Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1997-98

Collection Management The Collection Support section was established in July 1997 to provide consolidated professional support for Curatorial, Registration and Conservation staff in their responsibilities for the Collection. The major tasks of this section are updating and maintaining Collection records, including the Texpress catalogue database, the Photography Archive, and Curatorial Library files. In addition, research, documentation and administrative assistance are provided for major publications and exhibitions. This section undertook the coordination of the annual revaluation of the Collection which was completed by April 1998. Also in April, a stocktake was begun of the Gallery's holdings of documentary photography. This involved assessing transparencies, slides, black-and-white prints and negatives documenting the Collection. The stocktake is expected to be completed by the end of July 1998 and a report on the projected development of the Photography Archive will then be generated. The section was responsible for the production (in association with Exhibitions) of all display and exhibition labels, including those for the New Installation of the Gallery. During the year research assistance was provided for several projects, including 'Whistler and Australia', the Third Asia– Pacific Triennial and the forthcoming book, Brought to Light: Australian Art 1850-1965. Ongoing cataloguing of the Gallery's Collection continued in fulfilment of the Corporate Plan, and to prepare for the Gallery's increasing involvement in online services. The Collection Support section dealt with approximately 500 public inquiries throughout the year. These comprised study room visits, telephone inquiries, artwork assessments and consultations, and referrals to other professional officers and organisations. Conservation Most of the section's energy during this year has been directed to responding to the requirements of exhibitions, in particular the large exhibitions 'Emily Kame Kngwarreye' and 'Francesco Conz' mounted by the Gallery. Paintings from private collections were mounted on strainers constructed by the Gallery workshop, backings were applied, and cloths were flattened, striplined and stretched onto solid supports. The Conservation section contributed to the New Installation by ensuring that works were in a stable and exhibitable condition. The rehanging of the Australian galleries prompted the restoration or facsimile reproduction of many frames, notably for The studio by Girolamo Nerli. This painting has been provided with a frame based on an original Whistler design, since the subject of the picture incorporates Whistlerian references. Routine work on the Collection also continued. For example, Alfred East's Autumn in England was cleaned, John Dollman's The creditors was restored and reframed and Inge King's The great planet was stripped and resurfaced of/site. Conservation continued their commitment to making their discipline accessible to a wider public at several levels; talks were given to professional peers, tertiary students, and the general public. The senior conservators have worked with the University of Queensland to contribute to a new course which will commence in July. New technologies to allow better public access to conservation insights, as well as ensuring staff access to specialised conservation information, are being researched as a priority. Conservation staff also participated in a Joint application to the Australian Research Council for funding for infra-red imaging and digitalisation of the results. In this project the Queensland Art Gallery is part of a consortium drawn from major institutions across Australia. Registration During the year a large proportion of the Registration section's attention was directed to Gallery activities involving exhibitions and acquisitions. Documentation, insurance, transportation and handling were provided for the return of material borrowed in the previous year for exhibitions, and insurance was maintained for touring exhibitions. During this year, further loans were received for the 28 Top: A1ison Knowles discussing her work with v1s1~c rs and Gallery s1 :)ff dt he opering of the exhibition 'Francesco Conz and he lntermedia Avant Garde' Bot!;>m: Ben Pattersen per~orm1ng tJ-ir-r in the Sculpture Courtyard at the opening of the exhibition 'Fr'3ncesco Conz and the lntermedia Avant Garde' Opposite left: CATTAPAN, Jon Australia b.1956 NAIR, Surendran India b.1956 Collaborating artist, (Untitled) (from Matter drawings, Melbourne' series) 1997 Watercolour, ink and synthetic polymer paint on paper 38 x 28cm; 38 x 28cm (comp.) Purchased 1997 Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Grant Opposite right: PRINZ, Bernhard Germany b.1953 Ohne Titel (Untitled) 1993 Cibachrome photograph on paper, ed. of 3 32 x 28.5cm (sight); 89 x 73cm (framed) 32 x 28.5cm (comp., sight) Purchased 1998 with a special allocation from the Queensland Government. Celebrating the Queensland Art Gallery's Centenary 1895- 1995