"SAM ON THE HOOKS"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 521, 17 June 1949, Page 17

"SAM ON THE HOOKS"

Sir,-Much of the correspondence appearing in your columns relative to the painter Sam Cairncross ig more remarkable for its facetiousmess and lack of subtlety than for providing a _ serious critical understanding of an _ artist’s work. For instance, "Vincent," by an associative thought-process after seeing a reproduction of Sam’s "Carcases of Two Sheep," recalls that Rembrandt once painted a "Flayed Ox," and wants to know if Sam intended that he should be so reminded of Rembrandt’s ox, or not. , Mr. Ramage states: "Much that has been published concerning Mr, Cairncross and his work has only succeeded, I fear, in misleading the general public," and proceeds to substantiate this view by adding, considerably, to the sum of misleading matter. Mr. Wardle suggests that Sam’s paintings should be signed "after Matisse, or Rembrandt, etc.," since they remind him of the Masters reproduced in the Phaidon series of art books. Apart from flattering Mr. Cairncross unduly, Mr. Wardle would do well to study his Phaidons a little more attentively when he would, more clearly, see the difference. Mr. Schoon looks at Rembrandt’s "Flayed Ox" and sees a giant flower. Is it, then, so strange that the carcases of two sheep should stiggest to him an empty pod? Or, for that matter, a tramear? Or an old straw hat?

CHARLES

HALE

(Wellington).

Sir-It seems that there is an extraordinary number of people concerned about Sam Cairncross’s welfare. The strange thing is that these people-who persist in offering uncalled-for advice regarding Sam and his work-invariably place their thoughts in print instead of communicating them privately to the person about whom they would have us believe they are so concerned. Another strange thing about these people is that they assume that those who rate Sam’s

work highly have little knowledge of the arts and fewer principles in the matter of artistic evaluation. But the strangest thing of all is that none of these dissenters have yet, to my knowledge, taken the trouble to find out the qualifications’ of those who believe that Sam’s work is worthy of high praise. If ‘these belittlers of Cairncross would check their qualifications against the credentials of those who rate Sam’s work highly, then they would learn that the weight of informed opinion is ranged on the side of Sam Cairncross. And the uninformed opinion does not matter.

JACK

THORNTON

(Upper Hutt).