Art for all exhibition: Recent acquisitions of Queensland National Art Gallery

ART POP ALL. EXHIBITION OP RECENT ACQUISITIONS OP QUEENSLAND NATIONAL ART GALLERY OILS I • RIABOUCHINSKA IN COTTILLON - William Dcrrgie. Dargie strikes a forceful note w h i c h combined w i t h his profound k n o w l e d g e of the figure, 1. SNOW SCENE IN PARIS - Eric Wilson. h a s p r o d u c e d this h a p p y result. 'In this v e r y fine oil painting, t h e brittle feeling of cold t h a t is c o n v e y e d b y it a n d the silence of t h e snow-muffled streets a r e a p p a r e n t to e v e r y o n e , b u t it should b e of interest 6. BACCHUS MARSH - W. B. McInnes. to note a l s o h o w clearly t h e position in s p a c e of e a c h object is r e n e r e d . Note a l s o the contrast b e t w e e n the simplicity of s o m e a r e a s a n d t h e delicate texture of others, s e e n In this l a n d s c a p e , t h o u g h m o r e sombre t h a n his later works, McInnes nevertheless showe most noticeably in t h e difference b e t w e e n the p l a i n roof of t h e s h e d a n d t h e treatment of complete m a s t e r y of d e s i g n a n d values, combined w i t h most satisfying atmospheric effect the snow-laden b r a n c h e s a n d the distant walls. T h e roof of t h e s h e d provides still anothet contrast, n a m e l y , the contrast of tone b e t w e e n it a n d t h e d a r k figure, t h e roof b e i n g tb lightest a r e a i n t h e picture a n d t h e figure the darkest. B e t w e e n these extremes of ton' w e find also a delightful p l a y of colour all o v e r the p a i n t i n g - a t its clearest a n d simplest 7. FLOWERS Athol M. Nicholas. in t h e t w o keynotes, t h e grey-green of t h e s h e d a n d t h e g r e y e d y e l l o w of t h e woman, Not so w e l l k n o w n to Q u e n s l a n d e r s , this artist's w o r k l u s t t e s a p l . c it t h e collection r e p e a t e d i n a b r o k e n a n d scintillating form o v e r t h e w h a l e a r e a of t h e distant w a l l and b y t h o i m p e c c a b l e r e n d e r i n g o f d e s i g n i n v a l u e s a n d colour. soberly mingled i n other parts. This s h a r i n g of colour b e t w e e n all p a r t s of t h e picture gives a v e r y definite u n i t y to t h e w h o l e . ' - V i d a Lahey. 8. STREET GOSSIPS - George F. Lawrence. 2. OLD ROAD GUNDAGAI - James R. Jackson. A subtle rendering of a m o d e r n theme in a n old world atrnooiihsro. In his i n i i t o b l e style, J a m e s H. Jackson h a s a g a i n b r o u g h t to u s Australian landscape a s s e e n through A u s t r a l i a n eyes. 9. PORTRAIT DAVID STRACHAN - Douglas Dundas. " T h e portrait of D a v i d S t r o c h a n b y D a t i o l a s D i i n r t a o art n o p o r t a p t w o r k e f a r t too tb' 3. ON THE BEACH - E. Phillips Fox, following reasons It is noteworthy in t h e artist's h a n d l i n g of the subject t h a t in n o p l a c e d o e s h e e x c e e d t h e (1) It c o n v e y s u s l i o n g s e n s e o f p o r t r a i t u r e , n o t o n l y b y its u n d o u b t e d t r u t h t o lii limits imposed b y h i s c h o s e n k e y of values. The a r r a n g e m e n t of the stooped figure, w i t h p h y s i c a l a p p e a r a n c e of t h e sitter, b u t b y the setting a n d b a c k g r o u n d . Th' the careful p l a c i n g of t h e b a c k g r o u n d forms, combine to give t h e b e h o l d e r complete l a n d s c a p e a n d still life, for instance, b e i n g suggestive of D a v i d S t r a c h a n ' s ewo satisfaction a s to h i s m a s t e r y of design. His colour s e n s e is excellent a n d the cool h u e s work, t h u s c o n v e y i n g a s e n s e of t h e i n n e r life a n d c h a r a c t e r of t h e sitter of a delicate foreground successfully subordinate t h e obtrusion of over-powering m a s s e s (2) Besides b e i n g a convincing portrait, it is a decorative oil painting of f i n e quality often found in a l a r g e picture. S u mm e d up, it m a y b e s a i d t h a t this is a n e v e r y d a y of colour a n d design. s c e n e w i t h a p o e t i c rendering. So m a n y portraits of recent y e a r s a r e little m o r e t h a n p a i n t e d p h o t o g r a p h s , w i t h t h e sitter stiffly s e a t e d i n a c h a i r a g a i n s t a d a r k b a c k g r o u n d a n d " s n a p p e d " b y t h e artist. H o w e v e r difficult this m a y b e to d o - a n d it d o e s call for g r e a t ability o n the p a r t o f the 4. BOATS AND CANOES - John Rowell. p a i n t e r - t h e finer a s p e c t s of picture m a k i n g a r e often neglected. In p l a c i n g h i s figure a g a i n s t a l a n d s c a p e b a c k g r o u n d , D u n d a s reverted to t h e m e t h o d s of In this picture, John Howell h a s g i v e n a n a n s w e r to h i s e a r l y critics, w h o s a i d that his earlier m a s t e r s a n d immediately struck t h a t decorative note which belongs to n e a r l y all values a r e faultless b u t " w h e n will h e give u s some colour?" the g r e a t a r t of t h e p a s t . " - Lloyd Roes