Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

"MUNDANE, COMMERCIAL" ;RUBIN JOINS i ART B~J\'l1LE • "MILLION A1H E t>hilanthro11ist and urt patron. Harold de Vahl Rubin, of Brisha1w, la ·t niid1t 11111,·cd into the Queensland Cultural l'cntrc COnf l"tl \'(.'l"S)' • .su~~;.Sl~~lillll _"' "',..,1i'1','.,.n~~l And hf' t ook thf' :-:1dP .-.C'lwrnP fo 1 :1 Q1a•r11:-.l:111 of Mr. n ohro, I 11 :iillt'S, Cf'llll'l' Ill n n--b:111r who 011 \\'rd Uf'!~d:i~· l't'· M:•!IIJn~~;\;C' 1 t.\'.::;c~r 1 ' 1 ~\ipt>i1l, signed Hf. rlin•clnr nl th r :u1rl rnrlurirrl lhf' r ol1111• Queens land Nnt in11:1 I J\rl 1arli)' "rl1lf'kln~" ol smal! G II rl1111ntlnn ... from rmployces n cry. rrn.v rnvclnpcs nnd l\·lr . Jlubin ,... llellf•\'Cd In chcq11N· be the "n11011y111011s donor" " U , IH· 1wn1llr or paintln~fii houi:;ht by thc lgivcn t heir !i.hll11ni:s 10 tt ArL Ga llery l!l Lo11Ct01! ,lflS~ QUCCll!- lnnct Crntre. !.hey May ror £04 ,BOO. I he.\ will reHlll'd IL n.s Lhetr.,. ht· cumc lrom hi,;; own collec• ndclcd tion. . . I-le ncc11~rr1 1 he He n.Lt,nckcd tht• Idea or1Gnllerv n/ snt1bb111~ I\ commerclnlly-spo!)"Orecl ' potent'ia l onnors or ~!Its cultural ccnlrc n.-.; nHm• ,worlh "manv 1howmnds or dane" Rnd "the produ.~L oflpounds" 1;, lhe ln;t month t.he commercial 111ltuJ. or so. Had a chat It hnd "l'(' leo-t rcl 0111. or Ln_st. night ex-Major ~g1\'~~i;,~ 1 : °cfr ~~~fst~.~~j~~~~ I Rubin, flt. sn lt! or Mr. n col lce11n11 nr the cnrllcsL 1H~.lncs' rcslgnullon .- . coin!- and token:;;, usccl tn I hove hnd the oppm- the rtrsl dn1·s or the tl~\~~s.o~\'ho~!ln\~'O~~~t•~ ~r~ colOll \l. . . • mire so highly. I The otlwr wn , "n colic<'· "From ou r con\'Crsntlon tlon or Chlnc.'ir . bronzes, I am quite satlst1cd LhllL 11 the like or wh!•'I\, will ull Lhnt. wn:;; tmtler:a;t.ooct ln 11r\'r1· be ~ecn nen111. Lhese mnLters WM honourccl "His Rubens" by everyone c:oncrl'ncd , he , would, if i11vl1ccl lo do so, H<• -.;nld : •· f 1h111k I hn,·c most cn rne~.lly reconsider n J;:Cnulrn• Rt1bf'll!-i pnintlt_,µ: his po.sillon. I ror Queen,lnnd lhnl. will He :m1c1 or thr "hlllt.• m ake tlw London Nntinqnl n_ook.'i'' plRn for sponsorcrl l o nllcr\' grcrn wllh Cll\'Y, sccLJons of the Cllltural "Or ·•~ n po<'':;ct diclntor cen t.re. to snub m e Riso'!" " Its sponsors wo1ild i.:ln· J-lc snicl the Gnllcr~ 1 hnd Q ueenslnnd a hull In wl1\cl 1 cvru ~nubhrcl the nnon~ 1- thcy cnn ud "crtL'ic Lhcir mou!'- donor or thr Rubin wnre.c;, colltTIinn. UKnocked up" 111~ 1 :;a,~:(;~~ 1 ~e~~:~ie t~,g~~ "I hlLVC nC\'CI' seen a,ny- 1 lcry Ll'll!-il(~l'. but the thing so mundnnc ns Ihis donor's hcn ll h lrnd prc– knocked•up scheme. It is vented his ncccpti nR, Uie product of the co111•1 A few mont l1s Inter. merclnt ml11d of t.hc shop• when he could hn vc RC– kecpcr. <'rpted, hr vol11111ccrcd lo " It hns not brcn rnccct lscrvc. J--fr hnd henrd not.h– with vision or co11ragc, but ing slncp rnt.her with pcu.y tyran ny. Tn S)·dne,• y,•stcrclrl\' the "The Iden hn!-i ntt.ructccl Au~trn llon Worktmf Union some prncticn l promises. I t!Pnr1-~I srcrct.nry 1Mr. T . ng1·ce. D0t1J? lwrt y, 1-nict he hncl "But thf' wholr lot coulc1 <11.-.:cus.-.nl the cnntribut.0O 1 be covered with nlll' "dll'nH' for a Oucf•11. ;J:incl cheque - if ii \\'f'rt' rf•ntn· .wi1h Mr. Rubin trcnted with dcllcuc~·. the rnrl.,· rh1., yrn r. sincerity, nnd t.hr r l~ion " I rspccl cd Q11Cf'll~ln11d thnt you will rtnrl In ~ 1wopl(• to g1vr full :-upporL W~'1'~1e,1_!~c thn t or Robcrl l\j'ou/1:::;.I)' 1:~wo, al." Mr. No desig11 yet NO definite dt••i~n h111I ~·1•t ht•Pn drnwn 1111 for the proposPd Hrlsh1111p Culturnl Cl'ltlrc, the Eduuution Minlstt•r (~lr. Plz,i•~·) suld yestcrcla~·. 'ably would pmfiL rron It would be some weeks other nmounLs l'A.iscd. -pOS!-"ilhly mo11Llt"t-brfon•1 IJc snicl IH' did IIOl. knO\ p1nns for the centre were of :m y objrcLion hy t h co~~:ri:~t•;ct\,·1 1 1\~t sr~dinnkr it ~~\~;!;/r 1~:~ t ~1\~ \;'~ll~~i;: clc:u llrnt thr lntcrr_sts or Hni11c~ 1 on thr ground Lhn t he A, t Onlh•ry ,,·111 ~r :-.po:1sorc,1 "11ook~ or nrt' complct.rly snfci::1mrctrd m mlt:ht hr Pstnblished. the proposals." Mr. Piu.l',\' 1 No .._,1cll dcci!-ilon hnd ye ~R}1P. tin Id thr i::nlh•r>· ,,·ould bccii lllAriC!. . :10l be "~11b,l11gnlrcl'· to illl>' Howr\'"I', Mr. Hn111f's IHH 01.hr.r srrtion nf 1hr ,·rnu·c. rlrrll"cl fn rl"Sl!!ll dr,..;p1lr :-\ I f'unct:-; Rllrx:1t1 rcl Inr I llr A!-!-i\1 rn.nrr.~ I Im I 1.l1r ~idler> callcrv wnulct 1,r ,1;pcn1 for wnuld rcmi111l il/i a scp:unt the gallery, which prob- Clll iL)', I ' HERE 1s the ANONYMOUS DONOR ,' / .. Queenslo~d's millionaire gro&1er. art connoisse ur and philanthropist, Mr, H. de V. Rubin, 61, at his Hamilton mansion, Toorak House, today don – ned a Buddha mask to "re•eal the Queensland A r t Gallery's anonymous donor." tn May lasL yco.r the 1111011 vruou:-. dOIIOl' i.!,tlVC 11ul11 ll11gs va lued ltL £ I 2U.000 LO the Gal- le,~ -,., Ruhin had told the Tel1•grn 1il• l1111l fl 11hoto~rnph of lhe donor l'OUld he _ taken at his home. Toornk House, H,1111ilLOII, to- ,J:~ti,ere, Mr. Rubin 1wscd ror u 11hot0Hrn1ih with lli~ wife ul the uinno. Then he ~Jld : "Now for the anonymous du/~?,"·" chnnr:ed his shirt. nut 011 a tic and tlIP Buddha IIIIISk to UC ohologrnphcd agl\ln . The identity of Lhc donor who 11ave lo the Queensland Govcrn- 111e11 L pl\lntl1ms bou~ht at a sale in London of the Rubin collecLion his M11Y h as been 11 m,vstcry, . Todnv Mr. Rubin said d ci II a 1· s of 11 a i11tln~s lo the Queensland Art Gal– lcrv were wil'inA to c01i1c forwarct. but LIiey had hccn snubbed bv Ute trustees. CONCERN OVER RESIGNATION •·r think I h ave a genuine Rubens 1mlnL- 1ng ro,· Queenshrnd Llm L will make Lcm– i:lon·s Art Gallery green wlth ·cnvy-01· is ii vocket dictator to snub me also'/ " he said. Mt·, Rubin sa id he wns filled w1Lh con– sternation nL t11c rcslu– nation of Lhc alrcclor of the Queensl1u1d Art Gallery, Mr. RouerL Haines. Mr. Hoines resigned on Wcdncsdn v as DirecLor. He said he did so In rirolest against llw Govcm- 111c11t-pro1>used Cultu– ral Centre Lo be established in Brls– bnnc'a Bo L 11 n I c a I Gardens. The CenL1·c is Lo Include Lhc Art Gallery, Mr, Hnine.~ said Lhat the Centre would make the G11llcrv only 1111 annexe lo other h alls or bulldln!(s, "SNUBBED AGAIN AND AGAIN" Today Mr. RulJlu .sa id that i[ everything w1 s honot·cd b.v ever.v– ane concerned he was qu ite sntlsflcd Mr, Hai nes would return to 111s posilion as Dircclor. "If thcv nrc not loo 1111,•fu'lcd 1111d d1s– cou1·at~cd, we hnvc uoL onlv the nno11.\·mous ctonor huL othc•r c101101 c;; wi ll ing nttd ready Lo come rorwnrd Intl, snuhbed ng(lill nnd ,t1~all\ hv pocket dicta– tors nud men of IIU.lc l,istr." Mr. Rul1ln said. The MllllSlCI' for Education. Mr, Piz,:c_v, l' hc1innn11 or Lhc P11H1nce CommiUec of LIie £1m illion SLaLc Cl!JLurnl Prnr.rnm . Olld rvrr. Hainl'!i were noL nv111lablc Locln.v for commen t.