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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 11. 1967.

We are the most? Wgtn art praised

We are the most? Wgtn art praised

It was stated in one of the Winter Term Lectures that, of the four main centres in New Zealand, Wellington came a poor third as regards New Zealand painting. It would appear to me that the speaker, a Wellington domiciled art enthusiast, is either blinded by the Auckland International Brilliance or visits exhibition with his eyes shut.

This is not intended to be a personal slur, but a general criticism of the lack of enthusiasm by the Wellington enthusiasts for the contemporary painting which is taking place around them—painting that is as good, if not better, than any in New Zealand. This was adequately proved by the Group A' 1967 Exhibition, held in the Centre Gallery from July 18 to 28. This year's group consisted of six painters—four women and two men. Thirty-two works were on show, mainly oils but also a few prints and etchings.

Vera Jamieson's aim is to "abstract essential forms from landscape, figure and still life, and to present in clay a strong, simple statement of its reality as she sees it." Prom five shown works she has achieved this remarkably well. There is nothing pretentious in her work nor is there evident any attempts to imitate or follow conventional trends. She has developed a unique style, trademarked by her recurring themes —distant serenity and the mysterious unknown.

In this exhibition the two-smallest works. Equinox I and Equinox II, are her simplest. In these she has retained most of her earlier period characteristics with one work in the blocked blue, black and white forms and the other in orange, gold and black.

Her three other works were much larger and introduced more complicated forms The Known and the Unknown was a large canvas with red brown, red and gold forms haloed in white on a deep and distant blue. This same quality in her use of blue appears in both Venusian LandscapeNight and Venusian Landscape—Day but she has introduced further colours and her crescent motif. All five works with their strong simplicity have successfully achieved the artist's aim.

On the opposite wall were four paintings by William Jenks. All four canvases were filled with bright colours and exciting movement yet still managed to convey the simple meanings their titles indicated—such as Fairy Tale, Eurydice.

Also in the upper gallery were six oil landscapes by Bill Emsley. In his works the painter has concentrated on capturing the dull nothingness of the New Zealand hills. In my view he has failed, however; it is this type of painting in dull, pale colours that appears to appeal to Wellington viewers.

Most sophisticated of all the works displayed are three oils all entitled Bush Forms by Catherine Duncan. However, emphasis on sophistication has led to some disappointing results—not in the paintings displayed themselves but relative to some of her other works.

Bush Forms No. 1 with a brown central form impastoed on a grey and white background was the most impressive of her works which were all reminiscent of the German painter Hartung.

Bonnie Quirk had eight works on show-four oils and four prints, Although In her paintings she appears to have been influenced by Dufy and Buffet she has still managed to emerge with a personal and individual style. They consisted of two landscapes and two figures adumbrated over transparents. glossy back colours. Both Figures in Ocre Landscape and Figure in Purple Landscape were excellent studies of reclining nudes and Wellington Landscape with its houses perched on the hill side symbolised their aesthetic interdependence and was extremely successful.

Last but not least were the works of Elva Beltthree paintings and three etchings. Of all the works a painting. Thru' a Glass Darkly, is most successful. In her typical, thickly-applied browns and blacks she has captured well the spirit of her subject.

Although in reviewing last year's Group 'A' Exhibition I referred to it as "the best yet." some of the painters in this exhibition have achieved yet higher standards. This is evident especially in the works by Vera Jamieson but can also be seen in those by Bonnie Quirk and Elva Bett.

M. J. R. Gaffikin.