ART CLASSES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 520, 29 May 1909, Page 6

ART CLASSES

SOME REGENT CRITICISM. THE DIRECTOR OE. THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL IN REPLY. In a recent issue of Tim- Dominion .thoro appeared, in a report of the proceedings at tho last meeting of the Petone Technical School Board, a oritioism_ of the art classes in Wellington. Tho critic, Mr. Robert Lee (chairman of- tlio Wollingten •Education Board, and a member of the Po-' tono Technical School Board), said that art was at a very low obb in Wellington at tho present timo, the Technical School in the city being run very much on mechanical lines. If the board could do anything to oncourage art it would bo a very fine thing. Art was no narrow subject—it entered into everything. If education in the Dominion wanted anything at tho present moment it was on the artistic side. Sport was running riot. Mr. Lee's strictures were rot allowed to go unchallenged, for at tho meeting of tho Wellington Technical School Board last night, tho Director of tho School (Mr. W. S. La Trcbe) replied at considerable length his views being embodied in a report of a very comprohensiyo character, cepies of which wor? placed in tho hands of members. A Protest, "In , the following of the present position of tho art daises in this school," said Mr. La Trobe, "I am submitting facts for the consideration of this board and tho public of Wellington which I think entitle mo\to protest strongly against statements which appeared on Wednesday morning last in Wellington papers, attributed to tho chairman of our controllinc authority, tho Wellington Education Bo=\rl, and stated to have been made by him at a public meeting on tho previous "evening. Tho year 1902, which I havo chosen for comparison with tho present year, was iho last year in which tho school was under the sole control of the Wellington Education Board. The comparison might havo been made with any year previous to 1902, and the results of -comparison would have been much tho same. The year 1902 was chosen because by that time tho jchool should have beca in its most flourishing condition under tho old regime. As a matter of fact the totaUstudent entries m all subjects for that year woro greater than for any previous .year. i i i Teachers Better Equipped.

'■'■ ; "Ini instituting; a .comparison of the qualifications possessed by/the staff/.we. must not lose i sight' of ' the great v; changes,' for . ;the, 'better '■ place; in the. art, .schools of - . England.in the: last, ten;;years., When. I'. state,■■therefore; 'that in every ; ease wo.have offered-|at; least 25 per cent:; more salary .'than ■; wasV previously'. offered, for,. the aft: instructors :whom/ we vhave,. brought out from ' England, , •' arid that "/tho, 'selection ,ot these; teachers -■has! been : made: by; tbe'.late : High Commissioner, '• and v recognised . leaders in training in England—by men ;;who have had a mainVpart_ in changing; the old South ; Keneingtbn -regime for.' one .that' is. universally acknowledged to , be the beet-that England , .has. yet:'produced ;for the purpose of 'art..crafts training,-• and;4not". inferior\in its own way ;to any ;in tho/ world at theprev sent time, 1 think /it must be evident. that we. have had the .;, best possible - chance of obtaining-instnictorajj'not, only more able •as compared,with the average in ; England than formerly;': but', also; much .better equipped. as art' teachers..; than ■■was formerly .possible.,',.'• : ..';'- ■'•'.'; V .■'■■'. ■■•.■'.■■■#. ■ . •:■■•'■•; ■'. '■ .■ ■ -:''■' ','. • '■'■■ ■ -:'-.. ; ; Soul-Destrpylng Methods. \. ■•, '■:."In''thesei.courses.,the old,soul-destroying study.' .ofi light'; and:*.'el)ade-yin-. 1 morio-chrome : from ■;casts;ihaeHbeen; replaced. 1 by ■ tho-.- direct: study:of. natural forms 'of:plant, insect; and' animal-life, giving as good training in light /and shade andjinth/e'use'.of , mediums, and at the same time developing the student's observational ; powers, , IpTO. ,of : "; nature/: and sympathy/ 1 .with /the beautiea ■ of'■■ nature, 'as woll. as: providing .the , student . : wfth a ptore of knowledge, of natural forma which is, bo. necessary to /.the; development .'of. originality ;in pureand^applie'diart..,,' ' v. 1 . . . ..; ;'; : >:i:''-:'vx Btudles}trdtn'.Life:'. :. '-'y ■'"'The study of the.antique. arid-the acquisition of: technical skijl/in still' life has Deen largely.; supplem'ent>edi.by the' equalled,: essential preparation , • for ( life; work Vhich is Jtobe found in careful/ studies of the 'lower jahimals...-. .Classes.: are regularly ..'attended in /which -dogs, ':Cats, ihpfses,. and' other domestic' animals,~ l .and l -..birdß l 'are'studied from life by 'the/student, i who thus: gains facility in expression and >lsb unconsciously acquires a knowledge of the constructional features common, to men' and. the.lower animali.; In the lifeclasses thowdrk'is npw'largejy developmental, and by numerous "studies':from :/in' the nature and animal/ studies class received < the foundatiohal training ■.necessary/is in a much better! pod-, .tkm. to -approach-the difficulties'of the 'study .of the. human form., Large anatomy classes ; are .alßo'held;to- enable v the .student to; un:derstand the: surface forms in-different posi.tione figure; v-/:\ •'■'■ • r- /•'-.-■'•:,• : .-■' ■..'"■la design ; and;modelling the work: has beoome"'mucli : more .and 'much less mechanical; • The- weari»me'explanation- of , historioornament,'unsupported-by the exhibition; of•-,'good '-Work in. the styles; treated,' discontinued/students being able just as well "to' study this :part r of the work privately.'; The ; ' faking': of: designs for;' mis .and■:processes/with'which ■.tKe.-Btudent was unacq.uaintedi:'.and from artistic; data : of a purely" conventional .'or: imaginary :oljaracter, has been' substituted/by /the use-'in' design, of the -students' i store from natural form, ■ and every design-is made, for/a definifo method'bf{ reproduction in'.'materiala. and ; by ..'methods 'with which, the student haa practical : acquaintance.;. .;■ ;,■./ ■"..':'fc, ■■;■■ \ y *•? CrafteJ • ■:- :: ;.-;-,--'"/' ,-'■■' ".The equipment .used in : the .art. crafta classes, is; no'w,•.;such that >. the' student can. be trained on • really practical lines, and work--manlike, methods have 'been substituted for the; amateurish mak©shifte/that : were inevitable, when tho proper equipment was-.almost entirely.lacking.: i;.;-.: .. •.-.. ■ . •; '■,;"In. ©very' respect/ the courses.• at the now. more ;complete, more natural, less;..mechanical/ •and better--.calculated to instil a real love for the boautiful in art: and in.nature/::than in .former years.' , . The number of -students 'reached; is ;also much greater. I regret that our present Connection with tho drawing instruction, in. the is so slender/for. I havelno doubt ./that a ekiser connection would'bejof.advantage to all oon-cerned.■'-.■■r-'••<;■::, ■',' %'.-->. i.. ,:■ ..-,'■■■■■'■ ■:'■■ '■'. ■; , Old-Regime Blamed.. • / "■ln: the -'statement : which has'prompted i mo ; to -make thas" report to- the board it ie alleged',that-'arf is'at' a"low.ebb'in Welling■ten.v Personally/ I- , dp. not think that /any worse: than it was'seven or. eight, years ago. In'/any case deficiencies , are'.certainly not .to be attributed to ■tho present art training vin the Weffington Technical School, for it is qnito obvious that: our. present system has not been long enough in operation to affect'the /state' of /art:nri; the city. That state ■;must'■ bo." attributed-' to'.the''training which '.the school : was responsniblo for some eight:or/'ten years ago.- when I'took charge of the school & 190f I found that the art classes needed; complete reconstruction; The training 'was marred by..', w'rong methods, which,/wore/a legacy from :tKc old' South Kensington regime. _ '\yMte I :was ■ fully conscious of/the necessity., for.' reconstruction,' it was neoeesary for financial reasons, te proceed graduafly Twith 'the'-'.work.-.'off rebuilding the. dassee.and it/Was' not'till: the .be-ginning-of this year, that tho changes were as complete as appeared advisable. ■'.■'. '"■■" However," concluded the! director, ;.' the benefit of bettor methods and-more systematic training is now beginning -Jo ehowj and I look forward with confidence to, continued success and progrossi in the' future. Of necessity'the student-s. who, represent tho results of present training a'ro still very yoting and at tho;best only.half through the normal sohool course. ,81111 the entries woaromaking this year',-for ;tho -South .Kensington examinations compare favourably, with those made in the gears'preceding 1902, and tho percentage of ifassee for last year is at least as good.":. .'•/••, _: , . .',,-'. The report, which was; discussed in oongatulatory terms, was-"received" .and approved.' ■■ ■", '■■" . ■ .■■ •' ,'.; '■ ' ■ ; ■