"CRAFTSMANSHIP."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 936, 1 October 1910, Page 6

"CRAFTSMANSHIP."

AN INTERESTING LECTURE ( ' -'.'Craftsmanship" was. the ■ subject of "'art '.interesting lecture'.delivered before tho Arts : Club 'oh Wednesday evening by|Miv Chapman-Taylor,^architect,;;: of this city.' - Mr. .Taylor :' described the 'decay/of aud;how : .worki' man ship ; had usurped, lt-s place,.'dimiiiating j the' factor ■ of-:; 'individuality.' and; destroying. 1 the appeal;;-. Cliar-' acter and beauty-abound in.every piece of stone : ind. >"ood j-'the 'master haid re-, vealed these, qualities, the machine an- . ',The modern, utilitariiin. spirit'is, .therefore, ..utterly, oppdsed-vto. Nature.: The art' of building, Mr. Taylor emphasised, is the greatest, tho most-ljeiiutifuljiand the most .requisite, ■giving i the. widest field for the -. expres-. sion of art, and embodying.all the; arts, •'yet it. is' degraded;beyoiid: expres-. sion. There.is :a.marked;decadence ;6f ideals - in : design': icheap rmachiiie-made; embelU&ments have ; takenf the:;place.; of. .the-: skilfully; wrought >'handicrafts-;; . past regard- tor detail:-. Do ironmongers now ;stock beautiful and i: artistic 'hinges '';or locks?- Ilaste and thoughtlessness.-are th'e most marked;'. 1 , - characteristics. ..; of ■modern furniture tho note of /ostentation' : and;vulgarityVis/struck.■The •. crafts; of woodwork, , metalwork,' .arid; ofstonework-.- are. still - capable..of' 'expressing''art: in .the highest degree, and we' must struggle, said ;Mr,- Taylor,- ' "to'free yourselves ifroiri thevenyeloping; folds'; of ugliness; ' old ; craftsmanship, stands pre-eminent:; in simplicity, :symmetry,: and. durability." - At tlie-con-clusion of the lecture-, a -hearty and. 'unanimous. vote of thanks testified;to ■the enjoyment with which Mr .-Taylor's variod-.and .instructive, comments' •• had - been listened to by the members of tho Arts Club. v'■ ;;Y;; .';V'.