LACK OF GALLERY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1940, Page 10

LACK OF GALLERY

ART AT NEW PLYMOUTH The opinion that a town of the size of New Zealand should support some jort of art gallery and have a collection of reproductions of famous printings for the enlightenment of the public and the education of children was expressed by Mrs. R. L. Dukes in an address on art at the monthly floral tea of the Victoria League. Art was something evcryone needed and should be a recognised part of education, she said. The average man and woman was a little scared of the word "art." It always sounded a little highbrow and suggested a person with odd habits of dress, a rather queer mentality and often peculiar morals. There were indeed a few artists who went out of their way to make themselves conspicuous, but the sincere artist did not have time for that sort of thing. Art was the actual expression of the beauty in everything as perceived by someone, who had been given a special sensitiveness to those things. This power could be developed, but it could more easily be swamped by the mundane things of life. From Remote Ages. The artistic instinct had belonged to life from the most remote ages, said Mrs. Dukes. Even 50.000 years ago wonderful drawings were done in caves in Spain, as full- of movement and beauty as paintings to-day. This ancient art had developed through the centuries to its present day standard by the spread of education, the exchange of ideas in travel, and scientific discoveries. The first signs of art were in the stone age to make tools with their hands and then to make patterns on them and gradually to decorate common objects. In New Zealand an excellent example of primltive art was the carving and weaving of the Maoris. Each nation evolved a type of art characteristic to it. From this creative art began the whole system of applied art, the speaker continued. Early decorations of useful objects developed into something more pictoral. The ancient Egyptians coloured the pillars and walls of their temples and carved animals — the symbols of the religious beliefs of their time. The Greek period showed the same symbolic ideas illustrating their pagan beliefs but they went further than the Egyptians, being more civilised and extremely intellectual, which influenced their art accordingly. The Greek proportions of architecture were still the standard for architecture to-day. Romans a Practical Race. The Romans were a more practical race, but during their power Greek art was carried all over the world. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, however, came the Dark Ages when men seemed to lose all the arts to revert almost to savages. The rise of Christianity revived Greek art, however, in new channcls. The Church at first was extremely powerful. It was the centre of all learning and attracted many artists inspired by religious fervour and produced magnificent cathedrals, with beautiful paintings and sculpture. Mrs. Dukes traced the spread of devotional art through Holland and Flanders, both of which countries produced famous artists, and its development in Italy during the Renaissance. It was soon after this that interest began to deyelop in the painting of landscape and English and French art came into its own, England still being more famous for its landscape paintings than for any other branch of art. Later when printing was invented and the art of engraving developed, prints of famous paintings came within the reach of poorer people. Later still, photography did a great deal in reproducing famous paintings for illustrated books and papers. Art was going through the transitional period now, said Mrs. Dukes, and was far more alive and in tune with the times than all the old paintings were. They should not criticise moaern paintings because they did not understand what the artist was driving at.