In houses such as this one, untaught artists were trying to fill the gap in their own way—to express their own society and their own experience. The high-spirited inventiveness of this folk art, its wit and charm, its irreverent and affectionate treatment of matters which had formerly been sacred, tell us much about the people who produced it and the changing times in which they lived. Once, there were many houses with paintings similar in type to these, though there must have been few with work as interesting as this one. These days, however, there are few folk paintings left; some of the old houses have disappeared, and in many cases the earlier

decorations have been painted over during renovations. This house is unique; let us hope that it and its paintings will be preserved for the future, as the proud possession of its owners, and as a source of enjoyment and interest to future generations. The information given in this article concerning the early history of the house is taken from W. J. Phillips' article on Maori Houses on the East Coast, published in the Records of the Dominion Museum, vol. 1. 1942–4. The photograph on page 32 is by Ans Westra; other photographs are by Margaret Orbell.