Untitled

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 544, 25 November 1949, Page 7

Sir,-Permit me to reply to your correspondents John Pine Snadden and R. Ward, who have attempted to dissect my annoying letter on modern art (in spite of the last-named corresporident’s: claim that he "cannot feel about a thing and dissect it simultaneously"). It would seem that Mr. Ward has revealed a weakness which he deplores in others, namely that "the most reserved and taciturn of men will react with amazing energy if caught in a discussion of its (modern art’s) merits or otherwise." To me, Mr. Ward’s prédeliction for the term. "contemporary" instead of "modern" art is just another example of the pointless profundity at which local "intellectuals" excel. I note that overseas aftists, critics, and directors of galleries of modern art are content with the accepted definition. "In reply to Mr. Snadden, I stand by my contention that Picasso might at times have deluded the public. In spite of appearances, artists are human and have to eat. If they can concoct a more or less meaningless juxtaposition of paint and hoodwink some "arty" individual into buying it, then I feel. that the artist violates no important. ethics. On the contrary, the buyer’s ego is satisfactorily inflated, and the seller is temporarily relieved from financial worry.

Thus libefated, the artist is free to pursue his art, instead of the pockets of some wealthy, misinformed patron. " My well-meaning critic assumes too much with his conjectured percentages relating to whether readers have been subjected to meonochromes,; or fourcolour reproductions, or the technicolour originals; and whether or not they have been awed by canvases twenty feet by ten. I deduce that Mr. Snadden lumps me,in the category of those whose judgment is based solely on experience limited to monochromes and local art. His assumption compels me once more to admit publicly that I have been unable to benefit from evety change of art ex-: hibition at the Wellington Public Library over the years. But this may be offset by more than a decade of world travel, mixing with writers and artists in the five .continents, and being conducted through many of the world’s finest art galleries by informed critics and connoisseurs. I forgot to take a tape measure to the New York Museum of Modern Art, so I cannot say whether or not I -have seen a canvas twenty feet by ten. Is this important? Or should we not be impressed by qualitv rather than aquantitv?

JACK

THORNTON

(Upper Hutt).