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

Brisbane Exhibition opens All hibit inn Hi Painting, 10 111:1% 31,1drum was «penc(i at the National Art Callers last night, Aiming those at the Awning acre, irons left, 31r. F.. Fere nyem irman of Trustees of the Queensland National et Gaiters Mr. %Salter Kusskiud, sisitine VHS'. leolductor. Mrs. S11.0:11. 11111. Mid 31111'. Ferg1S1111. " TELEGRAPH," This show Ishould not be missed A Queensland National Art Gallery eollert ion of paintings by NIA Meidrum should not sr missed. Max Melds= is an out- standing personality. Much has been written about him and his theories, and his own writings, toy ei her with the prolific output of his creative effort., will ensure him an everlasting place in the history of art. not. only in Australia but also abroad. During his long and distinguished career he has exerted a big in- fluence on thought in visual represents ion in paint. This influence can be traced in the work of many well known artists. It is given to few people to establish a "school." Meldrum has done this. This exhibit 11), a very I:swollen! one ;dui should not be missed An event of this nature does not occur treatise tie. - MELVILLE HAYS( (m. OPENING ART EXHIBITION 2 SEP 1954 UBHy7 R Y LIFE," Paintings Max Meld rum /Fiskine' he Guests will be te- celv(,(1 by We at *he int, ill,. Art (;etla 1. a MItiu:.kuul lea! A.lia strikire baller-1 11':111 r; , frock "I mkt a Tam,: ,ilk 11111 ":.. :\ I'. II 1,11: i; 11111,111'd ,\ 1$1. Alrldrutlt n, the 111111,111 111,1.k11111. 1811(1 :4.0 Al, "*"- A 11111-,kliliqi th Nils t:n,d x111 "' 1;1 ill nett Oltit1. .11;:1),10 tier i'olsoatal 1,1.1.; tonine, it 11(1 1011,1, 111 till 1/1111.1:11 1,111) InC!11(11. 11,1' ,11), 1;0,01 ,t110 Mist' SW- hlio 111,4 1 );,11 I - Hit', Ilan: etc 11«yntoral whirl: Lambe» t la director tit the (sue, Nateattil en flan( ry ,qtr H(11)111. 11,011, III L11011111. NIlr I F.Baines. IT was a pleasure to see a selection of paintings by the Grand Old Man of Australian art Max Mel - drum, which Is on exhi- bition at Queensland Art Gallery. His Is art with beauty which can be appreciated by "the man in the street" who is so often designated "the Philistine" for In modern phraseology "r1 peasant") because he finds no joy or understanding in the surrealist work of many moderns. Walter Susskind . world famous conductor, opened the exhibition, and the en- joyment of the occasion was increased still further by vivid word pictures of the artists drawn by Robert Haines, Director of the Gallery. Rrsshan A Meldrum exhibition by GERTRUDE LANGER ARETROSPECTIVE Exhibition of Paint- ings by Max Meldrum spon- sored by the Melbourne National Gallery will open to -day at our own National Gallery. It is a rare thing that the honour of a one-man exhibition is bestowed on II living artist. Meldrum, now nearing Ills eightieth year, looks back on a long painting and teaching career. And, of course, there are also Meldrum's books which contain his dogmatic theory of the painter as an objective recorder of visual appearances in terms of tone. Based on pseudo -scien- tific premises and studded with misapplied quotations, they cannot be taken too seriously and are better for- gotten when looking at same of the gems in which he himself transcends his own doctrine. But there are other works and there one stands un- touched, because the painter has become the mere record- ing machine of his own theory -that the painter's business is to be just that... - In this category fall most of the official portraits, hard photographic records of op- tical sensations and no more, as well as a number of still lives such as "My Lady's Table." Timeless, quality IN contrast to the com- missioned portraits those of the painter's Mother, Wife, and Daughter, as well as the three Self Portraits, have a timeless quality. Outstanding among the Paintings of "Interiors" is No. 96 where the eye is lured into discovery of many delicate relations of tone and colour end (leerily but "sings." Interiors Nos. 30 and 37, too, offer de- light. Satisfying art THE stress of tonal quali- ties is most felicitous in out of door subjects and land- scape painting, and it is here that the most satisfying ex - Hinnies of Meldrum's art are found. "Rouen Cathedral." "Font Neuf, Winter." "The An- bronehing Storm," "Olinda Landscape" No. 381. Haze," and "Cane Schanck" (uncatalotrued) are the gems of the exhibition. Whereas there is a Corot - like finesse in the first two, the last two show a free- dom, spontaneity and subtle suggestion reminkeent, in spite of the difference In medium, of the lanai school in Chinese painting. One feels that there must be many more of this type of paintings in Meldrum's works. It is a nits' that he is not represented by more works of this quality instead of by so ninny cold official portraits. These, anyhow, are sieve(' a tair Indication of an artist's calibre. Brisbane, Meldrum shun Art choice' criticised Selection of paintings for the current Max Meldrum exhibition in Brisbane was criticised by the Queens- land National Art Gallery director 1Mr. Robert Haines) last night. lie was speaking at the official opening of the exhi- bition at the National Gal- lery. "I don't know who col- lected the pictures, and it's perhaps Just ns well," he said. IThe exhibit am was first shOwn in the National Gal- lery of Victoria, and has since been shown in Sydney,] 'Hampers public' Mr. Haines said that the 50 paintines in the exhibi- tion could have all been first-class examples of Mel- drunes alt, if a little more trouble had been taken. As it was, only a certain proportion were of that quality', "I feel that most of the official portraits could have gone by the board," he said. Mr. Haines said he thought eldrunes powerful person- lity and theorising had hampered a proper public stimation of his work. "The time will come when Meldrum will definitely be considered one of the Out- standing painters of Aus- tralia," he added, The orchestra conductor Walter Susskind °Mora/ opened the exhibition:, q,hic will remain open until Sep_ tember 19. 'New paintings at art gallery Paintings from the collec- tion of the late Sir Marcus Clarke are on display at the Queensland National Art Gallery, together with the retrospective exhibition of paintings by Max Meldrum. The most important is the watercolour "Brittany Coast" by the famous English painter, R. P. Bennington. Other important works are a drawing by Gainsborough and ells by Australian paint- ers-"The Fountain" by Charles Conder. "Sydney Harbour" by Penleigh Boyd, "Model Resting' by George W. Lambert, "Sydney Cove" by Conrad Martens, and "Sunshowers" by M. J. Mc- Nally. Also showing is "An In- terior" (oil, by Hugh Ram- say, presented by Mr. J. R. McGregor of Sydney, and a watercolour "Old Govern- ment House, Windsor, NSW," by J. J. Bilden presented by Miss M. J. Bedford in mem- iory of Dr. Lilian Cooper.