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

ALL done with paper and glue ... Martin Melllnger, 5, of Ash– grove, surprised by a miniature J> o x e d streamer in "The Art of Japanese Packaging" exhibit– Ion at the-~– land Art Gallery yes– terd Martin Is one or more than 2000 people who have visited the gallery since laat Friday night. The exhibition has been arranged by the Australian Gallery DI• rector's Council and Oralts Board or the Aus– tralia Councll, with as– sistance rrom the Japan Foundation Kokusal Koryu Klkln. It wlll remain open un– til October 17. THE culture of a p e o p 1 e should not be judged by Its outstanding geniuses, who are as rare as volcanic erup– tions. Rather should one judge a cul• ture by the standards of a nation as a whole. One would be hard put to rind a people superior to the Japanese In al!.'!thetlc awareness and sensl• tlv11Y to beaut.y In every aspect of ure, and this Is not just the prl1•I– Jege or an elite, but for centuries, has pcrl'aded all stratas or society. The enchanting exhibition "The Art of the Japanese Pack– age" at the Queensland Art Gal• Jery, Illuminates well Japan's traditional values, which are In such danger or annihllatlon by Western-style "progress." ln the.se most varied pncka~es ror all sorts of food and con– fections one can study h ow ln~r– nious runctlonallsm I< combined 'with beaut,)', ch1mn and elcgnnre. It Is easy to see t he typical!)' Japanese lol'e of simple natural mnterlals - wood, bamboo, reeds, leaves, clay, 11s well as hand– m ndr. cloth, pnpr.-: and cerRm1cs - oil sl1Apcd Into forms tllRt rr• ,·e• t • rcrtlle creative Imagina– tion and poetic charm. And, or course. orten hand· l\'l'ltlen labels add much to the appeal. In ,lnp,111 It "'OUld be ex– tremely rurt<' 11ot 10 \\'rRP a gl!L In n pleaslni;c manner. Even A t11> In n. Lrndl\innnl Jnpnnese inn has to bl' !)'JX!CIR\ly \\'1•11pped to glvo plc!o.,,1rn to the rcccivrr. '!'he wllolo esh!bltton Ls nn oh– je,• lesson nhout a way of life. To g11ln the most benefit from the stud of the exhlblt,s, the care- rully researched catalogue Is most helpful, and t.he exquisite photographs In It will be a last• Ing Joy, As often 18 the case In •11ch matters, one owes the 11re• servallon of Ulo.~e fast dis• appearing packRges to thr en• thuslnsm or one single person, Professor Hldeyukl Oka. who spent years collecting and re– searching them. * The display or Japanese kite, !they nre on loan from the prh-ntc collcr.tlon of noted Amerlcon sculptor, Tai Streeter) at St. John's Cathedral does noLmake such n grand spect.acular ns rlid Peler Travis· Kites well rcmcm– berccl. :-,10, t of tile kites are ro1hr.r :mmll in slze, somn not bl~iwr Urnn n po~tcnrd. so thRL one mu!it look. at t.hcm closely. Howevrr. a group of r nrp~. !l,·c to six metres wide and floa ted across the nave, will tnke the e~·c. Some knowled~e of Japanese hislorl', folklore, beliefs In essi•n– tlal lo full undcrstnndlng, espc• cially as s)111bollsm pervades al• mosL ever)' aspect or En.stern tr•dttlonnl culture. .lkebnna Rrrnru;-cmcnt,; And rr– proctucllons of Hokusnt·s lnmous woorllJlock p:lnt series. Thin ;· Six Views or Mount l'uijl, co111- plement the kite display at St. John's, * Wnr•na·s ,Japnnese thrme nbo has Ileen tnkcn u11 by the Print• maker.,· Onllcri• with prints by con temporary printmakers Haku Maki. Famlo Fujita and Sholchl Hasegawa. Maki enchants with his typi– cally Japa nese Jove of the min– ute. He embosses one single tiny form (about the sl1.e of n net– ::;uI~c), such as a lemon, or a lo\'e– lr cernmlc t.en. bowl. 01· fl tree In name. a utumn Jeni on st11·er iround. Mak I print., have become known for their unique textural qualities achieved b)' working his designs Into wet cement. * Also of Interest at gallery a re etchings by two Czechoslovakln.n printmakers. Mlchaeln Roublckova·s delicate v:orl:s with their bleached colors a nd surreal transformations ex• hn le reve rie and wistfulness. The sepia etchings • nquatlnts hy Lactsla \' J<ukllk, with subJcct.s such ns nrnther and child, and mn n n 11d woman, move one with their tenderness mixed with np– prehenslon, The handling Is very ;cnsltlvc. Melbourne artist nnd critic, Michnet Sha nnon, has painted sti ll life. Interiors, suburban ro,,r.~ and lnnrl~cnpc. His present sma ll exhibition nt Victor ~Ince Jn nll of rurul Jund~cnpc. The rnr– lllRL Is tr1tlmate, the treatment broad nnd sweeping. Shannon Is not workln~ to– wards something new, hut enjoys the sensuousness or oils nnrt the lnsh lng brush. I liked best Winter Landscape b,\' n Strcnm. doml– nR tcd by n. lushly painted tree; S11111mer El'c11lng by the River, n nd t ho rll•tlnct spring mood n hi vcct In Aflcmoon, Spring. - lllt O. LANGEi!.