ART IN WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 8

ART IN WELLINGTON.

Sir,—lt has, ;como. last, Foe years • the writer, in common with hundreds of othor. art amateurs throughout, tho-North Island, has been patiently waiting. and wondering when somo paper would bo courageous • enough to denounco the overriding arid grab-all'methods of thecotcrio of artists who control tho; Wellington Art Society. Your paper, by its fearless criticism of-yesterday, has earned , this distinction and is ontitlca to the' 1 congratulations and thanks- of the 'by so.-' doing. In agricultural, commercial; ' industrial and stock exhibitions, an 'exhibitor is noVer allowed; to judge his. or her own work ; or 'to -place it/ aiid more tlian.onco tho' writer has' heard an. artist- decline •to -go 'on a.hanging- committee''beoiuße 'ho was nn exhibitor, which was'undoubtedly tho correct.and'grace-' ful 'thing;to do.' -It ;has, ' however, -been-a common' topic of ■ conversation among . artists -in; these parts that the .has'for years past .been "run." .by a fow artists there who practically 'monopolise the institution:and hang their own' pictures on r tho lino to .the 'exclusion of .'much-better'work. This, . I-may 'say, is.since.the late,' Mr. >J. M.'.Nairn's-'time. !Yoiir reference, to the. rejected .work . suggests to the writer , tliqt .it > would:,be ,;a. .good-idea-to- hold a" separate exhibition 1 of '• the'rejected ,work,. wfeich' woiild-.'.either, justify or, condemn, the judgment .'of the committee in .this-re-spect. ..The . outspoken candour .of. your-critic,' Mi-. Leslie, leads tho 'writer,' in', 'common with many others; to; anticipate with interest liis criticism of the pictures.. One review which has already appeared' is so'palpably conciliathe "powersithat,be'':and so-full of laudatory, backpattirigs all round to the " con-' trols " that it 'suggests his interest in them, if nothing more. Hois, like the rest of them, an advocate of sludge and slmnmuck." And, by the way, tho. thanks of artists are due .to 'Dr. Newman for his condemnation . of this splodgo metliod, which is .on".'excellent' method. ; for an artist who cannot draw, but it is not ; art. The doctor will no; doubt bring a storm of. denunciation upQn his- devoted . head—but ;tho writer thinks he can stand it.: The: criticisms of. your contomporaty ; are.; intensely 'amusing. Let' any. student .take ,a .copy of yesterday's l " Times " td tho gallery and stirid in front:of:the: work 'of B oworth 'and 'read what it savs of it.' Then.-turn tol tlie 1 work of Gore, Bastings. and .-Babbage. arid. read/his. criticism of them:- and ; think. ': . .. ■ - ' ' I, am,. etc., WANGANUI. September. 28. . . ; v -