Editorial

In the New York Times for Friday, April 20, the film critic Vincent Canby singled out Geoff Stevens' and John Maynard's film Skin Deep, chosen to open the Museum of Modern Art's New Directors, New Films series, for his warm approval.

Commenting on the strength of the acting, and commending, especially, that of Ken Blackburn and Grant Tilly, Canby went on to say: 'Best of all is Miss Cooper, who has the look and manner of a woman who has been through everything once, at a very early age, and is not about to suffer twice. It is a secure intelligent performance, strong without a bit of toughness. Like the New Zealand countryside in which the film is set, the chara~ter is both beautiful and lonely.'

In this issue, Skin Deep is given what may well be its most in-depth consideration to date.

Late in 1977, seven New Zealand sculptors were invited to take part in the Seventh Mildura Sculpture Triennial. The New Zealanders made a strong impression in Australia; and Nicholas Spill and the other sculptors write about 'The Mildura Experience'. Out of these events came a national tour of recent New Zealand sculpture (the exhibition is still touring), photographs from which are reproduced together with the texts.

At the end of his article Nicholas Spill also writes about the Third Sydney Biennale, and the problematical involvement of New Zealanders in this. Wystan Curnow is to report on the Biennale in the next issue of Art New Zealand.

All these developments are part of the continuing saga of what we have called The Trans-Tasman Tie-Up.

Over a remarkably short period of time Brent Wong has consolidated his position as a painter with a distinctive voice in New Zealand art. Neil Rowe takes the occasion of a recent touring retrospective exhibition (initiated by the Dowse Gallery, Lower Hutt) of paintings and drawings from 1961 as an opportunity to reflect upon Wong's career and works up until the present.