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

40 CENTIMETRE tall one-tonne woman (oboYe) pro,lded a 9roup af carrien with more than one headache ye1terday afternoon, Penelope - a 70-year– old bronze sculpture by French artist Emile-An – toine Bourclclle - was lcrercd gently into pince in the foyer or the M .I.M. building ln Ann Street n fLe r more than nn hour's llrtmg and push– ing. precautionary measure to protect the bronze - and hoisted the large lady on ton stand. She'• got a big bustle on her." Penelope will remain there !or six weeks until the exhibition closes on October 15. ,;Why does she hiwe to he so fat,?" one workman complained. •·She's bl,i:, Isn't she?'' annlher Hid. She will be protected by a security guard dur– ing her stay. Penelope Is p•rt or "The Genesis ol a Gnl– lery Part Two·• Exhlbl• tlon from the Australian National Gallery, Can• berra, which wlll open In the QueenslRnd Art Gal– lery on September 14. In cacoon The Quecnslnnd A rt GR 11 er y dlrccLOr (Mr. Rnoul Mellish) snld the gnller.1• wus llmllcd lo sculptures or less than 240 centimetres In height Penelope' • Renolresqae flrure waa wrapped In a .eocooa of foam rubber and carefully llrted out of her packing box by a rork-llrt. She was gingerly low– ered horlzontnlly on to two sets or rollers and rolled into the roycr of the buildh1g, Sunday Sun 27th Aug, 1978 Works of art worth many thousands of dollars are deteriorating In Queensland because of a lack of properly-trained people to restore them. ~'a • a b, • far as art ls concerned, "Thls L~ happening tropleal climate, • ouchl the effects of the dlsas- now In Queensland." after bJ loarlats, south- trous floods of four Some commercial - em holiday-makers and years ago are still •being ' lerles, he said, we~ fllm proclaoera, la bad felt. genuine In their deal- news for an obJeela. Some valuable works, lngs with the public, In- ( The heat and the treasured by their own- eluding their advice on , ultra-violet rays In our ers, have been lost for- restoration. sunahlne are big liaz- ever because ol damage But others had work ards. by the flood waters. done by people who had Our high humidity, There's simply been no qualifications. too, can be detrimental no one around to fix "Owners or valuable to an artist"s work. them up. k th I k l And In Brisbane, as wor s run e r s o Beauty havlnr them n1lned." People trained to re- But apart from the aUacka by the elements, beauty produced by ar– Usta la havtnr to with– stand another on– &laurht ... from com– mercial an galleries. "Valuable art works can be Irreparably dam– aged In the hands or people who don't know what they nre doing," said Queensland Art G a llery Director, Mr Rnoul Melllsh, last week. l>Rlr damaged art works are known ns conser– vators. Mr Mellish snldahat In Australia ililre should be n national register or these qual!– r!ed art restorers, to safeguard the lnterents or owners or valuable art pieces. "The trouble Is con– servators :\re ns scarce as hen's t.eeth," he said. Dismal picture for art scene However, this year, a course for restorers has started at the College ot Advanced Education In Canberra. "But the number of conservators graduating will not be nearly enough for Austrnlla's needs," Mr Mellish said. "In Queensland we'll be lucky I! we get our share of them. "I would like to see n travelllng conser,11tor who would be 11ble 14 do flnt-alrl work both for public and prh•11te col: lectlons throughout the State." He said patience wns a prime require~ char– aeterlstlc Cot· " con– servntor. And Jnck or patience dls plnyed by n lot of modern artists prol'ldcd problems for gnllcrles. "A Jot or artlsls today do their work too quickly and with no , nselous concern for ~I.. 0 mtcrlols they work with. •This Is another cause or de~, •)oration or art works." Peeling A painting by a lead– lnr Australllln artist which the Queensland Gallery had Intended buylnf hud plllnt start• Ing to peel orr It when It arrived at the lfllllery. It wus only nbout 12 months old. "By contrast, works by Old Musters were done with gre11t cum. "Consequently n pic– ture by fnmous Scottish nrUst Sir Henry Rne– burn whlch the gallery recently bought looks Queensland Art Galltry Hslstant director RUSSELL l<ERRISON points out a spl/t In tire wooden base of • bronze castlnr. 11s If It's Just been or temperature, humid- painted. tty and lighting. ''It's well over 150 And a new n:, of years old." hope hu Just come But things are look~ from the Public Service Ing up for nrt In Board, Queensland. The State Gallery In about three years, hasn't had a conserva- when the Stuie Onllery tor since the last one moves Into Its new left about 18 months home at the Cultural ago, Centre belng built at But the board hns up- Sout'1 Brlsbnne, It wlll graded tho annual pay hnvc the benefits or the ror a conservator for latest technology to the gallery rrom around care for lls nrt works Sll,500 to a maximum - with precise control ol about SIS,000.