Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 1 : Presscuttings, 1959-1962

.111,11 Council I \ A, / ./. "/ I'. I tvil \'(i B ) l \ 111?111.S71 "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Qld. U.K. abstract art next week A N ALL -MODERN exhibition of British painting will open ifs Australian tour of the Queensland National Art Gallery nest week. 'in, exhibition. attanued, It, littlish Council ipa. of All Saint,' A' ghetto turf- the work of Nell'', Chihli,. Wickham Terrace, A111.1, will Well the exhibition at a, All the %cork shown will private view next Wednes- be "modern or abstrai t" in day. its I reit tinen t. Public showing will begin The Rev. A. P. B. BP11111r, 011 Thursday, Fehrual" 5. "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Ald. 5 Aymirittailljoal Art Review by Dr Gertrude Langer DISMAY at abstract ART from Britain? ABSTRACT art, going through various phases, has been with us for 51) years, but in the last two decades has asserted itself as the most vital movement of our time. England, for a while, kept aloof, but now takes her place in the main stream of international art, "Recent Paintings by Seven British Artists" which opened yesterday at the National Gallery. does not, of course, represent all the trends in England to -day, but even though many names are ml,sing. gives a good idea of young act in Britain. IRRATIONAL The genetal public, here as elsewher,, will steely protest, feeling either frustrated or angry, unable to understand up art which breaks with represim,ttion and long - accepted standards of picture building. However, when artists all over the world feel the need for creating paintings similar in basic approach as we see here, the time has surely come to familiarise oneself with the aims of and reasons for such creations. An art stream is a pheno- menon flowing from the whole complex culture of an age. The most recent abstract painting, which asserts the spontaneity and freedom of the self, and which, As in action painting, releases the hidden and irrational layers of personality, may be re- garded as the reaction of the artist to a highly industrial- ised, organised, and rational- ised society-indeed a deeply human reaction. IN A DANCE In the work. especially of Alan Davie, Roger Hilton, and Bryan Winter, one does not look for traces of things seen, but rather partakes in a dance of lines and colours, becomes aware of forces pull- ing apart and together. par- takes in the very art of creation, These three painters may be considered the most avant-garde of the seven. Alan Davie Is of European and American acclaim: his language is immediate, rapid, fluid, tumultuous: he creates an impact, draws us into the pint tire. Bryan Wynicr Is a subtle painter. ltd rien'e yet clear. The eye row, with delight across the field of calli- graphic signs and singing 111111111111 colours. Hilton, the most un- compromising of the group in letting paint speak as pure paint. expresses his delight or distaste with a simplicity that looks deceivingly childlike. Terry Frost controls the accident of running streaks, front which a ellow might glow as through a curtain o"Yellow February"), while in "August" soft, atmospheric colour creates a sense of space. William Gear creates bat - ante with sharply defined colour areas and thrusts. Keith Vaughan and Merlyn Evans still abstract from things seen. Vaughan is con- cerned with complicated spatial relationships between his formalised figures, Evans, whose recently seen black and white work created a stronger impact, paints a repellent world of frag- mented, inhuman and "caged" lookin r figures. "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Aid. SDAY FED 4 1959 9 BRITISH ART ON DISPLAY AN exhibition of con- temporary British art will open in Brisbane to -day. Described by an art critic of The Times. London. as the tint authoritative selec- tion of British painting sent to Australia for a decade. the exhibition will oven In Queensland as nart of the Centenary Year nrogramme It will also be shown in other States. Seven artists The Rev. A. B. P. Bennie will (men the exhibition at a private viewing at the Queensland National Art Gallery to-night. Fifty abstract or modern Paintings. the work of seven British artists. are featured its the exhibition. The artists whose work Is reoresented are Alan Davie. Keith Vaughan, Merlyn Evans, William Gear, Terry Frost, Roger Hilton. and Bryan Winter. The exhibition will be open to the public on Thurs- day, and will run till arch 1. "TELEGRAPH" Brisbane, QId. Art samples stump critic iso,h Some of the paintings in the Centenary Year showing of recent works by seven British artists left me entirely without a clue. ,113.11 11./.F. 1111 hr, And this was after a fourth attempt on my Part catch their sig- nificance. However, I found stimulation and aesthetic Pleasure in a number, and I nM willing to ac- cept a few others. The show opens the Queensland National Art Gallery series of exhibi- 'Ions. It was organised by the British Council at ;he request of the State Galleries of Australia and will be on view in Bris- bane during February and March. Though not exactly new in its various ap- proaches, the general ii nor of the work is new enough to provide plenty of scope for differences of opinion as to what really constitutes art. Even if there is a lack of agreement In apprecia- tion there cats be no doubt of the good done by presentation of overseas shows of this nature here Some traces of likeness The paintings or Mer- lyn Evans should have popular appeal as traces of likeness can be found in his rhythmical figure compositions. This "as seen" quality is parti- cularly noticeable in The Window by Evening, 1935. Most of the figure work 01 Keith Vatighall is just ordinary. His mos attractive offerings tir Figure on the Edge of a Wood and Green Verti- cal Landscape, 1955. Bryan Wynter's run- tribution to the exhibl tinn is very Important. Right throughout his work there is an even- IICSS of quality in Pat- tern and rolor. Even in monoehronie he holds his own William Gear's colorful abstractions with their intri.))1 in textures are wort h eonsideration Anothel 1.atiov abstrac- tionist In 1,11'y ['EOM. Rt)..2.01. 11111011 11'll`fliS touch of the nithienett of Sutherland, partlenlarly in September labi. Alan Davie appears to oe th. problem painter of the exiiiInteal Some of his dashinr, i omposi- Wins will set many people wondering