a” REBAR Ra GO AR

the more shadowy corners, my hair wound
out of the way, my tight shut eyes and
face heavily coated with grease, straws
stuck up my nose, and with ardent instruc-
tions not to wriggle, hardly daring to
breathe, I was covered with a heavy layer
of plaster. There I lay covered with a
damp inert mass, feverishly sure that
Milly would never get the cast off, and
thai I was doomed to a strange incarcer-
ation, if not a lingering death. Finally the
moment of release came. With delicate
care “It'’ was pried off. To our joint horror
it cracked.

That experiment must have had a

dampening effect, because no more samples
of our anatomy joined the hands on the
wall. ;
J] don't know which we enjoyed most,
drawing in large sweeps with charcoal or
eating the gritty crusis of the heavenly
home-made bread we used for erasing.

Occasionally we were sent over to the
house for more. That was an ordeal. Begin-

¢ ART IN

By FRED

The Art in Living Group is a committee
of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Brit-
ish Columbia Region, dealing with prob-
lems of Home Building and Town Planning.
The basic idea is to present considered
visual reports upon movements in contem-
porary architecture so that an informed
public may approach the problems of de-
sign in relationship to living.

The interest of the Artist in public plan-
ning is of course traditional. All peaks
of Human accomplishment have found the
Artist Designer giving creative expression
to the time. The Art era of Studio Research
temoved the Artist from the market place,

~ but new movements are leading to a

creative effort more allied to living and
it was this realization stimulated by the
fear of existing and future unplanned de-
velopment that resulted in the formation
oj the Art in Living Group.

The intention has always been to place
the emphasis upon the positive side of
the picture and exhibitions have been
planned to stress accomplishment.  Al-
though they might in some cases be
isolated instances, it was found that many
examples already existed of that type of
relationship where Architecture served not
only as a shelter or meeting place, but as
a planned form pleasing to the eye and
mind.

In an effort to give some basis for
critical analysis the first exhibition which
filled four rooms of the Vancouver Art
Gallery, stressed the need for thought
with regard to six ideas. The need fer

~

ning peaceully enough with a saunter
through the stable yard to the garden, past
the red geraniums in the window boxes,
through the scullery to the large sombre
kitchen, the errand ended in a bleak un-
easy interview with the ogre whe ruled
there.

Then a triumphant dash back io the
oasis of our own world.

We drew the various objecis that Milly
salvaged from house and garden; the barn,
inside and cut; sometimes we spilled into
Beacon Hill Park.

We had large sheets of paper for the
charcoal studies, smaller ones for the pen-
cil and sepia sketches.

When it came to water colours, we
were launched forth with large bristle
brushes and rich colour. No bath method
for Milly, thank goodness. No sma!! sable
brushes, or gentle colourless washes io
frustrate and annoy. Fortunately for us,
Milly was quite free of the maidenly,

LIVING ¢

A. AMESS

Light, the insistence upon Space, the
pleasurable aspect of View, and the more
definitely aesthetic qualities of Shape,
Colour and Surface. These points relative
to the Beauty in Building theme formed
the basis upon which future exhibitions
were built.

“KK Schocl For Today’ was ithe subject
of the second Exhibition and was coupled
with an excellent newspaper article on
the Modern School. The schoo] chosen
was the Whitwood Mere Infants Schoo! in
Leeds and though built in wartime Eng-
land it illustrated the six points in a prac-
tical demonstration of beautiful Utility.

The model, plates and text of this show,
through an Exhibition at the Ari Gallery
and a tour of the province, reached an
estimated twenty thousand interested
people.

The following Exhibition, “You and Your
Community’, stressed the need of ccom-
munity planning with reference to green
belts and highway development and was
made effective by the co-operation of the
Vancouver Parks Board, The Greater Van-
couver Welfare Society and Community
Centre Leaders.

This display was further presented io
the public at a Community Centres Rally
and has often been used in part, as a
lecture illustration. : :

The Centre chosen for the model was
developed by the London County Council
for a community of thirty thousand people.
lt had accommodation for a large theatre
with dressing rooms, scenery lofts, a large

pressed lavender approach to water colour,

or anything else for that matter. Perhaps
that is why I remember the scarlet tins so
vividly, am still enchanted by the Chinese
poet's phrase, “One touch of red amidst a
thousand greens’.

That is why the water colours seen soon
after in France, with their force and rich-
ness seemed so familiar, because the
French artists employed the same methods
thai Milly had tried to give us.

li was a little group that our mothers
begged Miss Carr to teach, soon scattered,
hardly knowing what had happened till
years later, but we had helped her to
spread her wings, and had been immeas-
ureably enriched ourselves. We did know
that we were in a happy, gay spot, with
Milly the happiest creature there.

I end where I began—

Cizek of Vienna! Why, Milly Carr pre-
daied him by many years. It can happen
here. It does.

lobby craft room, Boys’ and Girls’ com-
miitee rooms and recreation rooms, hobby
rooms, recreation lounge, kitchen, adult
lounges, committee and hobby rooms and
dental and medical clinics, as well as a full
time nursery, showers, gymnasium, swim-
ming pool, and full provision for outside
activities. This ambitious plan would have
seemed unreal had it not been for exist-
ing centres of a similar nature.

A great deal. of co-operative study
should accompany the planning and staff-
ing of Community Projects and as they
will be the centre of the Community and
often erected as memorials the Artist must
be awake to the necessity that these gath-
ering places are centres of real beauty.
Art in Living has attempted to establish
the principle of co-operative thought with
jhe artist as an active collaborate, not a
beautifier brought in at the end. Beauty
must be built in, not stuck on.

The Fourth Exhibition dealt with Our
Day, an attempt to show the coniempor-
ary scene in both good and bad aspects.
Ii was found possible both to view with
alarm and point with pride. Photographs
and renderings told a clear story of living
in a modern city as it is and might be
with cartoons probing the sore points. A
model street stressed the value of neigh-
borhood planning to the home builder.
Actual furniture, and drapes, designed by
members of the group made an attractive
living room of part of the gallery display.

The outstanding event of the group activ-
ities was the visit of Mr. Richard Neutra.
Contacted by the Art in Living Secretary,
this World Famous Architect expressed his
pleasure with the program and generously
offered his time and lecture services. Co-