Hays Art Competition

We learn from the Directors of Willeston Galleries that about 17 of the Hays paintings will be on show in Mid-May. This is one show everyone should see and judge for themselves the winners of this controversial Art competition. John Summers, reviewing the show in the "New Zealand Listener", is not known to me but his review was, though I have not yet seen the show, of dubious partiality. In fact, it was about as good as any other piece of film or radio criticism one reads, in the Listener, and that's not saying much! The Hays attracts the crazy abstractionists; the Kelliher the imitating of nature mannerists. Into this dichotomy fall most of our painters. The few that refuse both these extremes provide some enjoyable painting but who wants such painting?

Apparently Sir Daryl Lindsay, this year's judge, did somehow, bring some sense of proportion to this year's show but next year as Summers—who, incidentally, does not "care too much about him (Lindsay) points out "the last might next time so easily become the first". I ask you, just what sort of standards in judging and criticising in New Zealand are indicated by this very true statement? In one word, nihilism.

Art and Anarchy

By

Gary L. Evans