Art Exhibition

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 367, 30 May 1928, Page 12

Art Exhibition

WORK OF NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD IS PROMFEATURE OF WATERCOLOUR SECTION IMPRESSIONIST CONTRIBUTIONS The outstanding feature in connection with the water-colours section at the Auckland Society’s show is certainly the work sent in from New Zealanders abroad. If tho exhibits of Frances Hodgkin?, Cedric Savage, Leslie Greener, Ronald McKenzie and Rlioda Hazard, with one or two exceptions of artists actually working in New Zealand, were removed, there would be little of real merit left. What Frances Hodgkins, to whom the term “brilliant” can truthfully ba aplied, gives with one hand, she takes away with the other. One mopient she impresses upon one how brilliantly she can draw, and in the next she does her best to erase that impression. There is no excuse, for instance, for the half-finished sketch of “By the Brook,” in which one girl appears to be a congenital idiot and her companion similarly distressed. Not even Miss Hodgiinss undoubted flair for rich, warm colour, can efface that impression. All four contributions are clever. All four Till be misunderstood. The work, however, is new to Auckland, and should not be discounted on that ground. We have to thank this New Zealander, now in England, for at least one new note in this years exhibition. Cedric Savage, the young Maonlander, now painting in Sydney, has more than fulfilled the promise he displayed last year. There is also more restraint in his work. This i« particularly evident in “Dungog” a New South Wales; pastoral, which already bears the coveted red label “The Yellow Caravan.” likewise from his brush, in which he presents a group of painters surrounding a chrome-vehicle in the Australian bush, though, maybe, a trifle hard, is probably the finest water-colour in th« “River Bank” < 123) is hard and im. sympathetic, and is not in Mr. Savage* best style. THE “MODERNS’” GROUP Ronald McKenzie is represented by two French compositions, “Late Afternoon, Brittany,” and a. “Norman Autumn Impression.” Rhoda Haza™ and Leslie Greener, who also strike the modern note, send Brittany coastal studies. There is a distinctively decorative quality in Neville Smith’s seascape (81). A. J. Brown leads the Auddan* contingent with “The Desce ?? 0 Road’’—descending to an Auc**** bathed in an autumn glow. White, an Aucklander now in gives us a delightful souvinir of j-• recent sketching tour, in “MangaCountry” (86). Alice Whyte is stror ’ rei as usual by several studies whicn _ elude the still life. “Roses” d* 4 ’- . othy Ashton’s “Primroses” is retreea inc- and decidedly colourful. An pression of the Majorcan coast is warded by the president, Mr. a. Boyd. Joycelyn Brown in » j-uni mer Evening” (90) reveals Auck about to be encircled by the » ternoon haze. “The Too of by Russell Clark, is one * soundly-painted mountain studies ~ the exhibition. Hilda Wiseman been particularly successful this . with her effects. „ n* S. Ivy Copeland. J. L. Wauchope, Ella J. Spicer, - Je ,- Ri.-hardson. Winifred Caddy. KaW - Salmond. H. Linley Richardson, wand Farnie Thomas are among i exhibitors. „ . .#gtyF’\ —ERIC RAM SDL*'