ARTISTS AND THE COMMUNITY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 522, 24 June 1949, Page 5

ARTISTS AND THE COMMUNITY

Sir-How long have artists been cognisant of their own importance in the community? I mean collectively; one knows, ever since there has been any record of their lives, that they have mostly been aware of it individually. It would appear from their writings in your paper that in this country at least they are banded into a sort of mutual admiration society whose chief aim is to tell each other how much their respective works ate appreciated by those whose opinions count: to wit themselves. Apparently they take it for granted that they are the most competent persons to judge the respective merit of each other’s work, I question this if only on the grounds that art is primarily concerned with the conveyance of ideas. Indeed one might go so far as to say that the artist is chiefly concerned with purveying his own. particular and peculiar feelings and impressions, To accept the statement in the popular jargon of art that an artist is concerned with " expression" implies that he would express himself irrespective of whether he had the prospect of an audience or not. Knowing human nature one knows that such a case would be rare indeed. If it be conceded then that the artist as such is primarily concerned with exhibiting his reaction to the experience of life, surely his best judges are any who chance in their acquaintance with his work to feel the implications; while the measufe of his true greatness is determined by the quality of the responses evoked.

PHILIP A.

HOWELL

(Christchurch).