LANDSCAPE ART IN NEW ZEALAND 



of L. T. Booth, a well-known worker in black and white and a moving 

 spirit in the local artists' club. Many of the Christchurch men acknow- 

 ledge a debt to the sound teaching in landscape art they received from 

 G. H. Elliott, art master at the Christchurch School of Art. 

 Among New Zealand artists who are pursuing their art in other lands 

 are Miss Frances Hodgkins (Cotswold), Owen Merton (France), Noel 

 Barraud (Cornwall), G. Butler (Clifton), Roland Wakelin (Sydney), 

 and Alfred Nicol (Edinburgh). The last named did good work as a 

 teacher at the Elam School of Art in Auckland, and on his recent visit 

 to New Zealand joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. 

 The lack of encouragement to art in New Zealand has induced many 

 promising young artists to seek fresh fields. This is a great pity as the 

 progress of art in New Zealand is naturally retarded thereby. Though 

 travel for the purpose of advancing one's knowledge is no doubt desir- 

 able, yet a great number of our leading men are either self-taught or 

 have developed entirely in New Zealand. There is no need to go to 

 Paris to learn how to paint the New Zealand landscape. There are art 

 schools here at which good grounding in principles and craftsmanship 

 can be obtained; this, with the judicious observation of a few well- 

 selected masterpieces which our galleries should endeavour to obtain, 

 and a fraternizing with brother artists, should give all the equipment 

 required. For the remainder Nature will provide all that is necessary. 

 The mildness of the climate, enabling painting to be done without dis- 

 comfort in the open air all the year round, is a factor that has counted 

 for much. Already there has developed in New Zealand a strong body 

 of plein-air artists, whose sincere and earnest work is already becoming 

 understood and appreciated by the public and is ousting from popular 

 favour itinerant artists of commonplace qualities, whose slick and pretty 

 work has in the past found a somewhat ready market'. To those who 

 can interpret aright the signs of the times and the trend of art r there 

 is not the slightest doubt but that shortly there will come an era of 

 first-rate landscape art in New Zealand, conceding pride of place to 

 none and owing allegiance to no other school ; and those who forsake 

 their country will probably, if they return, find themselves out of touch 

 and sympathy with the new spirit. 



The one thing remaining is to stimulate a demand among the public 

 for art. If the public will demand pictures artists will soon be found to 

 paint them. The great trouble is that there is in New Zealand at present 

 practically no market for works of art. A few sketches find purchasers 

 every year, but the higher priced finished works remain unsold. There 

 are a few artists however all honour to them who, knowing this, 

 still have the courage to spend their time and money producing the 

 finished article, without which our exhibitions would become mere 

 displays of sketches. E. A. S. KILLICK 



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