DOUGLAS MacDIARMID
Sir,-While agreeing in general with Dr. J. C. Beaglehole’s criticism of, the Douglas MacDiarmid exhibition, I feel that much more should be said concerning this artist’s very uneven production. For instance, most of the water colours are unimportant: they are, as Dr. Beaglehole suggests, reminiscent of other men’s work, whilst many are merely academic. Yet it is in some of his water-colours that Mr, MacDiarmid has achieved a very notable and personal excellence. I refer to "Fishermen on the Seine," "Tuileries Gardens," "Paris from the Eiffel Tower,’ "Hens on a Coal Heap," and "Goldfish." Here is a marked tendency towards the art of the East. The vision is quiet, penetrating, poetic, simple and sincere; the painting free and sweet; the effect instantaneous and charming. These‘ pictures evoke, apparently without effort, what is so sadly lacking in most contemporaty art, namely: what can be at-s tained only by the delicate impulsive touch of an artist remembering "in emotion" (that is to say, after the passage of time has purified the initial experience) the fragile essence of a deeplyfelt relation of colours, shapes and movement. The movement, which is such a happy characteristic of Mr. MacDiarmid’s best work, is his own personal contribution. He suggests it with subtlety and conveys it with a notable economy of means. It is where his: pen and brush have wandered most freely and lightly that the art of Mr. MacDiarmid finds its true and happiest fulfilment, for his is the gay affirmation of the more elusive and poetical aspects of everyday life. This being so, I cannot -understand why Dr. Beaglehole should labour to explain away the deadness of the oils (which are manufactured rather than painted) by saying that this medium is not §0 suitable for free expression. To me it seems that the contrary is true. Let us face it and say so-Mr. MacDiarmid is not an oil painter. His vision «annot be. stated in a heavy opaque medium. I would be happy to think that Mr. MacDiarmid would in future be content with water-colours, for these obviously are all he needs to Tecord his occasional, unique and very lovely visual experiences. ’
CHARLES
HALE
(Wellington).
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19490826.2.12.7
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 531, 26 August 1949, Page 19
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363DOUGLAS MacDIARMID New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 531, 26 August 1949, Page 19
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