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

Candice has a lotto be thanked for ART lovers Australia-wide have goodreasontothank the persuasive powers ol an attrac– tive young woman . The result has tlmm an interesting and lasc1nat111q c xh1bt11on , which IS unllkO· ly lo be rCpl!atcd tor thn next 50 or even 100 years Sydney !me arts honours grac1uate. Candice Bruce, has sµc nl the tasl 16 months organising an ClC.· h1bll1nn al paintings hy e arly Auslr al1an nr1 1sl Eugen von Guerard. The $2 million cxh1b1i1on ,s currently on display at lhe Queensland Arl Gallery wtiere ,t con1111ucs unlll Augus13 1 Persuasion was an Im· porlanl parl of the 10b s1nco most of Hicse paml· mgs are privately owned Candice estimates that close to 90 percent ol 111cm trnve never been on public display before · In terms nl Austr;-,1111 s art hrnlory. lhoso ;un very old painting ·. stmsa1d 'Natu rally HlCII OW!lt•f <; had ,es -•rvat1ons about lendm g them tor ..tn U)(l11!•1· 110n, osr,cc1all~ 1 flu? ff'w who hJCI lrnl tt,('11\ l>clorri anLI hnd tt111I1 p,1mlInqc; rri lur nf:d danrnq ,tf 1 n Ih 1::, fl'~pnc1 I wm, luc hy 11·1.11 llw Ni1t1rn1.il Gallt•ry 111 Cr1ntwrrn NrtLi lt,c orgn rnsmq qnlt1•1y !or tht:! oxh11J1t1nn Tt1t1 SIJII there 11m,,. an 1•xc1' llant re· put r1t1o n lo, 01qc1n151 11q and tran::,por !ir1n works ol nrt Even so C1ind1co found ti ers ::.11 w 1 h tho task ot d 11vinn ,111 vcr Wcsrurn v,ctoria. where inost of the to put ltl•.!H VOil f'll!.ll th in to Ok• l!Xl11t)1!1on Euq,m vo11 Guor :ud 1s tl111Jf1\'-;l11l g Ill 11,at tie W.t!'> ,, lully trrl1nuc1 a rl tSI lli>IOIC tie cnme 10 /••1s1rnha to 1001' I OI g old 111 !110 1850 s. Canchcc said In thal rcsoect 1,e l111· fers tram so many of our artists who were ontll'Cly self taught At lhe !llrn OI ltlC cen– tury, lhe sombre tones ot van Guerarcls works were cons,dorcd old l,1s111onod , w11h the result 1t1a1mnny al his pain l a1 ngs were tossod into ba ck rooms ;inc:I forgo Iten ··Just before I stmted or·· gan1s1ng lt1e cxt11bll1on. one al his works was lound m a b;1somcnt wl1crc II !111cl been left lor yuar II was virtually covcrcr1 1n black." Restor at,on ot tt1c paint· ,ngs w:-ts also ;m 1rnporl anl part of organI~,Ing Hie c:c· h1b1t1on Smee so m:my ol lhe works had m1t br.cn dis· r1ayed before 111oy n~odcd work to bnng thorn t,ar.k 10 tt1ei r o r1q 1n,11 co ncft1 1or1. pdrl1c ulariy onw ol th old fr ~1mr•:; 111.11 surrcu inrtcd the pr11r)l 1•.. 'i All,H ('Ill 1t1rn,(' months. C,tnd,ce ,s look,nn lnrw;in.1 10 rt tJr,,,1k 1,om collcc llnq 1nh.v 111at, 11 on lhf• .111IsI 1110~1 0 1 wh ct1 nppears 1n Hlf' book -.:,,, ha \Wtl!C-n on ttit"' a, 11st 10 ,1 .. cnrnp,ny ltll' ri xh 1h1l10 ll turn •c.1 up ,_ihn LJI 1111n sa, Ev(•ll ">0 I ·,uppo...,,• I coulc1 ael 1110f l't 111<,1111 .1· li n II W,IS Iusl ,I l!liitt..•1 ,,, wht• 1 10 Cel l! 7