Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 7 : Debate on New Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, 1970-1976

I I , : fl~ /'. T , .. . , ') I l. T _!\ l, I' ?fi / ? / 7 1 'Deciding .on de8igµ 1 for a gi-eat galle~Y, ... 'f(> think of a great art gallery I all-purpoae 'butldlna · ne~i>le bi • Asia. ;. ~ is to think not SO much of it.a layout that it coutf..,. 11sed for It w~uld seem that somethl I degree in fine ans Ja Offered,, alncer buildin · , anytbing at au \ t more than,_ "open-ended" pla~ they would have limnediate Yll1 . . 1 a g, lDlportant as that is, It WOUld be posalble to · Imagine I would be requtred tor departmrmta s u en ln otfier lac ea su 88 as of the great collections it tor instance, a , number ot coun.-Jai l1lte these. indeed it is the CClb• 1 history, philosophy,. Ail.,.i attain might house·and of the entlch- variow shapes, proportions . and sewrus ot professional opinJor{ all I literature, an:blwoture, I BOClolOff ment of th b • •t , air.es , ,1•ach architecturally ,satliltl'UII over the world that an art pllery / and, tndeed,ticlenoe. .,·, . e uman &pll'l • . I In itlll lf, which could provide a building should tJt its special needs I The conservation laboratories • 1n When director with a quite thrilling chal- lllte a glove. the C&uada. N&Uonal Gallery I • u now fn Cllnberra, at- i...~ 6 c t display as though he were Every gallery ~ wl;llcb la a statf~d by graduates and doctors Jri· tenUon 1a Deceuarily focuned fpr offered a great musical instl'\lmllllt failure -- and• there are pleqty ot / 'science and cHemlatty,_ 11re a cefitre the time b_e1ng on th e design of a with varloua &tGJII and levels of those 1r9m the Oug,enheim Maaeum of r~h for the whole or.cm• . sreat bu11d1ni itlelf, _it 1s doubly sound. , •in New York to the lAJs Angeles , ada. - Important .t,o remember what 1t 1s Some parts of the gallery oould, County Museum - I& a failure A tremendOUB oJ>POrtunity 1n tact tar. Indeed, be exactly like that. B~~ either becaule the arehitect acted I exists t.o er.vtaare the ro\e of w. Aa a matter of fact, hardly ~ not all. , - off his own or a client gallery 1n a Jarre way u a 11\'.f!lg body at all lmow1 what 1s in. Courts for temporary and travel- who didn't know his own collec- l centre, open eveey Dfaht Qt , tM ~~ callectlon, said to be al- ling exhibitions courts tor experi- · tlans or exactly what he wanted wee~.. <with, if, -you llke, lecture. , .--., ~ up of IOllle 3000 1~· mental , works, 'courts for acquisi• · , guldea tours, fjlma, art · cJaimeis to; ' 'Ibey are held 1n rartoua ~ tlon.s Of a future and unknown kind, 'lbe phya!~eeds of a gallery I ch~dren and amateu~••demomtra- monul and off~ ln Canberra or need to be 88 almple, tree and un.. bltQ4i1Jl&J•re known or can be dis- tiona, scholarly debate and popular imlMautea ~. mostly without cluttered 98 it Is J)0881ble to make ' covl!ft'lf'- by examining failures as ta~) but chiefiy and s1n~._fcr benefit of air-conditioning or · hu- theoi. · · · · well as succeBSe~ - from the pro- the ·exhibition ,. and · QIJDf.emplatlon midlty control, and aome are ooca- ', · portion of workfng areas to dliplay of works of ar.t. . · • l1oaallJ' uaecl for travelling exhibit- ~'!1:_f1ere are o~er u:'d V!_'fi im- areas, from the size of loading , It should be eqUiJJi>ed Wee· it,1 I91i& 1 .,..a_.. parts O e ... ery'• 1 docka and lifts to fiexibtllty of countel'l)IU't in Waahington t,o send Their state of preservation ·is I.ID· • spaces, both for worlting and ex- lighting, from dust-proof oo.n- out a constant 'stream ol exhibit• known since they are not, a.a .they hll>Won; which sbnply cannot be servation space to security and fire Jo~. information, taped leotura abould be under tbe conatant Cl&NI, treat.eel 1n this way, and it would proteritlon . . and s11del to sch.......- all .... • .~::... -.; be a tragedy if the very special · 1. ...._ over ....,. Of • qualified conservator. 'lbough complex •and detailed requirements The spiritual needs are not so country 1111d f9 act -. an- arclilve they have been acqu1red a~ an tn- of theae areas were ,not built In to well known. What · 1& the natlona.l tor all mater~· cobceming Auatral- creulns raie over very ma~ years th deal at th1a .... '• gallery going to be? A supermarket? tan art. • .· ,. by the Commonwealth Art · Advis- e . ms •-e. A place for happenings? An area A side of it whi9h should not J>e ar, Board, ·no catalogue haa ever You J_ust cannot •have, tor tor qUiet contemplation? An educa- forgotten. Is that a thrivtng een~< been ~ nor haa the board'4 example, a print dell&,1'tment which tlonal institution? A shell used as a attrac:ta llenefactiona; and' .i, the pGlicy been made public. . ls not designed aa a print depart- reposit.ory? One of the great gal- more Popular it ta· and ttie 'hllher It 1a a matter of conjecture,. tor ment; and you Just cannot have • lertes of the iworld? . Its standards are, the mfDn ~d example whether that policy 1s' to modem gallery wt thO ut a print de- 'lbe answers to questions like I better the benlifac.Uona will be 1 acquire 'only works of the hi&hest par.tment when nearly all the art- these must surely have some In• ' But, 1n the long ru'b, a lnlM a'1 quality or Just fairly good examples tats 1n the world are now turning fluence on the physical design ot !gallery la primarUy, u 'Yalable a • , llluatrating the hlatory of Australian th eir hands to th is form of ex- the building, but .they can't be I the quality or the worta of art •It ut. pression and when, moreover, mos~ made until somebody Is appointed houses. , One of the problems t&cing ,the of the' worta of early masters to think them throUgh with a per- . All ,major galleries, .wherever tb~' architect of .the Australian National which Canberra is likely t.o get will manent council and t.o work 1n are, are known mainly by tb Gallery, therefore, 1s that he 1s be prints and draWinp. daily consultation with• the masterpieces; and ft should be the deallnilll for a collection which As it happens something 1s al• architect as the butldlng grows. Policy of ·this one to acquire only hu only really begun and the long~ ready known of' the kinds of em- For example, many modem and always the best worka ot art It tenn formation of which lies pbaaia which will •determine at any American museums have very can, .from -whatever aource, uid at ahead. rate pMrtlY., the growth of the sev- strong ties with universities, and all costs to avoid ~eratfnlr.J to What wW, be added to it, ancient eral collections. provide lecture, study and seminar a collection o.t m~ woru of or modern, EalternJ or Western, 1s It has been' advertised that these rooms, extensive Utira~y tactlltles, merely his~rical Interest. 1-, ,to some extent In the realms of will include Australian art past and conservation laboratories and 'l'h11t is one et the reaaona ~ the untnown; and the ruture itself present or e.ll schools· ..;rt of the sometimes studios, for university it..,...ls vitally important ..::• . Ioota like producing art forms at 20th century on a world.,.wide basis; students. large .sums of money W1ll ~ ~ reeent ed. primitive ar.t or AU/ltralla and the 'nle national gallery could well on acqUisltlons . between · now anf , 1. , , Pacific; art representing the high be compleme~y to the national the time the gallery-'is built - to ' In this seemingly ~e. sltual!on cultµral achievement of Australia's university and provide student and formulate at once, the gallery's role the teinptatlon •drilld be· to prodtlC!! nellthbors rn southern and Eastern ,teaching facilities, even before a and its policy. a, vaaue design .l an "open-ended". . 5