Title

Sir Lionel Lindsay's exhibition.

Author

McDonald, J.S.

Source

Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney) 18 April 1831 - ongoing

Details

19 December 1942, p.6, col.7.

Publication date

19 December 1942

Type

Essay/article

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Web address

newspaper view

Full text

SIR LIONEL LINDSAY'S EXHIBITION
Sir, - I have read your art critic's notice of an exhibition of work by Sir Lionel Lindsay. No one of critical mind would begin a critique by saying: "These works do not commend themselves greatly to the serious student of art," and then proceed to show that the reason for this obliterating disposal of them is that Sir Lionel has not done with his subjects what your "art critic" thinks should have been done with them. In other words Sir Lionel should have done something untrue to himself!

And what exactly does "greatly" mean, and what is required of an art student to qualify him as "serious?" In one sentence the writer finds fault with the artist for not "presenting the artist's point of view and the strength of his feelings," and then, that ''the works seem to rely entirely on the accidents (sic) of nature - which are faithfully recorded - without stressing any particular sentiment or idea.” This only means that though, on his own statement the "accidents of nature" are faithfully recorded, the "art critic" can see no further into them; is dead to the artist's point of view. This is not criticism, but merely an inability to see another's point of view.
Canberra. J. S. MCDONALD.

[Sydney Morning Herald, 19 December 1942, p.6, col.7.]