Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

ROBERT McPher- son's art ha s several aspecLs, huL they a ll relat e In his case: Con Lru ctiv- 1 s m.. Minima lism, Process Art, Dncta, and - up to n point only - Conceptual Art, because the visual means a re a ll– Important to Mc– Pherson. h ns an in serial works, Hts pre&ent. exhi– b!ti01\ a t the Institute or Modern Art is a single serial work, conslst,ing of more than 30 pieces, ,ind It is entitled : Nutlonnl An : A f-.,mplll l•l iC \'IC\\', Qnl'rnslnmt Renri,. or ('011)':,(', thr t.tt lr IS a hi nf : "i.tr Phcrson1~h punning, n.Ci hl' 1~ u1 Leri, oppo.-icd to n r onccpL of nnllonnl nrt, ei.c. TI1e basic elcmcn of hls ~rrinl work. n ~l'Onlct– nrally s1111pl1fu:id lliJP of Quecm,lnnd, c 1t ou m pl~·wood. IS JUSl ::ornc- 1hlng to do with n shape, !iiomcthtn~ to be e~p:ored and rnodlllcd by 1'0unt- 1e~s n1111or nlternuons. As n mnp r Qul'Pn!ii– land 11 h:L<as 111.tlc ln~•r– f'st '" ~trPt1erso11 as t.he Amerlcnn fins i or m:tp 1 has hn<i for Jnspcr Johns in h1s fnt-.rinurtng pamt – r rly explnra.tions. Thus ?\tcflhcrson once more drnws t,hc attrntlon of the 1iewer to thnL which intcrrstcrt h tll"I, na mel. the game of nltcrattonn by way or simple, selec~d m~ns. Singly the pieces ha\'e mmtmal a rtistic 1nuncs , but 11.S a n ensemble. nu'I• nmg m. one contlnuous, nt"nlly speced row nlon~ three wlutc walls, t.hey work ,·r ry we ll tnclee , nnd modlfv the whole c11,·1ronme1lt or a bare room. * The tu·o S~·dnr:, painters, Margaret Wood – ward and Kerry Gre~han who combine in their first Brisbane exblblllon y l lo lrnpa.sto, •lapped down fn5t. S he e ncase • real 5Lrmgs, ~·hich m05tly run 1n p • r R 11 e I , diagonal rour~e!- as if they were •11red1ng past 1h• work– ing edges, and they stand out Ilk• tidgu in a ploughed fl•ld. At close lrupection ono finds olher reol bllA, such as an oyster shOII, ha!! a plastic cup, or ~-h1ch th• rest is !ma1nn•d burl•d under the pam1. The title or this palnt- 1ng ls Wine and Din•. and it 1, actually not as unsubtle as the reneral description of the ~·ork would ,uggest. Kerry's work hu a promising freshness and confidence, •nd wlt11 her husband, Jim Wlllebrant, Kerry shares a aense of run and whimsy. at Philip Bacon, make a * contrasting pair. And u to nut week: Woodwnrd, who looks back nlready on nt lcn.st People can look fo,,.anl 20 years or pnlntlng car- ~: ;:~1a~r.: 1 ~s~:i!i: eer, is a very accom• pllshed po.inter and gives El Dorado Columblall a polished performance; Gold, which Is ccrta lnll· no con- lu~nio rople tradlctlon to Rn lntenslt.y of feeling, ,·ls1b!y there. ~:. OrP'lhnn, ror hr.r pint, mls dlsplnvs R i·o:ith fu l en- t.lo , lhetlc thuslesm nnct boldness in merit-a eo lectlon which her post-Brutallst Art. Woodwnrct's le.rgc, Im- reveals the magic beliefs, presslve cnnl'Rses, where !~c~:~ 1 /:u\~ir~n~iy :~1~~ snake-like lines or snow only a rew people here gum or a n r. a p h o r a will have had an aware- brnnchc~ ncttvnte vast ncss. fields of nerntrrt hot pink, r have seen the cxhlbl• are painted wlt,h an al- tlon at it• f!ut oho\\'lng most titunlistlc rhythm during the Adelaide Fes– and hnrmony or color. tlval of Art•. where it Many lngrcd1cnts hnve drew the great crowds we gone Into Woodwo.rd's also expect here. art - something or her It Is a 1•ery beautifully teachers. Godfrey Miller as well as Instructively and John Pas smore, presented exhibition, one American co I or r 1 e 1d cer~&lq_ty pL be painting. a little or WY. , . ll llnms, Whiteley and ~~ sen, and a little of Ori , ta! nrt: but, all Lhls seem. ' mnturely absorbed. In addition to 1n r ~ c cnn,·Ases, IO"Cl~· works on poper nlso express \Voodwarct's portlc feet:n~ for n ature. Kerry Grcghn.n covers her can\'nses with heavy, glossy, monochrome acr-