Mural Decoration

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 865, 8 January 1930, Page 7

Mural Decoration

PICTURES, PAINT AND PAPERS Traced From Cave-Man Days SINCE the days when the exigencies of family life made it necessary for men and women to give up their holes in the ground and build huts for themselves, a gradually developing feeling for making these shelters more attractive has permeated the whole of civilisation. These early huts may only have had the necessary cooking utensils and a few stone implements hanging on the wall, but the woman would polish them up until they gave a gleam to the hut. As life developed and dyes first became known colour entered to beautify the home and bring joy with it.

As Is natural with growth each new generation has found something to despise in the art of the previous period and has either gone back to some past age for inspiration or has branched out into something definitely new and exciting. This newness generally calls forth exclamations of dislike or derision, but the new movement goes on its way only to become through the cycle of years part of the past.

The "modernity” of today seems to loom more than usually largely in people’s minds for since the beginning of the movement it has given a definite impression of eccentricity to all but its avowed devotees; but its acceptance has been gradually coming about in the last ten years or so until we find that the youngest and most modern in feeling of artists and designers are being commissioned by important manufacturers to create the original designs before modern machinery multiplies it. This desire for using the gifts of the men and women of the modern movement is nowhere more evident (han in the mural decorations of buildings and houses. No one is content with the mediocre; originality must prevail. And to balance this, with Ihe increased demand for their services, the modernist designers are finding that a strenuous and selfconscious struggle to catch attention

by something unique is unnecessaryThe modern movement, having established its individuality, is settling down. The work of the new designers, though as brilliant and as arresting as ever, is undoubtedly saner, and, in popular phrase, “More liveable.” One of the most important uses to which this modern designing can be put, now that it is not likely to shock one with its sometimes hysterical effects, which later make one very tired, is on our walls either as pictures, papers or paints. The Bushman painted the rocks near his home as they made a better surface and gave wider scope than his tiny hut. This instinct for decoration is the precursor of all mural decorations, one of the favourites of which is the water colour, etching or oil painting. To look at some of these in their heavy, ornate frames one would never suspect that the origin of painting was for use as mural decorations. But no picture that will not pass this test is of artistic value. Whatever the mural decorations, they must give the appearance of being a part of the decorative scheme as a whole. The ensemble idea that is talked about so much in connection with women’s clothes is but part of the modern tendency for unity of design in everything, and nowhere is it more important than in the home. Floors, ceilings, walls, doorways, furniture, screens, curtainimgs, all combine by mutual consent or by balanced contrast, to make the whole a thing of beauty. If the owner of the smaller house has a longing for mural painting, he will find that the plain walls with a decorated ceiling and floor will give an added sense of space which would be lacking if the walls were decorated.