Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1995-96

C U R A T O R I A L & S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S PROGRAM Contemporary Australian A r t Heavens 1995 and Rick Amor's sombre painting People watching The Collection is currently being developed to reflect the complex the sea 1995. variety of media in contemporary Australian art. Of the forty-four works acquired, thirty-seven are made to hang on walls, but only Australian Art eighteen of these are paintings. Among the paintings acquired, Several outstanding acquisitions of Australian works were made in however, is a very important work by the distinguished artist William celebration of the Gallery's centenary year. Sidney Nolan's Mrs Robinson, Dark tide, Bogangar 1994, destined to be a permanent Fraser 1947, AlbertTucker's Study for 'Images of Modern Evil: Spring highlight of the Collection. This vast panoramic seascape was in Fitzroy' 1943 and john Perceval's Railway by night (The State purchased with a special allocation from the Queensland Theatre) 1943 are important works from the 1940s. Mrs Fraser, Government to celebrate the Gallery's centenary. Acquisitions painted in Brisbane, is an early work on a theme which fascinated of works in unconventional media included William Yaxley's Nolan throughout his career, while the Tucker and Perceval works Machete man 1995 (which encompasses bottletops and rusted are representative of these artists' preoccupations during the time steel blades) and Hossein Valamanesh's Open book 1994 (a book when they were associated with the group of artists known as the in the form of a silhouette self-portrait). Angry Penguins. Queensland art, including Fred Williams's Glasshouse Mountains Ill Following the success of the Ian Fairweather retrospective exhibition 1971, dominated this year's acquisitions. Representation of the organised by the Gallery in 1994, holdings of this artist's work were distinguished artist Robert MacPherson was greatly strengthened strengthened with the acquisition of two significant works - Palm with two major works—Scale from the tool 1976, from his best Sunday 1951, a gouache and watercolour produced during known series of paintings, and a large work, Paddy's gale: 22 frog Fairweather's stay in Darwin, and an unusual 'friendship' portrait poems for Pb. 1988-91 , from the more recent enigmatic frog poem donated to the Gallery by Brisbane poet Pamela Bell shortly before series. Significant new directions in the art of Madonna Staunton her death. MO, PB and the ti-tree 1965 was painted by Fairweather and Tom Risley were acknowledged with the acquisition of Risley's after a visit from artist Margaret 011ey and Pamela Bell to his Still life with barbed wire and pipe 1994 and two of Staunton's Bribie Island home. recent, startling assemblages of paint-smeared clothing fragments, Woman's vest with leather 1995 and Cloth, needle, cotton 1995. Three panels by William Bowles, Commerce, Industry & Agriculture A large, strident, early collage by Staunton, Untitled 1973, was also 1931 were installed in the Australian collection's Gallery 12. Originally acquired, enabling the Gallery to indicate properly the range of designed for the Commonwealth Bank building in Queen Street, this artist, who is best known for muted subtle works. they were brought into the collection when the building was demolished in 1990, and can now be seen permanently in their new The first works to enter the Collection by more recently established home. Also in the same Gallery, a mini-exhibition of work by Eric Queensland artists include a painting on paper by Scott Whitaker, Wilson was presented. The focal point was a double-sided painting, Gasometer 1994; a screen print on canvas by Roderick Bunter, The violin 1939 and Stove theme 1942, which after conservation was Dear Sir 1995; and a group of small, mixed media wall works by displayed in a specially constructed frame. Supporting works came Katarina Vesterberg. from the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the National Gallery of Australia. The Gallery's commitment to acquire and display installation art was confirmed with the purchase of installations by four Queensland 'A Time Remembered ...' included works from the Australian artists and by the continuing program of installations in Gallery 14. collection and gave a full overview of the 1950s and 1960s The purchases included Coitus interruptus 1994 by Catherine Bell; contemporary art scene in Brisbane, a period dominated by the If Banjo Paterson was black 1995 by Gordon Bennett; teaching and style of Jon Molvig. The catalogue combined writing, Wunderkammer/lKunstkamera (detail) 1994 by Luke Roberts and historical photographs and the art works of the time to give the full Image of absence 1995 by Judith Wright. flavour of this exciting era in Queensland art. Several works in the exhibition were subsequently acquired for the Australian collection. Small, low budget exhibitions composed of works from the Collection displayed the depth and diversity of the Gallery's Some of the most popular and important paintings from the holdings of contemporary Australian art and showcased significant collection, including work by Arthur Streeton, Walter Withers and new acquisitions. 'Small Monuments...' included Stacks 1984, the Charles Conder, were included in the 'Small Treasures...' exhibition Gallery's first acquisition of a painting by widely admired Brisbane which travelled to Bundaberg. artist Leonard Brown. 'Words', comprising text-based works, included new acquisitions by prominent artists - Value added With the commissioning of writers from throughout Australia for landscape no. 10 1993 by Ian Burn and W F Shaw, For Angela I - The the Australian art collection book, rigorous scholarship and fresh heart is a lonely hunter (from 'The miracle of love' series) 1990 by attention will be brought to the collection which has grown in Mike Brown and the aluminium frieze Words 1990 by Fiona Hall. diversity and significance over the last few years. 'Regions and Rituals-', .' displaying works by regional Queensland artists, included Ernest Hew's Dialogue 1995 and the Personal myth Indigenous Australian Art figures 1993 of Eddie Koumans. 'Reference Points IV' included Since the appointment of the Gallery's first Curator of Indigenous Eugene Carchesio's Interpreter 1993-94, comprising forty small Australian Art in June 1995, fifty new works have entered the matchbox sculptures, john Nelson's monumental triptych Three Collection, representing an expansion of nearly fifteen percent.