ART EXHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 13

ART EXHIBITION

OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AN ARTIST DEFINED This year’s exhibition of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts is probably the host for evenness of artistic talent in the history of that institution. Interest in it was proved by the crush of members, and friends who were present at the official opening last evening. Indeed, ,so crowded was the gallery that it was only by ui.et persistence that one was able to see anything of the pictures which lined the walls. His Excellency the Governor-General, who op«e4, tfio exhibition, was introduced by the president (Mr. T. Shailer Weston), who referred to the honour which had been done the academy by Lord Jellicoo in consenting to open the show, of 1921. He expressed to His Excelldiicy, on behalf of the members of the academy, their high appreciation of 'hie work in New Zealand in strengthening those ties of loyalty and affection to the great and glorious Motherland which has given birth to this country. (Applause.) <s His Excellency remarked that he need hardly say the great pleasure it gave him to open tho exhibition. "I am'told,’’ he said, "and I believe it to bo true, that this is tho best exhibition of pictures ©ver shown in New Zealand. What Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin might hove to say upon the point I do not know, buf when I am told so in 'Wellington, by Wel’lingtoninns I have to believe it. (laughter.) So I start off by saying that it ts the best exhibition of pictures ever held in New Zealand. (Laughter.) I have not had tho opportunity of seeing the shows in the other centres., so I agree with you entirely. . , It is a great thing to find that art in Now Zealand has mAde such groat strides. Tn the early ..days you were fortunate in having tho association of such' fine artists aa John Gully and the Hon. J. Richmond, and it is a great pleasure to think that you 'have amongst you to-night a daughter of the Hon. J. Richmond as a member of the council and as an exhibitor. Whether that lady is a relative of the late -Sir William Richmond, of England, I do not know, but many will know how very closely he was associated with art in the Ohl. Country. In any case, it is something to know that someone of the same name is carrying on in New Zealand. "I dipped info the Encyclopedia Britannica to-day to- see whether I could find anything’about art "that- would help me to-night. All I could find was tho definition' of an artist: "one who took more pleasure fha nother people in things he himself is producing.” (Laughter.) It la nice to know that an. artist derives so much pleasure from his own work. I don’t think members of Farliament derive so much pleasure from their work, as there are lots of people to tell them that they are not pleased. (Laughter.) But artists are not so much criticised as politicians. Artiste must be happy people to derive soimuch pleasure from their work, and they have tho additional gratification of giving others great pleasuref As the Encyclopedia Britannica helped me no further, I have very groat pleasure In declaring the exhibition open.” (Applause.) The exhibition will be open throughout to-day and tho whole of next .week.