Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1994-95

CURATORIAL & SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM Framing and gilding For the 'Renoir .. .' exhibition a new frame in Louis XIV style was made for the painting Coco et Jean by Renoir. The frame is hand carved in white beech and gilded in twenty-three et gold leaf. Other handmade and gilded frames constructed were a late nineteenth-century frame with leaf design for (Seascape) Bel/e-1/e by Matisse, and a Louis XIV style frame for J. P. Russell 's Rochers de Belle-1/e. The Gallery's Artisan Framer has been working with TAFE and the Department of Education to design new standards in the commercial picture framing industry. Registration The Section continued to play an integral role in the activities undertaken by the four Program areas, providing practical support and guidance in matters of policy and procedure, documentation, storage, packing, transportation and insurance for the Collection and objects in the temporary custody of the Gallery. As the Gallery was the first location for the 'Renoir ...' and 'Matisse' exhibitions' three-venue tours, liaison was undertaken with air and ground carriers, shipping agents, the Australian Protective Service, the Australian Customs Services and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for the arrival of the fifty and 258 loans, respectively, to these exhibitions. All domestic and international loans were unpacked and repacked under the supervision of the Section and the Australian tour of each exhibition was coordinated by Art Exhibitions Australia Limited. The three-venue 'Fairweather' exhibition was organised and managed entirely by the Gallery. Transportation of the sixty-one loans was coordinated, including loans going to interstate conservators for treatment and, after treatment, for reframing. Six of the loans were from New Zealand, England and the United States, requiring international transportation and customs formalities and, where relevant, completion of formalities under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986. Preparatory work commenced for the second Asia-Pacific Triennial in 1996. Insurance coverage was maintained for the intrastate tour of the 'Out of the Void .. .' exhibition which is travelling to six Queensland venues. Transportation, insurance, documentation and packing/unpacking were undertaken for the 263 objects brought to the Gallery from within Australia and overseas for consideration for acquisition. Twenty-three objects, deaccessioned from the Collection, were despatched for sale or auction. Including the loans received for the 'Renoir ...', 'Fairweather' and 'Matisse' exhibitions, a total of 543 objects was received by the Gallery for exhibition and general display purposes. The Gallery lent eighty– four objects to other institutions for exhibition purposes, including the loan of Portrait of Madame Renoir to the 'Renoir .. .' exhibition, Matisse's Seated nude with arms raised, Patitcha smiling, Nude with bracelet and The beautiful Martinique woman to the 'Matisse' exhibition, and the Klaus Moje 'Shield series no. 20' to the National Gallery of Victoria for exhibition in Australia and Germany. Twenty-five objects were lent from the Collection to State Government offices, bringing the total on loan as at 30 June to 199. In March 1995 the Gallery was obliged to place amoratorium on new loan requests from Government offices because of existing centenary year commitments. During the year the storage of furniture in the Collection was reorganised and, in response to the continued growth of the Collection, additional storage units were purchased for works on paper and bark paintings. The Section provided tours of the Collection Storage facility, giving an introduction to collection management to students of the University of Queensland and the University of the Southern Cross, and in conjunction with the Contemporary Art Acquisition Program.