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

THE COURIER -MAIL THURSDAY JAN 25 1962 Lunch-hour talks could foste appreciation of art I`ECENT comment on art gallery collections suggests that trustees, directors, and art critics should consider the selection and display of high-class works of art to be the major function of a public art gallery. hf.lipve that much to ter t han t his should he el.oor to foster understanding and a 1,1,reriation of art by the general A more pesoive educational opetoat his neere.sal! if !work, not formally trained in alit arc In hr utter, An understanding ot hasty nrinenn`-- 1""rnno to a hrilrr appreria- t ton of the allow. forms of art. There are people like myself who Are to "la Belle Hol- landaise title but a dis- torted 101111an figure alld la0,00r1 suet attire of Picasso 13s hut a seeond-rate Weill re 111 the mime .t y'a bestrie it with a key le Ile` pools llpit distinguish the masterpiece front 111e mediocre. the gallery a tit hole t ies could perhaps teach its the essential things to look for in a painting. If the eomparison and contrast method were ap- plied to various techniques, skills, and styles, surely the public would learn oille- 111111g Instead of pis, .hoW- ing an Planta/Mil 11,1111.1-1". But I don't think the Art such an edueatienel foetidly, place for Ciallery la the best Extended display In the inner city area, in William Street. we have a modern Centennial Hell built by the Government for exhibitions and displays. Why can't the trustees arrange for an extended educational display there, perhaps with knowledgeable volunteers giving lunch-hour talks? These people. with examples before them, could explain In layman's language the weaknesses and strong points in technique end skill and the differences in style, In this way the unin- formed among its would have the opportunity of lemming something Idiom works of Art instead of ,,to wanderine around the A Gallery in wilderness of ignoraner. "Igneramue," Brookfield. TR COURIER -MAIL WEDNESDAY FIB 14 1462 0 Art decision Director of the Queens- land Art Gallery iMr. Laurie Thomas) said yes- terday it would be a month before any decision would be made on which of the gallery's possessions would be retained. Mr. Thomas and the trustees have been going throuh paintings the gallery's 800 and sculp- tures. THE COURIER -MAIL TUESDAY FEB 20 1462 3 Cameras at Raillery HANN take vleoer, to the Art (in Ilrry tomorrow night. Inieryiewer Tony Morphett will talk onto Gallery director Laurie.thorna.s on the estab- lishment of the gallery and thr buildine-up its collect ion in the first of a iwn-part "live" series using three railleras. First of the half-hour pingrammes will be at R.30 p.m. tomorrow. The second .lust. will be tele- cast tomorrow fett- night. of Tall its whe int lierorks r). it y's w ill he closed to le pnblie tnillOrrew ado litirsrisy, whieleI scull be spent marl aneing Ihr display and remov- 111;; seven -II portraits, collie on loan to a cancer appeal exhi - bitten in a city store, . algitAngiagekok.1.6-410K21401111=m THE COURIER -MAIL SAT JANUARY 20 062 7 111111111111111111111111111111111111a1PHIIII11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111411H1111111111 THE TRUSTEES, OR DIRECTOR? Art clash on what's good D Art Gallery trustees vice-president and a former director of the gallery yesterday clashed on its policy of acquiring pictures. The trustees' \lee- Works is tar the solitaire presiJrnl Sir Leon one. "It not only helps to - Trout ) flint] d- "It prefer gory, but it eision for picture put- offers a areal, Should Freida ,t,i,?!.'tofYini', in the trustees. ing 01 pul)lie moues ." Fw*"1". gtallery "Pc- Small funds for (Mr. Robert tlauust said it was 'absurd" it l)ir. Robert Haines is trustees did not take the now director of the Pine advice of the gallery dir- Art, Department 0! ector. David Jones IA rt., Syd - The Courier-MnIl art ney. critic t Dr. (Gertrude He wns In Brisbane Longer) said in yesier- yr-terries' arranging for dot's courier-Mail that the Duke of Ihr .c..estnent of qual- Bedford Art Exhibition. ity hest left to one to be held at Finnes.'s, perste), an informed Queer Street. trout director. January 30 t February "Rubbish" 6. He said: "For a long time I have been nrlyo- Dr. Langer referred to eating that number of t remely anxious that the "bewildering tcsort- nient of Quite worteless the gallery's,o painting, QUelMINIAlld would have of not rubbish" among the gal- sinifild Id away orbe destroyed.given tauregasller any d sculpturey , phut lerv's total collection of "Otte has to remember, al,o of furniture glass - 000 lectures now on pub- however, that the gallery ware, porcelain, and Ile show. ha, very small funds, ' other such art works. She said: "The deci- sion to get rid of it is a step in the right direc- tion." Sir Leon Trout re- plied: "Every gallery in the world has found great difficulty in choos- ing a policy of buyIne Which satisfies every- body. "There is merit in Dr. Langer's suggestion. but there is greater merit in liming the final decision of buying left in the hands of trustees. "This is alter the trus- tees have received the recommendations of the director. Majority vote "And It applies especi- ally when the trustees consist of people who are highly qualified. and who, as private collec- tors, have the respon- sibility of Spending their own money on works of art, as well as the public's money. "Many (Metiers hove definite ideas, so many experts have. and often they violently disaurite. "The gallery's mesont policy of the majority vote of trust era before the acquisition of art 11111111111111111111111111111111111I s) het one considers policy of buying, and of accepting eels, "13111 when dus entlery eiliplos a direr) or, ii 1'111100Y,, 111111 11, an ex - pelt and it is :tbsiird if flu gallery Itilthuritie.s (I" not tette hie advice. '"I'lle 'trustees should not buy What he does not recommend. The nutters Mould be ex- pects no policy; the dlioctor, on chore and selection." Mr. Homes said such choice and oeleet toe should not rest in the hands of "amateurs." Therefore, he did not be- lieve in the idea of a "majoritt vote." Ile said he was ex- 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Brisbane, 0. Lunch-hour talks on art "IGNORAMUS" (C.-M. 25/1/62) is to he congratulated on his letter. His plea for greater educational activity directed towards the fostering of art appreciation is more titan justified. However. I fall to see why the Art Gallery should be a place unsuiteble for thls. On the contrary, it 18 One of the most appropriate places. and is used for such purpose elsewhere, In addition there ere, of course, numerous suitable places, end the best one to start with is the school. At least, I cannot be ac- cused of ever missing an op- portunity of pleading for the introduction of the sub- ject of art appreolation in all schools, Fo" adult education also the field is wide open. While much more ought to be done, there are bodies (and in- dividuals) who do their share, such as the Queens- land Art Gallery Society and the Arts Council. As an individual, I have given many lecture series on art appreciation, and when I had the opportunity of or- sanisidg an exhibition for the Atte Council. I gave three free lunch-hour lec- tures at, the exhibition. The Arts Council will or - th e cety n rae lunch-hour lee-tures on the arts, which will be :advertised. - Gertrude Langer. Ph.D., President, Queensland Division, Arta Council of Australia. "COURIER MAIL" Brisbane, Qld. i 4 FED "'462 Dact-tor of the Q.1,, I. land Art Glittery . V.' Lawie Theme .,irt 1(111., :- helot, ,- be mot, II ifl Mi tI. t ru le threw: t gen pant, tures,