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

THE old Trustees' Prize held annually at the Queensland Art Gallery was always about as exciting as watching people feed the pigeons In Anzac Park on a Sunday. The new Purchase Exhlb ltlon, Inaugurat– ed this year and just announced, Is about the same, only more so. With Increased funds (UP to $15,000 available) ahd a much more sensible plan of choos– ing a number of works Instead of one winner, the result Is the usual grab-bag of styles and tired art that looks like old offerings from dealers' stockrooms. Some 260 artists were invited t.o enter, Jess than half responded, and 67 of those occupy the walls. It Is best put like that because space is apparently a major consideration - works were subject to II size restriction. -To Impose a limit of 2.5 metres Is not -only unrenllstlc, The Aus tralian Nov 4th, 1 9 78 Where size is the criterion but manages to i:ffec– tlvely knock out from the start most of "10s pnlntlng Christ– mann, Leach.Jones, you ·name It. Well, what Is left? I Not very mu'ch. A good Rod Withers (Zoned I Light Industrial); a nlFe, not quite brand-ney., Wll– lebrant; and I Bruce WIison's slick piece of scl-{I, Machine or a Dream. All three were bought for the collec– tion, along with a 1ias– tel by student Loueen Morrison, and II gum– tree landscape by David Schlunke, a bland pupil of Arthur Murch. But the relll disap– pointment Is the selec– tion or the Noel Tunks. whose Love In )dleness Is a pretentious and unhappy make-0ver or Ffancls Bacon., illillU IINNI IYRNI Instead or a scream– Ing Pope, there Is a mock-Tudor portral~ Of what-possible rele– vance Is It to show Elizabeth l as a hank of red hair and a skull? In all fairness to the judges, the task must have been horrendous The only really worthwhile things (after two trips) still look like Shanta Bey, a small Rankin, and the untitled Alan Mltel– man. Jn the case or the latter, Its attraction may have been doub– led, I suspect, by virtue of Its matte-grey ground. After a fair spate of palm trees, Moreton Bay views and one remarkable portrait (Oscar WIide with green carnation and pink chickens), It was an enormous relief just to look at a self-respec– ting surface. or course, bad art will always be around, had artists are Ines– capable, but they have no place In State gal– leries. If anything looks like finishing off the most pedestrian instincts In public painting, however, It wlll be exhibitions like this. Bo perhaps they should be encouraged, after all. as "cntartcte Kunst" - real collec– tions or rare and awful taste. Into Its new home, Is that there should be some trimming and swapping or t.he space allotted to other things - In this case. the accompanying ndrew and Lilian Pedersen 1',{emorlal Drawing Prize. This Is the year of Its Inception and It was won by Brian Dunlop with a study In wash and ilCncil or Professor Rundle. It is academic In both senses - conventional, typical, pleasant Dun– lop - but then comes the downward slide. The Sam Fullbrook Is what a drawing should be, no matter how minimal - a strong, distinct line . laid straight down. The Fred Cress is neat, gritty charcoal 1md worked-up acrylic. But after the "names" there Is nothing but life-class nudes. gift- shop nrt and designs tha~ should be on blnck-velvet souvenir pillows.