THE ART CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 738, 10 February 1910, Page 6

THE ART CLUB.

;-Sir,— l. hare .frequently,,, of late, ob- ■ served in; your columns reports..on.'progress. madeMh connection .with the 'organising of a. club which'has bad, be- " stored upon it the somewhat significant ■' and pretentious'.title: Tho.'Art. Club.' ■'■■ ; ; Hay L ask:: What.'is this'Art.Club? . Are its' organisers representative of' the artists of Wellington? "What, lis :its- objective? My prosaic intellect,, and consequently limited powers of, understanding, havo been sorely taxed in my endeavours to fathohi tho. intentions of. these individuals who have uiet, and duly constituted themselves .The■■'■ 'Wellington'. Art' Club. I shall welcome enlightenment. I am an artist!—At least employers and friends have been graciously pleased to, dub mo as such; and when 1 look around' me 1 am'convinced' that ' the .title is' merited. ... .; '' I have"resided and toiled in.-Welling-ton for two years, during, which period 1 have met. many, members of the artistic fraternity; but'their names do hot appear on., the list of office-bearers : 'and committee of the so-called Art Club. As a. matter: of fact, the majority of iny brother artists have never-- been ap.proached with a view to procuring' their names on tho roll of, members. ■ This is an honour I share with them! Of course, i. may poinfc,out:tnat,-my friends, like myself, are'commercial'artists. That is to.say, wo depend upon our;knowledge of . art for a "crust," and this fact probably weighs heavy with the'committee of the Art Club. ■■•■.' "."a .'■■•.-. . Viewing the: situation .carefully, . and scanning the names of ■ those who have constituted themselves The . Wellington Art Uub, 1 feel disposed'to make some httlo allowance for their attitude towards commercial artists.. It may be that -the members nf the Select and Exclusive Art XAub do not caro to have their lofty ideals and aesthetic tastes sullied by. including in their coterie ' half. a score of the Dominion's premier—pardon my egotism—weilders; of .the pen -and brush; whose - , masterpieces are utilised in ':furthering tho sale of "Nothing .purer, Tea," ■ Vi™ Pickles," "Dr. Kilbirnie's Kapital JvofE kurc," or tho latest creations of ■Worth: and Paquin. But all' the same we are. artists; wo have our art at heart. Ave can talk art with'tho best of them, andliko most of-the fraternity wo can .criticise. Probably this fact has something to do with our exclusion. "■''.' ; _ However,. : wc shall survive!', The fact that we are; not: members of Tho Ari Club will-not affect our 1 salaries, 1 nor , -stay the current of our ambitions in art. Yet. one- would imagine that ah organisation with the • pretentions-^and,. I presume they have some bearing 1 upon' art —of The Art Club, would extend a hearty .welcome to those..who. are: daily brought ■into closo .association,'with the art they .dove.

; . Iho public appreciates the commercial artists work. Who has.not admired the /beautiful illustration's in 'the,'advertisement' section 1 , of'la •: British' or! ;Amorican' periodical-or'.'.daily-?.':'. , One has but to glance- through. theso; pages;■'■ at the' bill-, posters hoardings; and at the beautiful' show-cards displayed in shops, ■< to fully 'comprehend the fact' that while the commercial artist turns his skill'to good and remunerative..account; in' the"direction'of .iurthenng commerrial' .!■ enterprise^ , . ; his ,execution x of the work betrays.no ! .tendency to■-. degrade. the fundamental principles of ; arf Are-, not ; his'-:'facesr .forms, ; and .figures faithfully and'-tastefully.. drawn ? —does.he not, i upon- bristolor suifacb board, with peu or brush, reproduce the 'boßutifur:■ lines., of mature "as 'conscientaously- and as .cleverly-i-as the great master: who has all the. pigments -at l his hand. And yet.this man would probabh not be considered a suitable .person within meaning'of the''art defined'.by: the Art-Club of Wellington: Why?: "':■ ' , let.it not be confounded that we commercial artists are.eager-to-.becomo mem-" bers of this organisatioh. 1,.f0r one, am quite contented with' my lot; But I fail ■to see. why any. organisation'should' presume to avow-.itself, representative of a section of. the-' communitjM without, *inthe, nrst, place, convening a,'meeting, of -those -pnrsons.. tp.,\rhom its .advent.imight ue.of interest,..especially;'those activoly engaged upon,that which .it. professes;--to loster. ■ ■~■.:•■-' f v :... , ;,., . . i! - .

i- < r om ? h ,?' tists of Wellington Who, like myself, have n c ot ,, bee .n invited, toi share the privileges pf the Art Club, will still continue, to be •tno largest exhibitors in the Dominion, and the interest.which: the public take in our work shall : not ' decrease ; simplv because^we'are not members' of-The'Art :Wv. Nor..shall, our coffers suffer , do.pletion.—l am, etc., ;..-.:■ .'

■■■.■:■ A.'. COMMERCIAL''. ARTIST. I'ebruary 9.. .....,: . . '.■■:■•.

'.'■. :■ -OF ■■THE , .;WORtDi.■.■■-■•'.;' ~S iY .—A ccording to : thelatestreturns on the ; timber question, the world is steadily approaching; a- Already 1 Jiri-tain pays eachfyear ■ .£27,000,000 ;'for \wod. ..Germany, , with nearly :■- twelve tiroes, the area of forosi possessed by Britain, annually pays .£12,000,000; for imported, hmber,' and although the' United States of America exports .wood- and wood products to. tho value of per annum, she has to. pay as much for imports. In.Europe,'Svieden and Russia are of course, tho : chief .'timber-exportins: countries,, but in, both cases' the vast .inroade f on supplies aro seriously felt, and exports are .being appreciably reduced. .There are, of course, Canada and Siberia, but in Canada, at all events, wood is be- , ; ing nsed up at a rapid-rate.' iln view of ithis. prospective timber famine, our Aus:tralian. forests ought to bo' more highly appreciated, and better looked after; The ■timbers of New Zealand arc .magnificent national assets of.>untold. wealth. , • A good bush of totara': would pay better than some gold, mines.—l. am,; etc , ; r ■<:■.■'■•■•" - ;; ■-■•■■ ■ - ••■'.,' W. COEBETT. • ■ Eilbirnie. •■.■'.'. :'-■:'• ■. ■ :■■' '."■' ■ ; ■■,"