ACADEMY OF FINE ART?

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2900, 12 October 1916, Page 9

ACADEMY OF FINE ART?

•—- ♦ ■■ ■■ ■- THE EXHIBITS (Notes by "The, Lay Figure") Tlie hanging this year is far from satisfactory. ■ Not only are the colour harmonies, bad, but- the general arrangement is slipshod and unsatisfactory. No one. expects geometrical regularity, but the UnOs are ragged, Overcrowded in sOHie places, with lamentable gaps in others, and this albeit, nearly double tlie usual space is available this year. Quito a number of piotures hung should havo been rejected, in Which case every pifcturo conscientiously and sincerely, pointed could have beeh displayed Under conditions which at least, would not have shown tliein to disadvantage. "Unless tho Council pays more attention to the allinjpOftaiit qUestiOn of hanging, there will ednte a day, so-1 venture to predict, -when local artists will simply disregard the Academy exhibitions, and unite in little groups to have their OWn Shows olSowhej'e, thus ensuring, by hanging their pictures themselves, tho displaying of tliein to tllo.besfT;advantage. .' Tlio hanging is bad enhjigh, in the oils seCtidns, in tho water-colour room it is quite nnpardonablly incoherent in its lack of harmonious co-ordin-ation.

The exhibition js, on the whole, ono of Considerable interest, but due allowance being made for the war and the difficulties With which mahy of out NeW Zealand artists have had-to contend, it. is undeniably inferior in the general quality add promise Of the work showil. Far too many Of the Vounger nien appear to be obsessed by. the very dangorbus theory that the Dahtonian principle of audacity should govern tlieir efforts; Clamant and crudo to the verge of downright Ugliness arc too many, of the exhibits, and sound draughtsnianshipi the only sound basis upon which to erect.a superstructure of . legitiinately-omployed and artistically-1 attractive Colour, Seems each year that passes by to bo. regarded wiNi intxre contefrtptUoUs indifr'erence. 'Agaiii, far fob many of the pictures are of aii excessive sizo when tlie portanCe of tlio subjects is considered. Artists are often apt to ' bewail the stbhy' iiidilforence to art of .a. large Section of the public well able to patronise art withojit severely straiiling their incomes. But the artldt forgets that in the majority of NeW Zealand hoineS. tho rooms are small, wall space is limited, and that, . consequently, largo canvases, painted in flamboyant coloUf, aiid demanding distance, to bring Ottt thch'.boSt quality,.aresimjily impossible. The "Lay Figure" would, bo tho last person in the world to applaud a niggling technique, and the painting of small-sized pictorial banalities. But, after all, Very largo piotures are'not required. Three feet is the maximum measurement which will look Well on the wall of an ordinary room, aiid a canvas measuring even two foot looks quito llu'go ehougli wheii framed aiid hanging on the wall of a rOom of riieditim proportions. Another pmnt. Surely it is high time the Adademy authorities established some standard stylo for'frames. This year, the framing is more heterodox than even in previous years, which, goodness only knows, is saying not a littlo. But one cannot blame an artist for' trying to. fend off his unduly aggressive neighbours by strong and vigorous'framing. As a matter of fact, the model franie is Simple aiid inconspicuous, and it would he better for everybody concerned were tho Council to fix on certain limits, for size, and ;only. allow .tnoro headings on ..the pic.tureS, leavings it to the purchasers to hiiV6"tlieir.. pictUrcs 'framed as they please. ' this means a more pleasing unity in tho collection would be Secured..

And now, let'us look round tho oils and gossip a while on their prominent features. A word or two, first Of all, on soirio of the portraiture.. Mr. Bowring, always specially happy in seizing and fixing a likeness, deserves warm congratulation upon his tlirco portrait exhibits. Tlio portrait Of Dr. Aiison is particularly good, and that of Mr. Bernard Page, the City Organistj is, both in pose, likeness, and general treatment, eminently satisfactory.; In the portrait of tho lato Mr. Martin Kennedy, the likeness again is everything that might bo desired, but tho background suggests a strong fire-glow. A greenish grey would havo had a bettor, offedt. Sir. Bowring also shows some exceptionally good landscape frork, of which more anon.

Mrs. J. D. Tripe has evidently profited by hor visit to tho art centres of the Old World, and by her studies in London, Hot-portrait of Mrs. Vivian Riddiford (No. 96) is possibly the finest piece of work' this conscientiously observant'and painstaking, artist has ovor ehbwn in Wellington. She has secured, I understand, an excoliont likeness, but to those who do not know tho original tlio picturo will chiefly appeal by tho exquisite tone of tho composition as a whole, tho correctness of the general values, and, above all, the delicacy and fidelity of its still life features. The Same artist's portrait of Miss Zeta Chapman, so well known as a popular amateur reciter, is another decided success. The flesh tents are fresh and true to life; the tone throughout is essentially artistic and pleasing. The portrait of Mrs. Sybil Hannah as ''The Spirit Of the Drama" (221) is less successful, savo in the suggestion of selfconsciousness in the original. One of the hands is surely out. of drawing. In No. 26, "Reflections,"'a study of a young .lady reading by the light of a pink-shaded lamp, Mrs._ Tripo has attacked a proverbially difficult lighting problem with courage.'and conspicuous success.

I turn now to the work of some of the younger men.. Some of it is marred by an excessivo audacity in tackling the treatment of full or broken sunlight— sunglare it is. in certain cases— hut at least credit is dud. to the artists for their courage and industry: Mr. Bender has,' in successive years, swern temporary allegiance to various schools and styles, hut constancy falls him, and ho turns cvor with avidity into some now path, and, truth to tell, he is not always easy to follow. This year his motto is virility 1 no matter what else suffers, His stylo this year is certainly frosh and' vigorous, but I misdoubt tho soundness of his principles. There is too much bravura, too palpable a'striving after strong effects. Ono Cannot help asking: How would these pictures look in a roojn? Tho really great landscapes carry their appeal without any shouting—tolling effect can bo attained without being so obviously dospcratolv clamant for attontion.•, --ho. 57, "Boadsido, Taita," is possibly; Mr. Bonder's hest. It carries with it a convincing air of aerial perspective. As a Tiilo liis Skies lack perspective. For in No. 3-1, "Evening Glow, the red in the horizon comes far too strongly forward. No. 94, "Near feoatoun Tunnel," is a marked example of inattention to tho importance of values. The rosult is that tho foreground scorns to ho dropping away, whilst a fence nl tho hack is standing on its head. The samo fault is perceptible in the smaller picture, No. 8/, "On the Coast." Look at tho figure, and the distance appears to be as stronglv marked ns tho foreground- I lilted No. 18. "The Two TTnvstnoks," and would like it bettor still but for its vinlonce. Everything, however, that i Mr. Bender has sent this year is provocative of thought and criticism. When''it last this clever young artist "linds himself" ho should go far. • One of the most consistently studious and painstaking of tlm younger men. Mr. I'\ Sedgwick, deserves special credit for No.' 19. "T-vilight Orcv." a

sitii|)li: statollleilt ddfinilcly set tlpwn' and liiudnbly restrained in cololtr. .This picture itll'orda an ckccilolit example of that eliminatidii of tllo lUicssential which is eliarnolcristio of. soimd Jandr,rapo paintlngi being restful and plcasiiiß. Mr. Sedfiwick's special uietiei; is clearly tlio reproduction of evening effects. Both in No. 21, "Now Fades the Gliinnlfifmg iiUiidsciipe," 'and No. 120,. "All the Air a Solemn Stillness Holds," are noteworthy efforts, each instinct with a quiet, truly poetic feeling. In No. 43| "Summer Time," the !mrd metallic greens of SilvorstTchni mipht have been stibdued a littlfe. Li doing so, there need have henn no aliandonment of truth, hy the adoption of a favourito convention with some artists,- painting theni _ yellow • and hrown. A patient striving after.getting the proper cool grey would have made the tones approximate bettor.

Mr. J. M'Doiiald, tv!io, hi past yearsj has hiainly confined his attention to black fiiid white- work, iibw comes forward ivith > some iiltercßtiiig niid ptoirtisihg work in the oils section. No. 125, "The Silent Day," is easily -the best of his pictures. Hero is some sound, sincere work. It is an ambitious attempt for a lirst-year man, a hit fiat iii the Bky, maybe, and too scattered in its gcnftl'iil hbl'izoii lilie h porcoptibly too hai'd—but it gives fliie promise of much better Work to come. It is replete with colour, feeling and refinement, aiid shoWs ilie growing tendency of tlio Silverstream school to increased qiiietiiess and absence of technical s-v<agger.

Of Mr. W. Heg'inhothain's contributions, t lilto best No. 27, : "Reynolds's Lane," and.shpuldliko.it better still, if the tree had more transparency in i.ts i shadows. No. 42, "River-bed, Taita," is another very meritorious attempt* but the foreground is sloppy.and l ■unfinished, and badly -wants Strengthening, so that the sky may be thrown back. Apart from its qitite violent crudity, there are some good points in No. 20, "A Side Track."; If Mr. Heginbotham -would' only esclioW' his present inclination to mistake .violence for convincing strength, and 6fcudy a sounder and more sober expression of his unquestionably artistic feeling, he should, in time, give lis some very interesting work.

(To he Continued.)