Studio: international art (87.1924)

THE EMBROIDERERS' GUILD EXHIBITION

CUSHION-TOP IN COLOURED WOOLS
BY MRS. MARIAN STOLL

(Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition)

already entered on the first stages of its
journey towards the lumber rooms of the
future—not that I am deprecating thelearn-
ing of one's trade—perish the thought! 0
An Exhibition of work done by children
in a Vienna Trade School and shown a few
years ago in London was extraordinarily
interesting for comparison with our
methods of teaching. The technique
may have been crude, but all the work
shown fairly bubbled with emotion of
one kind or another, and it is this emotion
which will count in the end. An anthropo-
logist might speculate as to what race of
men the figures on, say, the Syon Cope
belong so strange is their anatomy, or he
might wonder how men and women could
get into houses only half the size of them-
selves, if he looked at old petit point, but
they gaily survive and disarm all criticism
simply because of the life that is in them.
Technique is like money in that those who
have an inordinate amount of it seldom
know what to do with it, while those who
have little often know how to use what
they have. a a a 0 a
A few words on some of the Exhibits.
A bookcover in petit point, No. 78 in
Catalogue, illustrating the 30th chapter of
Proverbs, designed and worked by Miss G.
Atkinson, would surely move the most
blase pessimist to an exclamation of delight.
For imagination, beauty of design, colour
and technique this is a superb piece of
original work. No. 10, a simplification

of a Welsh landscape (surely it is Wales)
with its black Welsh cows, its grim grey
farmhouse and buildings, its water-lily
lake backed by dreaming blue hills,
worked on canvas by Miss Newill is beyond
praise and delightful. 000
I think that there is a successful future
for the really satisfactory needlework pic-
ture or small wall decoration. The seven-
teenth century “ stump work ” pictures
are the only work of this kind we have ever
had that is entirely “ needleworky ” and
not straining after effects only to be ob-
tained in a different medium. My own
feeling about the embroidered picture
which will satisfy the eye is that it must be
broad in effect and yet delicate in detail.
It is well not to give very much detail. It
must have no end in view save the em-
phasising and recording in the most effec-
tive way of some strongly-felt interest or
affection. 00000
No. 93, a piece of gold work couched in
patterns, is an exquisite piece of crafts-
manship. Rain-washed flowers in the sun
are hardly fresher and more joyous in colour
than the applique flowers on the linen bed-
cover (No. 181) by Mrs. Lawrence. This
is a most original and beautiful treatment
of applique, an important contribution to
modern embroidery. It is much to be
regretted that reproduction in black and
white of some of the pieces cannot do
them full justice. Miss L. F. Resel shows
a box with pinks on the lid in a golden
bowl. The treatment of these pinks and
the general “ feeling ” of the work show
a master hand. 0000
There is some ultra-modern work shown
which is at least interesting as reflecting
the age in which we live— a “ Jazz Age.”
To my mind it is too self-conscious, too
“ trying to be clever.” Inspiration must
not be sought, it must steal on one un-
awares. Surely it is possible to be broad
and decorative in treatment, without being
brutal. But this phase is probably leading
unconsciously to a new point of view, and
it is at least alive. 0000
It was regrettable that in the arrange-
ment and hanging of the exhibits some of
the best and most original pieces were
most difficult to find, while some of the
least interesting “ echoes of the past ”
had prominent places. 000