ART EXHIBITION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 9

ART EXHIBITION.

; '■ FIRST NOTICE. Before criticising the works of art now, on exhibition, it is , no to.consider ( for a moment the spirit in which that' duty is undertaken. A duty, because artistic work carries with it a forco for good'or bad—good whero tho work is good, bad where the. work is without meaning and has no irradiating influence on" life. It is poor and oven bad work that separates art from practical lifo. The only force that can mako art live is its applicability to our everyday needs. It lias been well said that "Every product of the workman who loves his work, as an artist must, carries' some indefinable, but; easily perceived, suggestion of Ins feeling." . This is so true, and so accustomed have wo become to this feeling, that there is some quality peculiar to painting. and. drawing that, as a recent writer has quaintly expressed tlie thought, ."Many people, when they find . themselves looking at a picture, at once put, : on a-special attitude, not unlike that which'they put on with their Sunday clothes." 'i'lie result is an unnatural state of riiind, and they are reduced to an-effort to judge intellectually what fails to move them emotionally. Of course,' this'habit of mind is only tho fruit of. dissociating what they calU'works. of- art" ,from any Bort of natural feeling, and. everyday life. There are all,manner of ways, of looking at pictures, apart altogether from the technical: side—\yhat we. want and are in search of is to find where beauty in sonw form appeals; what beauty is. We hunger for food of this sort—it should be the ' artist's ideal to ■ give such food lor them who hunger after it. \ .... .In considering the water-colour sec-tion-of the exhibition, containing 150 examples, it is' somewhat bewildering in tho riot of colour and form and subject 'to focus ;the eye to a'proper starting point.' With sea...and landscapes, street scenes, .flower studies, and oven portraits,, all assembled together on one wall, and clanipuring for'recognition, the .short-' esf way ; but of the difficulty is'to begin with:-V: - - - : :' - •■•:■

;. No;L; 1,/ : "After a Storm" (F. • Wright). This 'example ; and No. 17, "Morning Mists,"/are;both soothing; The quiet, subdued Atones calm one's'nerves.' The lat-' ter : of these .two! pictures, with its soft and misty: air, suggests a place to awanen'fresh thoughts of life. It breathes an-'outlook.' / - :

■; No;;':lo,'M.J. Eogers' "Scene in Berkshire," is a 'good .'example in colouring, tone,: and'perspective. ;, -' No./-: u; "Langdale' Peaks!" Westihorland, : by C. .N.. Worsley,.!is one■ of his characteristic pictures; and- the gradual opening out to the light in the foreground will bo.noted. ■: It is/very instructive. . N0.}27, "Sunset on' the Grey Eiver," C. E; Bibkertbn, is.a very' fine bit of work. Tho light-on tho horizon is very effec-' iive.j'and not, overdone. ... '.■■ . "

: No./23,."The.Giant's Playground" (M. 0. Stoddart),, is a fine study...- Thetitle •is'- happily/ chosen, ; and the artist haS not yielded, to temptation nor spoiled, the subject by ;ihe. additibn of any detail'that ■"would;mean' the forces were: restrained. It is all -that .is claimed for it,.and would be'an: inspiration-to Eider ;fiaggard. • ' N0.;'25,; "Porthminster Bay," . St. .'lyee (E.'N/Barraud),; appeals to one asbeing simply/a true impression."-The boats are .enjoying; a;short respito ffbnl.the stren-uous-struggle: outside; It 'is rest and quiet—recalling the.old couplet. ■;:■■ . No:;: 35, "A Bush Clearing,"-, another example'of F. Wright's, wprk,:,is.an.excellently; graduated study in colour.. The storyiof; the. pioneer experience and .the struggle .'with the forest is all l told here. This example should be carefully studied. N0.. :: 38 ;is another, instance , where the feelings■■; of ,■: the. artist, are reflected ,in -,his; work. In .."Clearing. Aftera Stormy , Day,".'-which;-is;the.theme , .of.;this number, we: have.: the ' artist in-. /.his _,true metier;: much ■ happier , than, in hisi "Entrance, to ■ Eio-Hafbour," .135. ■■ . ' Beech. Wood," by .'Mrs. E. Hughe's,-.is--a.-striking; study, One is ■perhaps {inclined 'to think that the. moss-fown.tpink.of-the-old tree is. too vivid greeny but that must be left to the artist's /judgment. Nature i can be very vivid and very, soothing too. The .work in the; 'study : is excellent—it is a good' ■■; .'.!'■ •;■■ :;.--■.;.V.,-;

:N0.:60,: by-v'L.^Ei : Baird,--is a type. A study,of-;softened/evening-tone. The note .is peace.. , :■.,»'. ' No;. 57i stands apart in contrast to tMs."The. Setting ..Moon" tells this meaning,: and as a. piece/ of work ':> there is. much' excellence; to be noted.. The only'ques•tio'n one/would like .to ask the-artist-is: "Why is' : that. figure; introduced into the foreshore?"/It.was,not needed, and.the gait individual has a sad ..sug-gestion-about, it. ;.,.,- . ~.',.; No; 83; "On the Sands, New, Brightori," is one of the"'.best , examples on the wall! ..This is.-'iby M.: , J. Eogers. It- possesses all the 1 good.-qualities of water-colour; work; strange and vigorous in.conception, delicate in tone and suggestiori,. and an absence'of all timidity in contrast. Note the way the. artist., has. seized the idea of'.the middle distance; ■ The ...perspective, is carefully maintained and there are no embellishments. /'■-.. ■ ■ . N0.;82,/"Homestead ,at ThjssauL",. (A.; Hanson), , is very much-the same'.school;', but; the.; treatment is.-Jnecessarily more elaborate as it is morebf/arfiriished/pic-, ■ ture> though there are;'very; few' "finished pictures";in the Academy,.-, : ."..-,.;■'■; - ■'....-■; -No., 81,' "Lake . Wiriilernlere," Cumberland, is; an.example : of ;C.. Ni Worsley at his best; ;Herejwe.meditate,:.and recall, the ■statement of. the poet S.-. T. Coleridge that all.which we find- in -Nature. ;must be created by .ourselves. ;Here we have;N.ature gorgeous "in ..her/beauty.-. 0, lady.'we receive but'what wo And.in-flur life alone does; Naturo live; Ours- isi her,, wedding-garment, •ours .her I'-.-i'-i'shrbiidi, -.-i/.' .}.jf;;. ■■■-.:'■ :' ■./; v '.' :; >:. ;;.;.. "It were a ..'vain endeavour .''/■/ . ; .-••-.- : ..Though I should gaze for. ever ■ ■:' On .that greeu light that lingers in the ,y West, .■■..::'. . '-. --. ■•.-. .'-. I , may.. not liopo. from: outward . forms' to. .■; '; win ■'■•■ -.-■'■.';. ■■■'■;■ .'■'. ■'■/■ :'■.;■ '■/ "/ ;, ' The passion arid the life whose fountains ,;;..,. are:within.. -:..;;.■..., -'■•■■..■; /"No. 98,' "The Shades of. Evening,"' by Albert > Hanson, is another .of those; pictures that is rich in suggestion, tlerci we liaya harvest, time ,in all its plentiful yield.'..Note the roadway,* tlie; old bridge just visible'by the luxuriant autumn folli'ago. along the. banks of the stream, the homestead snugly hidden behind tho trees. ...The harvesters are busy with'their load and the'turkeys are. free gleaning their share. It is peace and plenty inample suggestion. . No. 103,v"The Buller Gorge," is, • of course, by. C. H. Howarth. It is an admirable reproduction of that light and colour /so peculiar to the Buller" Gorge.. It is a delightful,.,clean, piece'of work. The trees are trees. True to/Nature as ;we find; her .there, and not overdbuo,by the artist. . .;. /.-.-/ ■ '■'-'../■'•

'i N05.107 and 108,..'"Th0 Shadow on the. Gully';" and "Springtime," are both by; Jl. 0. Stoddart, and among the best expositions of that artist's style. "The/richness of colour and. glow ia No. 107 is very fine::'! No. < 108 lias, found a keen admirer and purchaser.. In that example, the note of spring has found a ready response. The purchaser is to be congratulated. The question that'arose from an artistic point of view, whether the deep tono'in the distance was satisfying, lias been sottied. -■:: - ■ / S :

No. 124, "Tho Gum; Trees," ', by the .same artist, has been exhibited in the Salon, and has ■■ also been purchased. .This study possesses a charm all its own, and is in curious contrast to No. 131, another Salon exhibit by the samo artist, of which tho raison d'etre does not appear. ■ ■■■■-. ' ■ No. 13G, "In the Hooker Vnlley," by F. AVright, from ever/ point of view is an admirable produohon. It sots a standard before our students who-want to cultivate form and colour, and gradations of tone. There is a vivid reminiscence of Rowbotham in it which some of us may recognise. Here we havo a .valuable ex-, simple of broad treatment, pure effect, and a resolute certainty of touch, all of which.'are points to emulate. No. 138, "In tho 3tai Valley," by I. H. Nicholson, is a faithful representation of the locality .depicted, both in colour and detail, and 'is a coascientious piec«_ of work. From a critical, point of -view,' what is so good is tho ■perspective, and tho convincing truth of tho foliage. The artist is very wise in not attempting to spoil this silenco of the spot by tho addition of the conventional horso and:cart, or plodding-wayfarer. It is impossible to deal with every example' in the water-colour oeotion. Theio is necessarily great variety, and with dif-

ference of merit. Mr. Felix Clay, 8.A., points out in his book on "The Origin of tho Sense of Beauty." that "we liavo no right and no need to decry nn absolute beauty, but all that wo know shows thnt beauty is relative to us, existing in our perception of it, not Chat it is something having au objective existenco that wo may or may not be able to see." As a word to the artist, we may quote Mr; Laurence Binyott, in his remarks on Art gonernlly:—"We should use epaco for its positive value, as an outlet to.infinity; wo should strike our thoughts moro directly on the canvas, toil less with'our Angers, and concentrate more in our minds."