Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report

initiatives and services / QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 05/06 31 30 QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 05/06 / focus: kiss of the beast CONSERVATION RESEARCH On 2–5 and 9–12 August, as part of the Gallery’s Centre for Contemporary Art Conservation (CCAC) Professional Workshop Program, two inpainting workshops were presented by James Bernstein (private conservator and former Head of Conservation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), and were attended by 28 conservators from Australia and New Zealand. The CCAC also hosted the 10th Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) Paintings Special Interest Group Symposium on 4–5 May. In addition, Nicola Hall, a University of Canberra conservation graduate, undertook training in painting conservation as part of a CCAC internship. Research on the Collection continued with a jointly authored article — by Gillian Osmond, Conservator (Paintings), Queensland Art Gallery; and colleagues at the CSIRO in Melbourne, and the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) in Amsterdam — published in the AICCM Bulletin . The article was a study of zinc soap aggregates in late nineteenth-century paintings by R Godfrey Rivers in the Gallery’s Collection. Research continued on works in the ‘Story Place’ travelling exhibition. This research analyses changes in the dimensions of contemporary Indigenous wooden sculptures as a result of fluctuations in relative humidity during tours of regional Queensland. Research also continued on the feasibility of low temperature (freezing) treatments — as an alternative to fumigation — to aid the eradication of pests in contemporary Indigenous sculptures made from painted, air-dried timbers originating in far north Queensland. A research project into the effectiveness of climate control vitrines for limiting dimensional changes in wooden panels was also initiated in association with the ‘Streeton’ travelling exhibition. INITIATIVES AND SERVICES A primary objective of the Queensland Art Gallery is to foster research into its Collection. The Research Library undertakes a key role in the Gallery’s research activities, by supporting both Collection and program development. The outcomes of this research are made accessible to the Gallery’s audiences through a wide variety of sources — publications, websites, room brochures, wall text, information panels, children’s activity books, and video documentation as well as floortalks, lectures and the presentation of papers. PUBLICATIONS AND WEBSITE The book Kiss of the Beast: From Paris Salon to King Kong was published in association with the exhibition and film program. At 128 pages, the book was richly illustrated with film stills from many of the famous big ape and monster movies — including King Kong , Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon . A 28-page guide was also produced for the ‘Kiss of the Beast’ film program, containing film notes, scheduling details and iconic film stills. This content was also available online, in a special website <www.kissofthebeast.com >. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING Key events presented as part of ‘Kiss of the Beast’ included a special forum on Saturday 19 November, which discussed key themes such as the phenomenon of Hollywood monster movies, early adventure films, and the history of cinematic special effects. Speakers at the Hollywood Goes Wild forum were exhibition co-curator Kathryn Weir, Adrian Martin and author and monster movie expert Dr Barbara Creed, Associate Professor of Cinema Studies, University of Melbourne. On 18 January exhibition co-curator Dr Ted Gott and Robert M Peck, Senior Fellow, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, discussed both the work of French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet and the life of French–American explorer Paul B du Chaillu. Frémiet’s sculpture Gorilla carrying off a woman 1887 was central to the ‘Kiss of the Beast’ exhibition, while Paul B du Chaillu’s writings on encounters with gorillas in the wild, first published in 1861, were enormously popular and influenced King Kong’s directors Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT : Installation view of the ‘Kiss of the Beast’ exhibition, held at the Queensland Art Gallery 16 November 2005 – 22 January 2006. The ‘Kiss of the Beast’ film program screened at the Queensland Art Gallery Lecture Theatre and South Bank Cinemas on 18–27 November 2005. Queensland Art Gallery publications produced during 2005–06 included the 128-page book, Kiss of the Beast: From Paris Salon to King Kong. During the year, behind the scenes tours, presentations for the Friends of the Gallery, and external lectures for university and other groups, continued to be offered by the Gallery’s conservation department. RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT For the purposes of research and professional development, some Gallery staff undertook international travel during the year, including travel specifically to assist the research and promotion of ‘The 5th Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT5). In August 2005 Julie Ewington, Head of Australian Art; and Don Heron, Head of Exhibitions and Display, travelled to Singapore and Malaysia to meet with curators, writers and artists in relation to APT5, and view works under consideration for acquisition by the Gallery. Lynne Seear, Assistant Director, Curatorial and Collection Development; and Sarah Tiffin, Curator, Historical Asian Art, travelled to China and Japan to attend the 3rd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial 2005 and the Yokohama Triennial 2005, and to meet with senior staff from the Shanghai Museum, China, and the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Japan, to continue negotiations for major loans programs for the Gallery. Andrew Clark, Assistant Director, Public Programs; and Kathryn Weir, Head of Cinema, travelled to Thailand, Hong Kong and Vietnam to research and meet with artists and filmmakers in relation to APT5 and the Gallery’s acquisitions program, and to promote the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque. In September 2005 Suhanya Raffel, Head of Asian, Pacific and International Art, travelled to Washington DC to undertake a Smithsonian Fellowship at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery. Lynne Seear and Don Heron travelled to Korea in May 2006 to further negotiations regarding long-term loans from the National Museum of Korea, and to present talks on the Gallery’s Children’s Art Centre to staff of the National Museum of Korea’s Children’s Museum.