Editorial
Women have always been important in New Zealand art. Arguably the major modern painter to be born here - and the subject of more than one book by our most distinguished art historian, E.H. McCormick - Frances Hodgkins broke away from the supportive but constricting environment of her family in Dunedin to work throughout Europe, where in the nineteen-forties she had become regarded as an exemplar by an advanced young group of English painters of that time. Mina Arndt, Maude Sherwood, Grace Joel, D.K. Richmond, Grace Butler, Flora Scales, Rhona Haszard, Edith Collier, May Smith, Evelyn Page, Olivia Spencer Bower, Lois White, Rita Angus, Doris Lusk, Louise Henderson (to recall only a few names) have made contributions without which the body of New Zealand art would be immeasurably poorer.
Gabrielle Hope, who died sadly early in 1962, was given recently a small exhibition of her later works at the John Leech Gallery, Remuera. She still awaits a full-scale survey exhibition of the kind that the Auckland City Art Gallery has just accorded the sculptor Molly Macalister.
In the present issue we have put together writings on just a few New Zealand women artists - of earlier generations as well as of the present - much of it by women who have carried out research into the history of art in New Zealand.
The issue is of course in no way exhaustive. How could it be. We have published many articles on women artists before, and will continue to do so.
Cheryll Sotheran's leading essay, Replacing Women in Art History considers whether it is inevitable that there should be a period of separate development in the establishment of a new and distinctive women's art.
The longest essay is a study by Priscilla Pitts of the Wellington painter Evelyn Page: Reflecting the Human Presence. Evelyn Page, who is now in her eighty-third year, has had a long career since studying at the Canterbury School of Art, and this essay looks at some early nudes and portraits. Rita Angus has recently been given a long overdue survey exhibition by the National Gallery Wellington, and Janet Paul contributes here a piece entitled What Makes Rita Angus Different? Grace Adams has sent the transcription of a short and informal conversation with Olivia Spencer Bower, recorded shortly before her death in 1982.
Other articles in the issue discuss the work of Molly Macalister, Rata Lovell-Smith, Carole Shepheard, Gretchen Albrecht, Emily Pace, Vivian Lynn, Philippa Blair, Joanna Paul, and women artists at the F 1 Sculpture Project.
In the latter part of the book we publish notes on The University of Auckland Art collection and the recent musical theatre in Auckland, by Michael Dunn and Andrew Martin respectively.
This is my last issue as editor of Art New Zealand. Having been responsible for the magazine over nearly seven years, since 1976 - the year in which it was founded - I am now passing it over to William Dart. The first issue of Art New Zealand that Dr Dart will edit will be Number 28 - which will be published in June.
ROSS FRASER