Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 5 : Presscuttings, June 1972 - November 1976

Loft, In picking an Epstein sculpture as ane al his favourite works al art in the Gallery, Mr, Jr .es Wieneke, till r1teently Director of the Queensland Art Gallery, says, "Thi, hauntingly beautiful bronze, entitled 'The Visitation', i1 by Sir Jacob Epstein, who was b~•n in Now York City's East Side in 1880. Alter a period al study in Paris, Epstein settled in England and devoted his life to sculpture, becoming world famous for hi, · ~,ails and figure composition,. Remarkably penetrating perception, origin• ality o/ thought, and great vigour in style and handling are qualities invariably evdent · · Ep1tein's work. This cost, dated 1926, wa1 wisely acquired by the Trustee, in 1958, a nd is regarded 01 one of the masterpiece, in the Queensland collection. II is certainly among my favourite piece,. )Yhen contemplating this lovely bronze, one feel1 an irre1i1tible glow of re1pon1e tO t~O artist's creative spiritual vision and extraordinary technical accompll1hment. The sensitivity of conceptual thought in the superbly upreued sense of character, humility and dignity 11 deeply moving. The gentle figur• unerringly reveals o great artl1t'1 understanding of, and sympathy far his fellow-man '• Inevitable struggle, suffering and happine11, encountered by all ·through the centuries al time." COVER, Another selection mode by Mr. James Wieneke. He 1ay1: "The Bather, by renowned Italian sculptor, Emilio Greco, who taday lives an the outskirts of Rome, i1 a favourli. piece of mine. Greco was barn In 1913 In Sicily and began working at the age of 13. He i1 now a famous sculptor and his wark ha, been acquired far many malor colledian1. The smooth technique and feeling expre11ed in ,'The Bather' offers great contrail with Ep1tein'1 figure and illustrates well the paint that truth in figurative art can be approached and stated in mare ways than one, and still retain the e11entiol character and spirit of the subject. This striking cast was bought in 1966. It 11 a handsome and 1ophi11icated bronze, which capturOI the free spirit and indepencknce of a modern girl, in a h.autifully simple and relaxed 1tate– ment. The happy CC>-Ofdinatlon af the rhythmic flaw al line, the well-organised mane• and planes, with a11ured verve and originality al a11e11ment, all combine in making this contemporary work a unique and fa1clnallng creation in metal." '. ~I Above: "Godfrey Miller's compact formal structure Trees and Moonlight will not, I realise, be evoryone'1 'cuppa' yet it has all the 11irtues of this artist's work," says Mr. Alan Warren, artist, art critic and now principal of the Queensland Institute al Tech– nology's College of Art, Seven Hills, Brisbane. " Any artist worth his salt tries to soy something to us; something which cannot necessarily be expressed in words. h,deed, Miller is no longer saying something to us, he is doing something to us. The colors he hos put on canvas ore vibrating olong our nenes, creating a sense of pleasure in our minds. The balance of the composition is dependent on the different values and col?~s. situated either vertir.olly or horizontally. As a result, the painting hos on easy rhythmic flow and unity. At no point, is one allowed lo forget the linear tensions which do so much to endow lhe picture wilh a life of its own. This is pointing for pointing's sake cr,d not for the sake of picturesque make believe."