Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1997-98

Curatorial and Collection Development Program The main responsibilities of the Curatorial and Collection Development Program are: t to develop, research, document and interpret the Collection; t to maintain the highest art museum standards for the preservation and management of the Collection and temporary exhibitions; t to provide professional services to support the Gallery's Collection and exhibition-based programs. The main achievement for the Curatorial and Collection Development Program this year has been the reinstallation of the Collection galleries, the first since 1988. The New Installation of the State Collection was launched at a special Focus Day on 21 June 1998. It involved the reallocation of most gallery spaces and the rehanging of every work of art on display, as well as the recarpeting of all the carpeted galleries. Of particular significance has been the creation of dedicated galleries for Indigenous Australian art and contemporary Asian art. Our program of contemporary projects in Gallery 14 (which is now assigned to contemporary Asian art) has been put on hold until it can be expanded in the new building. As part of the development of new strategies within our current Acquisition Policy, certain acquisition funds were divided for the first time between the curatorial departments at the beginning of the year, while others were kept aside for major acquisitions. This year the Gallery purchased 135 works of art. As usual we benefited greatly from the generosity of individual and corporate donors, receiving eighty-six gifts of works of art in addition to financial assistance for the purchase of others. The State Government's Centenary Fund allowed the Gallery to acquire a major work by contemporary Queensland artist Robert MacPherson, and a spectacular group of eight contemporary German photographs. It also contributed to the purchase of six mid-nineteenth century watercolours of Queensland subjects by the colonial artist Conrad Martens, and a collaborative work by Brisbane-based artist Michael Eather. Work on Brought to Light Australian Art 1850-1965, the Queensland Art Gallery Collection continued throughout the year under the coordination of the Senior Researcher and the supervision of the Assistant Director (Curatorial and Collection Development). Scheduled to be launched in October 1998, this publication has been designed to be groundbreaking in its scope and appeal. It will incorporate sixty essays by the Gallery's professional staff as well as commissioned essays by outside experts. As part of a limited restructure of the Program, a new Collection Support section was created. Headed by the Senior Researcher, its main functions are to maintain and develop the documentation of the Collection and to provide specialised support for specific Gallery projects. Another development of great significance was the appointment of an Assistant Curator of Contemporary Asian Art. This appointment, the first of its kind in Australia, will ensure that our internationally acclaimed collection of contemporary Asian art continues to grow in a dynamic manner. The Assistant Director (Curatorial and Collection Development) worked on the development of the 'Golden Heritage of Indonesia' exhibition from the National Museum in Jakarta, scheduled to open in March 1999, and an exhibition of Korean art from the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, scheduled for 2000. Like many members of staff in the Program, he is also actively involved in the development of the Third Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art scheduled to open in September 1999, in this case as Chairman of the South Asian selection team. Australian Art During 1997-98, the Australian art collection has been substantially enhanced by several major acquisitions. The Gallery purchased a very important group of watercolour paintings by Conrad Martens, including several of Canning Downs Station 1854. These heritage works are in original frames and accompanied by original documentation. Their acquisition was supported by a special allocation from the Queensland Government celebrating the Queensland Art Gallery's Centenary 1895-1995, and an exceptionally generous response to the Conrad Martens Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Appeal. The second major acquisition is Tony Tuckson's Pink lines (vertical) on red and purple 1970-73, a superb abstract painting by this Australian postwar gestural painter. The Australian collection has been completely reordered and rehung as part of the New Installation project. Australian art up to about 1975 is now located in Galleries 10, 11 and 12, being entered appropriately through the gallery for Australian Indigenous art. The regular Focus Wall displays have been maintained during the year, and have included portraits from the time of Dobell, and works by Jon Molvig. Planning has continued for several exhibition projects, and the Curator has also contributed to the planning and development of the Third Asia-Pacific Triennial in the capacity of Selector for Indonesia and Chair of the Southeast Asian Selection Team. The Australian art collection contributed to the Gallery's touring exhibitions. In addition, the Gallery loaned works to external and national touring exhibitions. Among these were three magnificent paintings by Russell Drysdale from the 1940s lent to the national touring exhibition, and two fine works by Ian Fairweather lent to 'Escape Artists: Modernists in the Tropics', mounted by Cairns Regional Gallery. 22 TUCKSON, Tony Australia 1921 1973 Pink lines (vertical) on red and purple 1970··73 Synthetic polymer paint on composition board Two panels: 213.5 x 244.5cm (overall) Purchased 1998. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation