Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1996-97

Mom Harrington, Barbara Heath and Sheridan Kennedy (both from Queensland), the realignment of Gallery programs. It is expected that matters of staffing junji Konishi, Andrew Last, George Paton and Beatrice Schablowsky. The and structure will be resolved at the beginning of the next financial year. latter, with her Three beakers on praline troy 1995, and Andrew Last with his Zeppelin bowl 1995 are possibly the most striking of the younger The occasion of 'The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial . . .' provided an generation. opportunity to add twenty-three significant new works to the Gallery's collection of contemporary Asian art. Works were acquired by the following Other contemporary purchases include glass artist Meza Rijsdijk's Plotter artists: Cal Guo Qiang and Zhang Xiaogang (China); Nalini Malani, N.N. (from 'Yarranga' series) 1993. Rimzon and Nilima Sheikh (the first contemporary art from India to enter the Collection); Nindityo Adipurnomo and Anusapati (Indonesia); Emiko Mr and Mrs Elis continued their generous donations of Worcester porcelain Kasahara, Takashi Murakami and Kimio Tsuchiya (Japan); Yun Suk-nam with Be// mug: King or Prussia 1757, two Trios (the most significant of which (Korea); Wong Hoy Cheong (Malaysia); the Sanggawa collective (The is a group with the so-called 'Lord Henry Thynne' pattern c. 1775-83), a Philippines); Kamin Lertchaiprasert and Chatchai Puipia (Thailand); Dang richly gilt Port teo service c. 1820-30 and a Plate c. 1813-20 with shell Thi KhuO and VU DUn Tan (Vietnam). With the new works and the earlier decoration. The most striking item was a Pair of twe/ve-/obed bowls c. 1775 acquisitions, especially those belonging to the Kenneth and Yasuko Myer with an intense 'wet blue' ground which emphasises the floral decoration Collection of Contemporary Asian Art, the Gallery can now boast one and gilding most effectively, of the world's finest public collections of contemporary Asian art. Indigenous Australian A r t One of the major projects for the year was preparation for a special An eighteen-panel work by Emily Kame Kngwarreye, the final major work installation of the Gallery's collection of British art. 'Gainsborough to Gilbert before her death and her only work commissioned by a public gallery, and George: British Art from the Collection' is to be launched on IS added significantly to the collection. This series covers twenty metres of August 1997 in celebration of the British Council's fiftieth anniversary in wall and will be the key piece in the Gallery's exhibition of the artist's Australia. This survey of historical and contemporary British art will include work commencing in early 1998. The Kngwarreye exhibition is a major many works from the Ellis Gift of English Porcelain. commitment for 1998 and will tour other States throughout that year. It is also attracting international interest. Drawing on fifty-three private, public Other significant activities related to Asian and international art are included and corporate collections, it comprises some 105 works and will be under the Prints, Drawings & Photographs heading. accompanied by a substantial book published by Macmillan. Prints, Drawings & Photographs The forty works acquired during the year include five impressive barks The holdings of Australian contemporary works on paper were augmented from Maningrida and two barks from Yirrkala, which together reveal by Ken Unsworth's outstanding triptych entitled Night rituals, from 'The contemporary developments in this medium. A rare collection of 1960s Mirror and other fables' series of 1984, and one of the large-scale Type oval barks and panels from Port Keats displays the diversity in traditional C photographs by Bill Henson which were featured in the 46th Venice work, whilst adding coherence to current holdings. From the Kimberley Biennale 1995. Under the Contemporary Art Acquisition Program, a suite region, a set of five Ilmas was obtained from Roy Wiggam, a bardi elder, of watercolour and pastel drawings by Queensland artist Margaret Wilson the only artist with the rights to build these unusual hand-held string and was acquired. crossbar constructions used in dance. An innovative painting on canvas by Pantjiti Mary McLean, the 1993 winner of the National Aboriginal art In the international field, two impressive groups of images were brought awards, was also acquired from Western Australia. into the collection. A significant number of the exhibits in 'The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial . . .' were purchased by the Gallery, many based on The Gallery's commitment to developing profile collections on significant paper. Notable among these is Malaysian artist Wong Hoy Cheong's three- artists was demonstrated with the purchase of an unusual contemporary panel charcoal work entitled /n search of faraway places (from the 'Migrants' work, Two jongo/o warriors from Wor/ugu/ong 1995, by Clifford Possum series) 1996. The second group was provided by the Dennis Oppenheim Tjapaltjarri. Foundation in New York, from which three out of four drawings from the period 1980-83 by the artist were outright gifts, together with a sculpture. The Section is collaborating with the Queensland Museum to organise the exhibition 'Pathways 2—Trade Routes'. This is a community initiative Exhibitions included 'South Pacific: The Construction of Paradise' and 'Four involving extensive community consultation and will draw on those aspects Centuries of Ukiyo-e Prints', both accompanied by publications. Additionally, of both collections which reveal the movement of designs and ideas along regular rotations of prints, drawings and photographs from the collection migratory paths. occurred throughout the year in the international and Australian galleries. Asian A r t & International Art The year was a period of transition for both these sections as a result of