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

THE COURIER -MAIL SATURDAY AUG 18 1961 7 SEVEN ART DIRECTORS HERE St.NEN top Airs - Walla.' art experts will meet in Brisbane next week for discus- sion on art gallery affairs. They are six directors and one assistant director of State art galleries, who ore holding their annual conference in Brisbane for the first time in six years. Queensland Art Gallery director (Mr. Laurie Thomas) said yesterday the conference would dis- cuss plans for the import of overseas exhibitions. export of Australian ex- hibitions. and exhibitions arranged within Aug- trolls. On problems The conference would deal also with technical problems and gallery ad- ministration. Mr. Thomas said the conference would consider a number of important overseas exhibitions. These included tradi- Bonn] Indian sculpture, British sculpture, modern Japanese prints. and pre- Columbian South Ameri- can art. Mr. Thomas said that an exhibition of nre- Raphaelite paintings would open at the Queens- land Art Gallery on August 30. They will arrive in Bris- bane tomorrow. The Governor (Sir Henry Abel Smith) will receive the directors at Government House on Monday. "COURIER MAIL" Art luncheon ing interstate art gallery) directors will be given by the Queensland Gallery ociety at Rowe's Restaur- nt today. The society's executive ommittee and the visitors ill attend. A luncheon for the visit - Our art in boxes. ART under discussion in a preliminary talk before the I Art Directors' Conference which opened of the Queensland Art Gallery yesterday. From left: Messrs. Robert Campbell, director, South Australian gallery; Frank Norton, director, W Australia; Dr. W. Bryden, director, Tasmania; Messrs. Eric Westbrook, director, Victoria; Hal Missinghom, director, New South Wales, and Laurie Thomas, director, Queensland. URGED TO ATTACK ART FACILITIES A VISITING art gallery director last night criticised - and urged Queenslanders to criticise - Queensland National Art Gal- lery facilities. "You deserve some- thing far larger: a gal- lery in keeping with your progressive com- munity," he said. He was Mr. Eric West- brook, of the Melbourne National Gallery, in Bris- bane for the Annual Con- ference of State Art Gal- lery directors. Mr. Westbrook said lack of space had prevented a display of the Gallery's own collection with the present exhibition of Rus- sian paintings, "You have the begin-, nings of n fine collec- tion," he said. "The lark of spare must annoy the director, Mr. Thomas. especially when there are visitors he saki. "Ask why" "You should be gelling a service that you're not getting. and you should look into It and ask why." Mr. West brook said Australia wits now "bub- bling over with excite- ment' about the arts, and QUeenslanders must Join in. "Time is going so fast that if you don't climb on the stave now you may re- main in the depths.' He said the time could he approaching When in- sufficient Money was available to par for mm- rovements to art caller. Beanies. ART gallery director'` Irom other dater yesterday deplored an in- ference f the Education Minister (Mr. Pizzey) that no funds would he provided for a new gallery in Brisbane. The Melbourne National and it was then generally has happened," aliery director tMr. Eric understood that. a new art Mr. Plury said on Westbrook said: gallery for Queensland was 'Thursday that he felt "Queensland has a major to go up immediately. money would be better art collection, but you spent on schools. an't sec it because it . all Promise ... The art chiefs had been stored in boxes and mates In Brisbane for the an - I absolutely nisei) (id . "Al the time of the nuel conference of State The New South Wale: ou,c land Centenary in art gallery dim -tors, Art. Gallery director !Ito Queensland Gm- Thor described Qpiens al Mitsinghami (std. "We eminent pi ornried f230.000 Australia a "art emit here six years ago., for a nem gallery. What, Gut !ay" Originals in front THE place of the original artist was in the van of creative progress, the Victorian National Art Gallery director (Mr. Eric Westbrook) said in Brisbane yesterday. Countries like Australia needed to recognise this tact, Mr. Westbrook said. "I think the man in the street is beginning to re- alise it." he said. -Theriously people thought the original artist should be kept in his place . . well out of sight." Mr. Westbrook claimed art galleries were the main ..eitiele by which the language of the artist was communicated to the Pub- lic. ' "Open mind" "Art galleries also have a duty to protect the ar- tist's integrity from unin- formed criticism. For no matter how well educated to art the public is, the artist will always be one Jump ahead," Mr. West- brook said. "The public must there- fore always keep an open mind when looking at a new art development." Mr. Westbrook was ehltilI111111 at the annual Art nit ectors' conference, (vas opened by the Dile...tor-General of Edu- cation Dr. Watkini at the Art Gallery yesterday. Host director. Mr, Laurie Thomas, of the Queens- land Art Gallery, will chair the rmit. of the week's unite IT I lee. "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, 0. 1967 NO LIKING FOR "CRAZY" abstract paintings have no place on the walls of South Australian Art Gallery director Mr. Robert H. Campbell's home in Adelaide. "I've no lime at all for very involved abstracts that ure virtually colour- ful design patterns," he said yesterday. Mr. Campbell is In Brisbane for a confer- ence of Australian Art Gallery directors, which begins today. "I ant rather proud of my collection. But I pre- fer a painting that does have a little realism so that people can lute their imagination to work out 'CRAZY ART' what the subject Is," he added. "Australian art galler- ies, critics, and collect- ors are very keen on ab- stract paintings. "They believe, guile rightly, that abstract art could be the period work of the 20th century. "I cannot tee any great future In Australia for extreme abstracts, such as works painted by hare feet, or cycle tyres, how- ever, creating these works rely on an unusual gimmick to gain public lty, The Australian does not take to this work as strongly as the Contin- ental might." Mr. Campbell was director of the Queens- land National Art Gal- lery from 1919 to HIM. Ile will meet the directors of the New South Wales, Victorian, and Queensland National Galleries during the con- ference, which Is ex- pected to continue until Friday. The director of the National Gallery, of Vic- toria 131r. Eric West- brook), In Brisbane for the conference, will hold a public lecture at the Queensland Art Gallery at ft tonight, on "The Public Art Gallery To- day."