Rutland times revisited

Elam’s Michael Dunn at John Elam’s grave at the launch of We Learnt to See: Elam’s Rutland Group. Picture / Anne Carpenter

The weather was squally on Saturday, but that didn't dampen the celebratory mood of 150 people at a book launch. The launch of We Learnt To See: Elam's Rutland Group 1935-58 is the culmination of a weighty project by former Auckland Museum research librarians Ian Thwaites and Rie Fletcher, and it is completely sold out.

Two years ago, Thwaites and Fletcher put together the earlier stages of their project, Rutland Group Revisited, an exhibition at Kinder House of works by the group, named after the Rutland St building which housed the original Elam Art School.

The group was created at the behest of Elam director A.J.C. Fisher, with the aim of raising the standard of art in Auckland. Up to 35 former students met monthly to appraise each other's work and it is considered a significant period in the city's art history.

For the past two years, Thwaites and Fletcher have been tracking down names, checking records and interviewing group members.

Without any funding, they have self-published We Learnt To See, with 162 copies at $120 each pre-sold to members of the group, their families and some institutions such as public libraries.

The book covers the Rutland Group and 350 associated artists, reviewers, dealers and art historians, as well as substantial biographical essays and a review of other art groups active during approximately the same period.

Saturday's launch at St John's School in Meadowbank included a walk to the graveside of Dr John Elam, who founded - with a £10,000 bequest - what is now Auckland University's School of Fine Arts.

Rutland Group supporters, Elam head professor Michael Dunn and artist Don Binney spoke of what it was like to work at Elam and told anecdotes about some of the featured artists.

The oldest Rutlander present, 96-year-old Ruth Coyle, made it to the graveside. "Don likened [Dr Elam's bequest] to a tree with strong roots suggesting good leaves and fruit," said Fletcher.