DISPLAY OF ART

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 7

DISPLAY OF ART

AUTUMN EXHIBITION,

STANDARD MAINTAINED

OFFICIAL OPENING

"While there may be no individual works of such outstanding and dominating quality as to compel special praise, nevertheless the general range of work is quite up to the standard reached in other exhibitions," declared the president of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Mr. G. G. Gibbes Watson, when opening the autumn exhibition in the Art Gallery last night. Mr. Watson said it was typical of the successful faithful w t ork of the older and regular exhibitors, as well as providing meritorious examples of the painstaking work of the younger artists and art students. He thought that visitors would be struck by the very marked progress made by many of the last-mentioned class of exhibitor.

Touching on the question of a New Zealand school of painting, Mr. Watson said that one sometimes heard criticism that nothing had been achieved and nothing done to encourage a typical New Zealand School of Painting. "Such a criticism is, I think, without foundation," he said. "A typical school of painting cannot be anything but a process of evolution. It can neither be stimulated nor forced. It is born of various elements—environment, climatic conditions, national traditions, prevailing schools of economic and philosophic thought. All these are reflected in the works of artists. Until a people develop into a distinctive nation finally moulded by all these elements and evincing definite national characteristics of its own, its art must follow, and follow faithfully, the ideas and ideals of the master craftsmen of other countries. To seek artificially to stimulate a departure from those ideas and ideals cannot be in the best interests of our art and artists.

"Modern methods of quick transport and increased facilities" for rapid interchange of ideas must tend to break down differences in schools of painting. A typical school depends on comparative isolation for its continuation. Conditions obtaining today will tend to world-wide standards and methods in art. , THE NATIONAL GALLERY. "I am frequently asked why some art functions are held under the control of the trustees of the National Gallery and others under the control of the Academy," continued Mr. Watson. "It is apparent there is a good dear of public misconception as to the duties of the respective bodies, and I maybe pardoned if I briefly make the position clear. For many years the Academy owned the only Art Gallery in Wellington and controlled the only national collection of pictures. When this beautiful building was being planned, an arrangement was made, and subsequently incorporated in an Act of Parliament, whereby the Academy should sell its land and building and hand over the proceeds ,of sale and also its collection of pictures to the Board of Trustees. In return, the exclusive use and occupation of the group ofr galleries in which we hold our exhibitions were granted to the Academy for all time. In addition, we were given adequate representation on the Board of Trustees and the management committee of the Art Gallery. .

"The * position, therefore, is that the Board of Trustees, acting through the management committee, controls the whole of the building other than these galleries, and owns and controls the national collection of pictures. The Academy continues all its previous activities except the management of the national collection, and has the advantage of being housed in these very fine galleries. The relationship between the two bodies is happy and harmonious. The only tinge of regret' we ever have, and it is a minor one, is that this building is more inaccessible than our old one, with the result that members of the .Academy and of the public are unable to drop in frequently for a quiet half-hour's study of the pictures, as was the case with the old gallery in the centre of the city. We are not without hope, however, that the City Council in the future will provide, either by tram or bus, direct and frequent transport to the Art Gallery and Museum, which should be the cultural centre of civic life "