ART TRAINING IN N.Z.
Sir-Mr. Fisher’s broadcast, on the Art of Painting, was most interesting to me and I find myself in general agreement with his exposition regarding the Painters’ and Sculptors’ present status in Society, and that the fields of employment are much constricted. His contention that the photographer and the cinema do supply the requirements of the Church and other sections of society, who at one time were the principal patrons of the Arts, is only too well founded; Mr. Fisher thus explains the reason for the present-day artist’s outlook and character of his work-but should the artist resign himself to this? To do so seems to be defeatist. I believe that the artist, by reason of his Art and special capacity for emphatic statement, should be able to outbid either the photographer or cinema, and be in fact a better exponent on behalf of his patron than either competitor can be. Mr. Fisher’s outlook is introspectivehis closing remarks as to culture are strange hearing; he desires many people to draw and work from the beginning to reach, through labour, the understanding so necessary; yet, he speaks with some disdain of a possible 40 minutes’ period to be devoted to such study in the schools, or of lectures which might be given in galleries or elsewhere. He speaks of an élite and a few specially gifted workers separated by a wide gulf from the rest of the community-unless large numbers can be induced to undertake long study. Does he expect the large numbers of the public then to maintain galleries for the use of a few workers whose products are quite unintelligible to them? Will it not be better for all to do what the writer has advocated for years-to provide some instruction to those interested enough to listen, and opportunities for as many as possible to undertake the labour of beginning the job, at school or later in avocational centres? Not all Mr. Fisher’s students will reach the élite stage, but they should all be the
better for having made some acquainte ance with the Painter’s problem and objective. Why not make available, to as many as possible, opportunities to make a start and leave the élite to a Buddhalike contemplation?
RICHARD O.
GROSS
(Auckland).
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 328, 5 October 1945, Page 24
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378ART TRAINING IN N.Z. New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 328, 5 October 1945, Page 24
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