Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 4 : Presscuttings, November 1967 - June 1972

2 1 r .. .,1/ 1968 CRITICS SLATE ART GALLERY BRISBANE, Nov. 19,-For days the argument raged about our art gallery, housed on the ground floor and in the attics and basements ot the museum. This accommodation, according to the critics, was a more fitting resting place for the skulls and other bones of an ancient age than the camases hung before a com– munity said to be art conscious it given a proper chance. BRISBANE DATELINE Even if one's a11ocia– tion with art did not ga much beyond a casual glance at "Stag at Boy'' in same Scottish grand• mother's parlour or "The these treusures, sntd the the Qucenslnnd Art Gill• Two Hanes/' gambolling critics. tery Trust rinds lt:,elf 111 on an English moor Apparently the art gnl- an 11111,orcrl.shcd Unanclnl thrcatenocf with rain lcry stagKcrs a.long on a postliun. Three clouds, one hocl to take grant. o! S24,U00 from Lho ugo Its nccounts were notice of the columns Stnte Oo\'crnnwnt and s:muo m·rr tlw budl,!Ct. written about our art gol- this hn.s been clas iUled 1u1 The nrt. cnltcry trnstec.:; lery, a "pittance" on which 110 ore using such forthright gallery could wax rnt or t.crms ns "ngccr . "decrep- Thls nrt gallcr~· cnntalns gatn world renown. lt'• nnd "unr!L t.o contain bout $1,2511,000 worth of Just as battling artists\ fnr1.11nc '.11 paintings" to uintlngs, but wo.s not up the world o"er have to descnbc the rooms Le.nan– o much when lt cumc t.o survive on (rugal µcrsonnl led hy the alls. water col– ,,o.Jl space for hanging budgets ln various gurrcts, ours und s\,ct.chcs. Professor lets fly It was Professor Bernard Smith, Professor of Contemporary Art and. a director of the Power Institute of Fine Arts, Sydney Univenity, who really let fly at our art gallery. He was in town to judge to be stored in All auic In ri~~~~fs lnmc~'grlar· a~i r/,~~~- unsallsfactorv r.c•n<II· prize. But because there These polnllnos which was not enou~h v.•all space have to be stored now and at the gallery, only about a~nln lo make room :or one third or the entries others include the art 1.nl . could be hung. ~~;, 1 ~;; ~-1~ 0 a"J 1~ J~i,hn~/~: alse." or "The Topless One." Professor Smith said It ar~uf~ 0 }fne~ 1 ~~ ).~oriv 0;) 1 i~;~~ was a pretty poor kettle of on, somebody clnlmcd that fish (and we would like to a former Premier ol ee someone put that on Queensland. the late Mr. canvas some dayl when w. ForAan smith, had n Important occasions. promlsed the city a new art ople were not able to see AallerY. he beRt the gallery had to !fer because there was Need benefactors ot enouAh room for all he painting• available. The letter writers were Satisfied that this was actl\'c and showed they he time and place t~ pnlnt ~~~1.,,2.:'r ~~lt~~~e tr:t~ Ith broad •trokcs, the tcr writer said our art ~al– profe.ssor said It was clcal' lerv needed benefactors hat around the turn or and that leaders al lndus- hc century, a Sta_te Gov• trv and commerce should t~mi:li :~d 1 ~~';{°~~~1d!~ 11clp with money. to do something about Another letter writer them sn1d that too mnnv rich, But since then things ~~ft.~ u~'t~\~~~~d ~ea~tP.ht~,~ had been allowed to slide, to the art school. These, it ald the profes.sor. To-day was said. crowded classes hey were w~dy and mal- with the result l11at talent• ourlshcd and, In a sense, ed art student.s did not Aet ufferlng Crom cultural the best instrucUon. lcket.s. A newspaper sent a re– porter to the nrt uallery on a sundnY artcrnoon nnd "lt8 UP to you people ~ ~.ior~atr ~=o~ic"'tl~::~'.arfn.s~ he artist• and the a, t ol these seemed lo be sat• overs of this State - ~? lsfled to souint and n•ss o something a!"'ut them , adverse ludumr.nt on the aid Professor Smith. who more fnntastle abstracts. resented the first pl'izc he reported. ':.1~\'/i,g COl~r.'im~~i" -~-¥-h~ T he actlnq Premier IMr. olander" entered hY New ~h(lll<l snld hC 1,nd m· ,~alandc1-: Michael Smith· 1~ 1 r, 0 tcri,c r::iur:.n~~S\ 1 1 ~= ''.;,~ i. .uulle1·y. This invcstiun1.bn ''The Culsndcr" i., exact- ,·elated to the S24.0IIII cn111t y what 1t f\RYs it L5- lll1 bY thr. Government nnd rdlna,·Y kitchen utensil nosslblY a n ew site, ontalnln~ a rcw broken "~~/~~r smith snld It Sailor's praise RS Just Rn cvcryclny kit- But there 1s rcnll'I no .hen utensil. but the art· need ror ,., to reel de· ·st hnd ul\·c11 it n !!low pre1-scd b)' all this nrl!U· 111d Lhl"- was important In ment nboul :-.ur art ual– rt. lcry. You mnY lnkc the \\'Ol'd or A Pc11ish•bOl'O :-.u1h1r, Cnplnin ,I. Soknl!-ikl. whn sntd in nri~bnnc thut. or the Al"L l\u!-,lrnlln \\'OS ··n. \"Cf\' alien Tnu;t 1S1r Lc,111 plro~!tnl. :mrol'lsr" tu him. rout1 WAS rlL!hl nn Pro- "PC01>lc in F.uroue told cssor Smith's slclr. tnl' thRl A11!-itrnliu11.i.; Arc The maJnrltv <'r trnslcc:-; u11culturecl. 1111clvll1i-r.d nnd clt rrustrnted n.hout the lnucl." he snld . "Culture! condition o( the l!llllerv. Vou hnvc more culture ~Riel Sir Lt•nn. "The cal- here ttrnn ill muHl ulnccs len· Is hnnclr~s: tiler,! Just in EuroD(', Whnt 1 do rind Is ·not rnouch spncc." I~. Austrnlinns huV<' n <:1J111• Sir l.1•nn sntcl thn~ Imm• plcx about ndmltllnc tt.'' ldH,Y llllcl lnck of nh' cc,n- And \\'C Ul'C 1101 1!0111!.l. lo dltloninu tn the ol<I bullet- ~moll thnt p11rn1,:rnph b,• lnc wrre cndnnµcrltu! the n~kin~ the c1mtn1n H he Sl.250.000 worth or n1-1l11t- h11cl been to our Rl'l cnl– \11as. mnny or which hnd lcry! "BULLETIN" Townsville, Qld. 2.1 t¥JJ 1968 1 I The Townsvllle Dilly lulletln, Jhun., Nov. 21, 1961 BRISBANE LETTER THE ART GALLERY IRISIANf: There WII jusl no gelling 1wr, lro111 It. For dly1 tht 11gu111enl 11gtd 1boul our Art 61lltry, hou11d 011 the ground lloor 1nd In the 1Hlcs and b111111tnh ol Ille Mu11u111. This mommod1llon, according to lht crlllu, wu I 111011 llttlng mllng pllct for the skulls 111d olhtr Nlltl of 1n 1nclenl •a• thin the unv1111 hung before I c• 111unlty said to be 1rt conscious II given a proper ch1nct. Even it one's nssocla• hulldln.t:H wore endanger• lion, with nl't didn't go Ing the $1,250,000 worth 1n111ch ,beyond a c11s11nl or pulnllngs mnny of ~lance nt "Stu_i.;s nt Bay'' which hnd to ' bc alorcd In I in some Scott lsh i.;rnnll- an uttlc in most ummtls- l mo_th •1•'H pal'l~ur, or "The fnctory conditions. T\\ o Horsr'°' µnmbolllng rrhrso pnlntin,::s which 1 on nn English moor hnvc to L>u stored now threatened w I Lh 111in nnd nunin to mnko room 1 clouds, ono had .to tnko for olherR, lnchtdc the notice of the columns writ. Art Gnllcry' 8 pride nnd ten about our Art Gnllery. Joy, Plciuiso's "La Belle Thls A rt Gnllcrv con- Hollnnt.lalsc " or "The ,talns ubout $1,250,000 worth 'l'oplcRs onC." of putnlings, but wasn't JHRt to ~how how lup to much when It cnmc thlngR nrc Inclined to run 1 to wull s pace for hongtng on oncl on eomebody tl~csc treasures. snld the clnime<l. thut' a former et Ille•. Premier of Quecnelnnd Appnrcntly the At'l Gal- the Iulo Mr. W. Forgan ,te1y staggers 1t1ong on n Smlth. hnd pron-1hrnd the l~~!:rct 0 bJi!i~~l~Je~tm :~~ clly n new urt gallery. ,~ 11 .?P'.!f:n~~~." 0 ~ 11 ~~~\~i,d ~~ WE NEED BENEFACTORS 1 gal11:ry coul<l wux fnt or Tho Jetter writers were ,:nt,i wol'ld renown. ~lctlvc. and 1:1howed they Just ns bulUlnl? artists were no less angry than tho wol'ld ovci· huve to Pr,,fessor Smith. One survlvc on rrugul pcrsonul let.I.er writer snld our Art 1budgcts In various ,::nnets Gullcry ncnlled bcncfnc· the QucensJund Al'l Gal: torM, and that leaders of 1lc1·y •rrus l finds itself in industry rm<l commerce an impovel'ishcd fhwnclal should help with money. position. Threo mont11s Another letter writer ago He nccounts were snld that too many rich, $3,900 over the budget. bored rnothers oent too The At·t Gallery trustees mnny untalented daughters nre using such fortrlght Lo the Art School. These, terms as 0 rt~ed", "de• It wos ttald, crowded crcplt," and "unfit to con. classes with the reault tnln a fortune In pulnt- that to.lcnled nrt students Ing•" to describe the 1·ooms did not got the bcot In– tenanted by the oils, wuter ttl ructiun. colours nnd sketches, A newsp1Lpcr sent a repo,•tcr to the Art Gallery on a Sunday ·afternoon, ond ho snld he oaw pcr– hnpe n score of people It wns Protessor Bcr· there. Most or thcao aeem• n nrd Smith Professor of ed to be satisfied to squint Contempoi-arv Art and ond pass adverso Judg• Director of the Powe~ mcnt on the more tnntaa– /Inotltute of Fino Arl• Uc abstracts, he reported. Sydney Unlvcl'BUy who Tho acting Premier (Mr. ,really let fly at our Art Chalk) said ho hnd lnltl· Gallery atcd an lnve•tlgatloh Into He ,vns In town 10 the future of tlie Art Gal– Judge paintings In the H lery. Thi• Investigation re– C. Rlchnrds Memorial Ari latod to the $24,000 grant Prize. But because there by the Government and wasn't enough wall space posslblv a new elte. ~~1c th ~11fg1'';,11 1~ 1~1Y e~P,?i~; WHAT HE THINKS could be huni:. But there's rcnlly Pl'Ofcsso,· Smith said tt need tor uo to feel dc- :c°"11,;~ ~~i:,tav \\r.~3r111:~tt/~ ~~:.~i·!b~~t n~~/hkrta~n~: 11cc somt?one put thnt on lery. You mny tnko the canvns some duy) when word of a Polish-born on Important occasion• sailor (Captain J. Sokal– people were not able to ski) who said In Brisbane see the best the gallery thRt Australia was 11 a h ad to offe1· because there very plensnnt aurprlAc'' to was not enough room him. for all the paintings avoll· "People In Europe told blc, mo that Austrnllnns arc Satisfied thnt this was uncultured, uncivilised nnd he time and pince to loud." he eald. "Culture! alnt with brood strokes, You have more culture ho professor enld it wns here than In most places lcnr thnt uround the turn In Europe, What I do find t the century, a Stntr Is, Australians have n lt~ 1 ·w~e~}-lsw~'r~c1 ih~d'°3!: it,~plex about admitting tdcd to do somelhlng And we're not going to bout them. spoil lhnt pllrngrnph by "CULTURAL RICKETS" ~~~/n~,ct:; ~~ptn~~r If A~i But since then thin 8 Gullcry! ad been a llowed to s11lc, ,mid the professor. Tcr– dny t hey were wecdv and 1nnlnourlMhed, und, in u s ense, suffcl'lng from cul– tul'nl rickets. "It's up to you people - the nrtlsls nnd lho ort lovers of this State - to do something- about them," snld Proressor Smith, who pl'esentcd the flrRt prize In the competi– tion to n. rminllnc cnlil.led, ''The Colendcr". entered h y New Zenlander. Jllichncl Smllhcr 0 Thn Colundcr" h~ cxnctly whnt It sn.vs It ls - nn ortllnnry ·1dtchcn utcni,;11 contnlnln~ n few brolccn Cg'J! RhClls. Professor Smith sn lcl il WflA j ust nn cvcryduy ldtchen ut.cnslt, but the nrl 1st hnd given It n irlow, ond this wn s lm– portu nt In nrt. A WORD FROM JHE PROFESS'OR TRUSTEES FRUSIRAIED The Chnlrmnn or tho Art G1tllcry Trt1HI (Sir Lflon 'rrout) WR!i right on Professor Smith's side, Tho majority ol t rust"cs lcrt frustrated nbout the condition of the gallery, sold Sir Leon. "The gnllory Is hopoles•: ~~ri~~-" just hm't enough Sir Leon ertld that humidity and lnck or air comlltlonlnlf In tho old