L.J. Harvey and His School
Glenn R. Cooke and Deborah Edwards
Queensland Art Gallery. $14.95 pb, 112 pp.

Lovers of Art Nouveau will welcome this finely illustrated publication. L.J. Harvey’s taste and craftsmanship, his influence as a teacher of woodcarving and pottery, and the work of many of his students are carefully researched and presented here to give a concise picture of art practice in Queensland from the 1890s to 1949. Apart from the bibliographical notes and technical details, one of the fascinations of this book is the account of teaching methods used by Harvey. His PrinciplesofOrnament, based on 19^th century principles of design, bears a close relationship to the formal exercises set out for pottery and woodcarving students who were expected to adhere rigidly to the order and form of the exercise. This means that there is a recognisable Harvey School style. Daphne Mayo was probably the best-known student. Published to coincide with a retrospective exhibition, the works of Harvey and his school as illustrated here, glow with a vitality in the pleasure of their ornament, and their honesty of construction.