When Soldiers Take Up The Pencil and Brush
ARLY this year, the U.S. Special Service Division, which corresponds roughly to our A.E.W.S., asked fighting men in the Solomon Islands to submit drawings, paintings, sketches and carvings for a collection that would be exhibited in the Pacific War Zone, and would show how servicemen were expressing themselves. From more than 1500 entries, which included anything from tin helmets adorned with female figures to really good oil and water colours, some 300 pieces were chosen to be exhibited. The Allied committee which made the selection es Lieut. Russell Clark, Official War Artist attached to the New Zealand orces. Now, the exhibition is in Wellington, where it was opened by His Excellency the Governor-General, last week. The Listener saw the collection in the last stages of being assembled, and we reproduce here a selection from the paintings and drawings, including two by the New Zealander Duncan McPhee, who was with the R.N.Z.A.F. in the Islands, The colfection includes a few wood carvings and small sculptures and several oils, but the bulk of it consists of pencil drawings and water colours. Makeshift materials had to be used in many of the oil paintings, for the artists found themselves in the Solomons without proper canvas or colours. Pieces of old tent were stretched on crude frames and house-paint was sometimes used; even brushes had to be improvised in some cases, and men who wished to make casts of their models had to depend on the plaster they could get from hospitals. Artists (other than official artists) of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps are represented, and the New Zealanders contributed a small proportion. The exhibition was sponsored by the American Special Service Division in the Islands, but has been brought to this country by the R.N.Z.A.F., and is being shown under the auspices of the Air Force Educational Services, augmented by the inclusion of work from New Zealand stations, The exhibition will be on view later at Dunedin (January 12-26), Christchurch (February 9-23), and Auckland (March 9-23).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19441215.2.42
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 286, 15 December 1944, Page 25
Word count
Tapeke kupu
343When Soldiers Take Up The Pencil and Brush New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 286, 15 December 1944, Page 25
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in