British Columbia's senior art organization, the
B.C. Society of Fine Arts, is holding
its 34th annual exhibition at the Art Gallery.
The society has steadily grown in influence and interest until
now its exhibits constitute the major art event of the
spring season. It has a membership of about fifty, and
usually shows a proportion of work of non-members by invitation.
The exhibit this year is lively and aggressive in spririt
though not so daring as some we have seen, being on the whole
rather conservative in character.
OLD GUARD REPRESENTED
Most of the "old guard" are represented adequately in their
latest work. W.P. Weston has a
fine study of the outdoors called "Foxglove." It is masterly
in design and reminds one of J.E.H. MacDonald's famous
"Tangled Garden."
Outstanding in color and character is Paul
Rand's large canvas "Zucca Harvest." This is perhaps the
artist's best effort and is dazzling in its brilliancy.
J.W.G. Macdonald's impressive
mountain canvas "Mount Lefroy" is very strong and convincing.
It is a compact and truthful composition and has unusual power.
Lawren Harris and
S. Brunst are in the vanguard of
the abstractionists. The work of Brunst is pure design in raw,
primary colours. Lawren Harris is
invading another sphere which has to do with planes, emotions,
and aesthetic experience.
Following his trend in legendary subjects
J. Delisle Parker is showing a large
vertical panel called "Drake sees the Olympics," painted in
the character, color and feeling which he has made his own.
MYSTERIOUS PAINTINGS
Sybil Cianci exhibits three mysterious
paintings with innocuous titles, but there seems little
justification for promulgating the cult of ugliness in a
world which is already grievously oppressed with that afflication.
(sic) Harry Hood displays more and
more authority in his sensitive landscapes, and
G.H. Tyler has several small
landscapes to his credit.
Ronald Jackson has taken to
painting wild life, and his studies of birds on the wing
are very satisfying in an academic sort of way.
"Across the Ottertail Valley" by Bess
Harris is one of the best efforts we have seen by this
artist. James Amess has made
remarkable strides and is showing a deft drawing and a
lively watercolor.
Beulah Jaenicke's "Night Alarm" is
extremely clever and humorous, while "Poles and Potlatch,"
by Gordon A. Smith, is a watercolour
to remember.
Doris LeCocq has two fine pieces in
the sculpture section, and David
Purrott is showing a direct carving from plastic which
is very lovely.
Other artists showing creditable work are
G. Thornton Sharp,
Maud Sherman,
Dorothy Bell,
R.S. Alexander,
Jane Billaux,
Marion Morham, and
Mable (sic) Bain.
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