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

THE C.OURIER-MAIL T\JUDAY NOV 15 !966 Queensland needs a e lJy sm I.JEON 1'RO()T 1:h11lr1,a,,,,, of tr,ulc.•cA tJj thr. Q11111•1ulmul Art G,d/er,\ a.rho r,!lur,u:d rtet1ally /rum " u-orld '""'· IF ever a part of the world desperately needed a modern art gallery, that p!~ce is Queens– land. I have believed so for a long time, and after returning from a world tour, I believe it even more strongly, ·j CULTURAL CENTRE .1nln ll'lc !,!nllcr.v. lt wns ~, 1111f'lhit1J:! f1Jr no1!1inµ:. Tl\r list c(I people were l11\'ll crl In \'i~ll l he c:dlcrv at :111,· tune :u1rt wnn n:-;kud a!n11c· to nn ,· spct:i:d µal – lcr\' f1mct,1011s. 'l'hcn. aft.er It is trngic lo think that, on ma11y oi;c;isions, paintings worth hun– dreds of pounds arc pul in a storeroom h,•,·n usc there is no space to ex– hibit them. Anc1 in our hot. and humlrl cllmnte I.here Is no nir– condJtiontng to pnvcnt cte• teriora tlon. -desperately 111011t ll:-.. I hey \\'t•rr, 111 Join tl1e l!nllery mrmbcl' for n :11110!1111. $12 R Yl':tl', Ort r n 11 11st ls 1.:nmp!leri rnr Special Arens where most l't' ,;irl<'nt ~ h n,·11 n pnrt1t:11lnr ,,o·:1nl or finnncin l stanrl1ni:t - -~Uf'h ns all neople livln~ In Ast·nl, Clnyfleld, 0 1· St. Lucln. Tn I t·rm go reouests for nny spN·1:1\ r1ona t1ons fnr large 1Jl'01CCIS, We can h11vc the kind or galfory our State dr– sen·c" - I( wr. ,:-n nhuut It corre<:tl;v and II M·cri·– one 111 prepared to cet on with the .lob. Then \\11nt kind or ~n ller1· cto we wa.nt '? My tour abrond nllO\\'Crl rnc to !,;t,ud,v ma,lor ~allcrie!-i nud art museums. lL Im~ convinrerl me morr. t.!1·v1 e\'CI' l,hn.t, Rll nrt. ~:\111"(',' nlonc will not attrnet ~!10 µcr,ple , They mli;:rht, romc o: 1r1• : tllc.v nrc unllkclv to 1·r1111e bark nµnin , "Variety"- We must hn ,·c not. nh::·,~:y nn nrt.. s;:»llrr.v. but a L•"– turnl centre. for t hi,; wll, nL-trnct the pC'oplc - pcv;}!t) or rnrylng in trrc~I~. 1}(:n;,:u or vn rvirnr onlnint1!',, ;!a· people ·who m ake up 1::1 Sl,nle Nm\·. let 11s t1c'll nn!,:r- nhoui ! he m en nini,.: or :1 rulluntl i'rntrc. l ;1 111 .~11e:,k– ln1: in bro:1d trrm~ \\'hri, I s11y thn t. a cnl lcrv wh .ch prcwlclf'~ in tr.rr ~1.,;; a11ri 11~:1- cnitiC!-i o t h<'r 111:111 tlH• \ll'\\– lnr,r of pnlnun'1~ w1I\ hi'! sucrc. ..;.s f11 l. An nrt gn.llrr\' on :t.., nwn will nol. ThC're rn11.•:t. 1 (• ,·n1ttr~e Brisbone exhibit inn hRd one sidc!-ihow or rmr. exhibit. not. mnny pcnplr would au.end. l knnw l wouldn't, The ~nd fnct is I hnt onl~' n smnll m inority or pcoplf• hns m uch lnlcrcs r in nn . To lhc nvcrn~c cil izcn. tnr Art ~nllcrlc~ of the wnr\<1 nre places Lo be seen once and no more. I wntchcd people O\'<'r:;t•n:; ~oillf.t through ~allr.ries nil condl1cted tours. incltHlin~ a ~rlllll, on R Russlnn I.rip ad– ' el'Lfsl?d AS n culturnl \'loll, "Ruined" ................ T hcv dldn'I, Jnok P:'\l'ltrd or stiinulntcd by whnt I t1ry !-,nW. Thr.v only tonkcrl 111r<I. ctciC'cted. nno ct,sinr rrc:-;tr.<L ln nn~r cnp1Ln l city. lrw people \'i~it their c allcm•s. ot.her t,hnn nn nrrnnµ:crt tours. or ns A"roups or schnol children who arc t hcrP 1,l111- plv L>ecnu!-ie t.hey nre co111- ))ellecj 10 µo. J'op nntl ahstrn,•t nrt– rs11rrl11II~· (ltlll ll rl -:-- l11H'r ruinrd man,· c·:1llrr1c-., lhP famnu~ Tat,• !ialh•r.,· In l,or11l011 R11111111:" I hrm. Prnnle (in n n 1 11Jlrlf'r.~ t;1t1d thr work :-;l111W11 l l11•rr, 11nr n unrm·r nf l )H• hr 11 l'riNI Jlr :11111k I \'\ll'S \\'hn :-t1UJ111 1'1 H rl 1c 111 ,nnn 1 11 1 •rsnn rP- gn rr\:, 111r111 n11d ! llf'lr i-n– t·nllrd un ns n !'f•,·nl! nl!aln:t nnrm nl :,;t nnrlurcl ',; nf br– lrn\' lm1r. Thi~ \~ hnrrll\· .~11r11r1 ...1nc w lH'll l',11 m nn\' 11f l hf'S(' l)f'll))lr nrr c•c1n lt'tn ptllnrn• nr 11n1·1111tl :-l a nrln rrls. l11cltull111.: rhrl ~1tn111 r,· nn,t 111nrnll t,·. 1r 111)(' \\'!l tllS !n ~hnw 1111' ('"\l !'f'f'll!' 1)1111 ,,r nh:-.tl'Of'I ,,·m·k:--, 1hf'\' .~ 111111\d IH' 11111 111 n M11n r:11r• n1nm wl11' 1(' t i1n-.r wh hlll L! 111 ~rr t llr111 tll ,l\' fin :,,t1, 'Sales job' ..................... rn11d1t loni11c- :i nd nre 11011,trd 111 01it-ol-<inlc nnd poorly Ill ill• llOillOS, I found that Chll'ai;:n, nlnw~L alum-:, ha"' snh•C'fl the 11rohll'ms or ;1 mnfl– t•rn art i;:-11llen·. 'l'his rf'- 11111rknhlc (·r.nlrr. ha.-. all tlw ;111s,n-rs. \\'r In 011r.rnslaruf c·•m lt•;1rn a h)t from its sunrs:--. IL l.s ~llilC a µnl ler,\" A 1·nllcc:l1011 wortil mnn• than S:J, n million Wl ih 1::!H IJCl'– fcc!l.v-!l t g;tl!Nlf'S to clis– pla,r It,. 11 M mil\1nn an– nual ht1cl1:Pt \\'ii h lr.s~ Ihnn JO p1:r ('Cn t, nf lt ,•nmlng frolll .'-rlll l - [!tl\'Cl'l\ntf'I\ L :,;OIIITC~. ;\fl :ltlllll!ll ntl rnrl – nn,·c of 1,300.000 nnrt tilnwmnci.-i nf citizen,c. con– Irlhu t!n~ tn its functs. Nlncty-fl\'c per cent of ii:,,: ~nllcriC's nrc air-co11di– tloncci And It has that ,·;ulrt~· sn r-.sr11tl:1I tn a mnclern n11tural centre:. Tl11•n• !s n tl1r nt.rc nnd clrnmn .'Whoo!. 011c of the wor\rl 's lnrl:!cs1 prnf'l's.~ ton:1 I ,<:r•tl(lnls of f'111r nnrl i11rtu;;- 1rl:1 l ar t!-., fi\111 :,;l1m,·s. n , :,.,1 :1r\ /1 11'1 il!'l'hitr<'tlll'C llhra r,v . rl 1.,pl:1~·, nf furnt– : ll H' <'hlna. r11~.') und other art. work:-i. Cafe II 11:iJ.. n llWClrrn :lllct rrri– f'1f'll \ l'fl!f', Tlicrr. h <'\'CJ'.\' t.11'illly fnr !11t• f,1 111!:y :111c\ prorh,lnn for al! l :l.'-IPS, Thniii.:h p11p ;,nd 111nc\rrn :1rt 1:- :11 a m111 111111111 1 't11• hc.,t of 11 h ,i\ .pl:1\'1!Cl w1ti1 ~!r''a t lmal!lrrntlon Hild rtrnrna,tlc effect Ill se1xu·nte c:i!lcrlr.o;. The public, I round, did 11n1 take Lile pop work scrl- 011sly - 1icrhnps the nrLists rllo ·_ hut they cn,loyed It ill a sp,rll nl run. Thcv liked hnviH~ their lr~s pulicd. 'l'hf' ,,·n~· ( 'hlr.ni :n ,:ct!II Us re,·1•1111c 11ro,·ldes a h•ssnn that enuld he ap- f!!'ci'i,!~:,,:~1:~~tlcr ~xtenl, Abntll, M ycnrs n~o. the m11Reu111 I rlcct t.n rRlsc money bv n "hnrd-scll" mctho~- P la wycr In src Inw~./crs and !-D on. H cllri nor work. or cnursl', 1Jwre were the f('w larc.r c.lonnr!i wl1n simpl~' h lrrcl pcnplr. tn trn,· pnlm– lni.:.s !iO tha t 1h1•1r 1u1111r~ wnulrt b(' pcrpctuntcct. or to l,!i1. in pop11lnrity with 111P Gn\'Cl'lllllCllL, nncl. c?spcelnh,\', wil h Ih e i11t.:n111c lax ctcpnrt.. lllCllL. 'Soft-sell' , •et, Lherc w,·rc nnt too man~· of Ihcsr. wrRltll.\' ncoplr ill C hknf!o. Mn!it wc11• In New Ynrk. And hc1c we hnvc a ~imllnrl l\' Wllll Q11rcnslnnrl'~ nroblem. There nrc m ore wcnlt 11,v ~f~j1~~ 1 \~~~gin lr~urtout hcrn So Chlcni:o swllclle to n "snfl.-1-f'II" fll'OJ!J';l lllOlC, mra1111H.: that It, wrnt nhn111. s11 htly nl:tklll~ 111n1t• people, r.spcdall.,· nf tl1r. medi11m :ind ]O\\l~/' IIH'Ollle ).:l'f'IIIIJS, 1111,·•re!-it rcl i11 !he µullery. Jt, c11111lo.rnd a 1'11ll-ti111c s11 le.-. <'XJWl't. wt10 now nm['; his own drpnr 1111cnt with a .-=rpnr:n c f;n:ince co111111it– t.r<i. Tt1e 1.::1 lhi1·y purchnscct l,,1.:.;s llSf'fi bv rel:til !; l.OJ' f'/; n11ct 1)1 hf'I' · nr~nnlfo;aLinns wllo wish In t'nntnct Lhc widrsl nr e,-rn Ihe narrow– rs1 p11hllc•, JL prnc1ucrct :1 sm:1 II 111nntIlly 1111 bliC'n l ton Irprn– ctud n1,,: M1111c or lll(' bc"L palnti11~~ and lntcst acq11ls- 1lions nnrl :-; r.nl it to people on the lists, No mention wns 11111de wnnLlng U1rsc people Thl' fr.cs f rom new mem– bers wrll rrnLwel~hcd the cost or r 11T11lnrs an(I promotion. C'hlc·a..:o nlsn run!' a hi,: hh· sncc•e..,..!'fnl palnt– lni~-for•hlrc !iir.hemc lhal c·nulrl lw Rdoptefl hy (111rcnsland. People rent patnLmgs r1t hcr br(·ausc or n u:er.ulnc inlrrr.st in nrt nr to keep up \\'iLh the ,Joneses. But llrsl t hin~s llrst - the sooner we i,:Cl a site for nur new nrt ~allcry. nr cul– turnl ,;cnlrc. the better. Specific recommcndallons nlrcndv have been made to the Q.i.,ccnsland Art Gallery ll usl ees so thnt we can ~et movln~ towards the new gnl– lery we so very much need. No centre \ plans for culture r•11•: s,., ,. ,;,,\'t'rll• ment In""' 1111 1•rt•st• nt pluns l'or u 1•ult11rul 1•1•111 r,• i11 llri~h:1111•. Severn! sclwn11•R l!n\'r ht.:!c11 rllscu~~ecl from 1111w 10 time. hut lnck or 1111- anc£• hn~ dc•IU\'Cd fhtnl declslnn. Thr Gov<'rnmcn t Im ~ lnrtlcntrcl l hnl it \\'Ollltt IH' !nu·n•stNI In nnv :;l'lll'lllf' I h,v pri \'nle t.'111Prprisr f'nr n culturnl crnlre or nn nrl ~nllrr)'. In n ~pC'clnl nr tteJ,, 111 T IH· c·n11rlt•r-M11ll rr~tcr– cl:w. ~lr LPn11 Trnur who rN•f'nf l\' J'f'l !ll'IH'li f1·nm n world l<nll' ·"nlrl lhnL If t•,·rr II nn n 111 ',r \\'Ol'ld tli•:.;1wr·n1rl\' ll<'l'Cll'd n mod – t'l'n urdh•r\', 1hnt olncc wns Qurrn~ln ncl. Sir l.r•on Is cl\nlrmnn or trnsl rt•., or the QJJcenslnncl j Arl Onllr_!'.,Y,-- ----