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

•rhe ouri e r-Mai l 23rd Aug , 1 9 78 ARTIST John Higby wit.h one of Jon Molvig's Art Gallery Molvig exhibition last night, n art National Gallery's firs.t priority CANBERRA, - The Australian National Gallery's first priority would be to complete a comprehensive collection of Australian art, the rallery'a 1976-77 annual report said yesterday, people wlth R broader ex• perience of nrt, and aid that, after the Aus- enabling IJ1em to see traltan colJectlon, ot.her , Australian -art 1n a world aJor areas would be re- 11arded equnlty. perspective," It srtld. "Tne gallery's other The re1>0rt sni<i the 11t1• o 11 e c t Ions \\111 cont• tlonal cotlecLlon would lenient existing public contain both t.11e fine oltecUons, provldln11 nnd applied nrls. in• eluding architecture 1u1d design, as welt as the decornlive nrts. "The collection also will Include t he highest achlevemenls of Austrn• ltan aboriginnl artists working Olltside tribal trnclitions," it said. During the next 1hr •e lo fou r years, the gallery ai111ed nt form ing II core coliecLlon of 700 lo 800 works, so thnt regular change. could be made ln the display coliecMon. The report snld the Gnlierr wouid stnrt its collections or the nrls of A S i O 1111cl S(lllih-Enst As I . wit h imJlortnnt SCUIJ)tUrcd iC'Ons of Hin– duism nncl Buddhism. Mr. Rigby, now officer In charge or fine art nt Seven Hilts Art College. Knd Molvlg met through a rehabilitation course afler the war at East Sydney Technical ColleHC, As both were ex-serl'icemcn and older than oth• er art students, they drilled together and formed a friendship that lasted 25 )'enrs. "Jon didn't' mnke friends easily," Mr. Rigby srtld yesterday. He said MoMg came from Newcastle, the city whose l!>l11ery organised this memorial ex.hlbltlon. Mr. Rigby said Molvis's uncompromising, startli ng paintings probably were Influenced by his tough, nrnsculine upbringing In Industrial sub• urbla. "They stlmulnle and disconcert rather than soothe and elevitte," he said. "He l<Jl•'ed dogs, some women and a good nr!J'U• ment. He hated pompous JlCOJJle, bnd art nnd Igno– rance.'' 'I'hetMolvig exhibition ll~llbe openiat tne gal- unl.11 Seplember 17. • • if--ie. Co..Jr1e.r ffb1\ 0'2._~u~&~7~