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

ART REVIEW by Dr, Gertrude Langer Peasants • paint • • to 1nsp1re THE Chinese peasant paintings from Hu County, Shensl Prov– ince, on view at the University Art Museum are sure to continue to ollclt the warm re– sponse they received from the huge gather– ln!l at the opening of the exhibition, until Its closing on August 24. The palnLlng, reflect Ute •pread or urtls\.lc nc• Uvlt,les among ordlnnry \teople In Chinn and the remarkable achievement., or these nma.teurs In the best sense, ns they do not paint to sell, hut to In• spire their fellow work· ers. engaged In the samt activities as themselves. These dellgh tfu l 10u1che paintings glvt a detailed account of work and lel~ure activities; fields are being made, btmtper crops are har• vested, a well Is being tmnk, a new piggery, a new brick kiln ure shown \\'Ith pride; a multitude of fish Is being hnuled from the COlllllllllUli l)Ollrl - Lhe big fish leup Into Ute net.. the small ones esrnpe, nnd every scale Ls shining brightly, •ro emhrnce n wr.nlth or care f u 11 y delineated, small deta,11, space Is not viewed from a single vantn11e point. , But everyt.hlng exists aide by &Ide and on too of each other; everything Is given equal attention, and the whole ls ordered artistically In decorntlve, rhythmic patterns, which glow In clear, brlghi col– ors. A spirit or optimism and Joy ls made el'l• dent. * * * A COl.l,ECTION nf 74 pnrtralts commli,.sione<I O\'er the Inst 25 yr:irs rnr t he co,·ers or Tlmr. 1\IUkUZille b on e~hlhil al the Qur.ensl:11111 Art U:il• lery until AIIJ:'USt 2::. Port.rnlts of worlcl Ilg• ures nrc tiurc to h:n·e populnr a11peal. but ns to nrLlsUc merit, qtmllties o! deep In lght, fre h or ln– lerestlng treatment nre not evident frequently. marvellou~. powel'!ul woodcut by 1.;.tyo:-:-111 S,uto or Premier Sato; fi ne, 1irobt11g portrntt.s bY An• nlgonl of Harold Wilson and Lud\\'lg Erhard; a ,ensltJve portmyul M Ho Chi Minh, done In photo line conrnrslon technique by Dennis \Vheeter; Pe• Ler Ma x·s clever mixed media collage, sho\ving Prince Charles In pop style. Sidney Nolan's llT· lent If-on o r the poet Rob – ert Lowell; nnd lA'I !Irk'• Aklo Motil:i catches Il l· t r n tl on \\i th snt.lrlcnl bite. * * * l.AS 'r 1·•:AR at Wal• lers C.allcry, Sydnry. I saw re,• r.nt purnly nh· • lr•ct work by Richard tarter. Ho we v e r , the large canvases in his present exhibi t ion 11,t Rny Hughes &how his now In· mlllnr amalgam of rich. 111 u I t, t-colored abstract patterning and sexy \>OP lmnges. shuf!lecl colhige– llke In exciting Ja,.zy rhythms. But. in t hree cnnvnfes Lnrter od1tpled Wnrhot's tcten or the repent., d 1111- nzc: so we sec rows or Put tys I Lnrler 's \ 1 :1fcl wit h t.wl nkllng- blue ryes n11d opr n mout l1: the chnnge~ of the st.encllled • ''"""·'""' nnct ~rrcenecl 111101,tr. nrc rung In n 11·iing doUed color schemes. Some of the portraits are almost ain11&1n11 In their superflctnUt.y, Ho\\•ever, there Is a