Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1994-95

CURATORIAL & SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM artist Arthur Loureiro, Study for 'The spirit of the purchased a group of 1974 screenprints by Japanese new moon' 1888 is the earliest known example of artist Ay-0. symbolism in Australia. July 1995 will see the unveiling of a bronze cast of the Mayo sculpture Susannah 1946, a centenary gift to the Gallery from the Queensland Art Gallery Society. Given Mayo's role both as a practitioner and as a patron of Queensland art, it is suitable that in the Gallery's centenary year she be so honoured. Other centenary activities have been a series of one-work exhibitions from the Collection, participation in the preparation for the souvenir book and research and writing for a forthcoming book on the Australian Art Collection. Queensland's most celebrated twentieth-century artist, Ian Fairweather, was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition that toured to Sydney and Melbourne from December 1994 to May 1995 to critical acclaim. Another successful exhibition was 'Out of the Void .. .' which was part of celebrations for the twentieth anniversary of International Womens' Day at the Gallery early in 1995. Prints, Drawings and Photographs Several significant international works on paper were acquired, assisted with funds from Joyce McCracken, including photographs by Helen Levitt and Lee Friedlander and recent prints by American artists Louise Bourgeois, Harvey Quaytman, William T. Wiley and Kiki Smith. From the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts the Gallery purchased a 1975 portfolio of ten screenprints titled Ladies and gentlemen. June Wayne donated an impression of her John Donne: Songs and sonets' book 1958 portfolio of fifteen lithographs. In addition, a handsome donation of recent drawings and prints by New York based Max Gimblett expanded the Gallery's holdings of imagery by this artist. From other sources the Gallery was able to secure a large print installation by Thai artist Prawat Laucharoen and works in other media by his compatriots Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Navin Rawanchaikul and Vasan Sitthiket. Outstanding among the acquisitions of Australian material was the purchase from the Estate of Hal Hattam, Melbourne, of twenty-one etchings and aquatints by FredWilliams from his 'Music Hall ' series 1954-56. A rare minimalist cut paper work of 1969 by Robert Jacks was acquired with funds from John Potter and Roz MacAllan under the Contemporary Art Acquisition Program. A concerted effort was made this year to augment the Gallery's holdings of Australian photography and, to this end, representative examples of the work of Max Dupain, Marian Drew, Ingeborg Tyssen, Eugenia Raskopoulos, Charles Page and Anne Zahalka were obtained. Regular rotations of prints, drawings and photographs from the Collection occurred throughout the year in the International and Australian permanent Collection galleries. Up to ninety items were changed every four months and contextualised in association with paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. In addition, the Arco Gallery of Asian Art had a changing display of Ukiyo-e prints. Exhibitions curated by the Section included 'Articulate Surfaces: Three Print Cycles from the Collection' (by artists Sally L:Estrange, Mike Parr and Aida Tomescu), 'Contemporary Japanese Prints .. .' and 'Calligraphic Expressions .. .' The Curator spent the period 7-26 November in Thailand and the Philippines pursuing research for a Queensland regional touring exhibit ion (to commence in early 1996) and for the second Asia– Pacific Triennial in 1996. A number of significant acquisitions for the Collection by artists Vasan Sitthiket, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Kamin Lertchaiprasert and others resulted from this trip. Decorative Arts Mrs Jessica Ellis continued to enrich the small The Gallery Society continued to present Ukiyo-e collection of eighteenth-century English porcelains prints to the Collection and additionally the Gallery with her gift of three Worcester trios, the most