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

Galleries waking up :'·to the crafts scene LOOKING at all the •crafts exhibitions keeps one busy, Only a decade ago, who would have thought such an outburst possible? . Of course, the crafts ore "in" here, as well as elsewhere. They have been much encouraged IJy the establishment or craft coun– clls, more and improved facilities for study, and especially, Ill' the Crafts Board or the Australia Council, which, tn Its brio! his• ton•, haa done so much townrds the encouragement of higher standards and \\'Ith varied \\'ays of financial sponsorahlp, Australian public art galleries, at last too, have started to wake up to the crafts, - Crafts people wlll be rreatly encouraged by the announcement tl1at the Queell.!land Art oallery, financially u1lsted by the Crafts Board, has embarked on a major Australian craft acquisition pro- . gram, and Ulat the aurny exhl· ,bltlon wlU be a maJor attraction In the new 11llery Rt the time of the commonwealth Oamea In 1982. In the meantime, the Queens– hmd Art O&Jlery has mounted · the current exhibition •·Dyeing, · Fibre and Fabric," which also ~ ·wm travel to country centres. It •ls a very ln1t-ruct1ve, as well as attractively presented exhibition. NOT &II la 10 well wllh the ex– hlbttlcin of entrlea In the Wales ATURDAV, NOVEMBER 18, 1980 HE COURIER-MAIL Bank City of Drlsbano Cl'nft Awards at tJ1e City Holl. A lot Is olt,hcr commonplace, boring, or kitsch, wherefore I consider silence Is l:lnder thon w·o1'ds with regord to such ob· Jects . Ne \' ertheless , dls– crim.Jnatlng viewers wm spy some very attractl\'e works, The Interstate Jud~e. delayed by the fuel crisis, had not IJeeu al1le to doh!< ,iol) In time fo 1i1c opening, so, •here are my prefe•• ences: In the fllJre section, tile long length of very elegantli• designed, handwoven material by Perth •:eaver Lynn Waring gets lull m1trks. The hand-loomed w•ool tapestry by Elizabeth Nettleton (Vic.), J udll,h Webb's soft >Cl'IIJ• lure "Rllhl Boa" and D.A. Wit– son's appllque embroideries de• uerve n1enUon. In the ceramics section there A.re a n umber or e.t 1,rncrJvc wor!:"i, and among these, the pots by Ian McKay, Martin Kell)', Barbara Steines Rnd Rob Anderson, as weil a.s 11guratl\'e ceramfc., Ill' Lynda! Moor. Joanna. PameJer, Betty Crombie and Jenny Drake, and Fronk Lambert. In tJ1e section for mis– cellaneous crnltwork, one may recommend Jewellers' w•ork hy Pat Hagan and Christopher Al· tenburg. n lfioludr.d as well os screenprints. One ,,anders \\'here the line was drawn between arts and crarts. The work which bridges usable craftwork and sculpture Is Christopher Dunlop·s Intricately worked nnd uncommon Rocking Chair, which shows the direct 111- lluence o[ Michael Cooper, the Californian 1oulptor, who worked aud taught tu Brisbane last year. VICTOR Mace, during his five years at Cintra Road, h11s never cea s od alternollng, or com– bining, art and craft exhibi– tions. In his present exhibition we see a selection of ceramic • by leading potters, aa well aa paintings and graphics by some or the artists who hRVe exhibited In the gallery 01·01· the years. Aleo Included Is a dlsplal' by the Queensland Jewellery Work– shop, Some or the work of its memlJrrs Is Imaginative, some Just nice an<t wearable, some a lit.lie gimmicky. most or It Is well crafted, but some Is not. I licked a cut ringer after touching the edge of a brooch, People \\•ho lorod the whole sot-up at Cintra. Rood will regret t.t,at the te– nancy will expire at the end of the year. Howe,•er. \\'e may trust thnt Victor Mace wlll make his gallery Just as nttr~cllve in II l!ew loca– Ulon l o IJe unnounced later. Dr G. 1,ANGl-:11, Every picture 11111 • story. But IOffle. are more colorful than others •• I dis– covered 1h11 week after • vlalt to the OuHn1lancl Art Gallery. The occulon wu the opentnr of an exhibition titled D:,elnr, Fibre and Fabric. It lftllll that d7eln1 h11 ·• hlator1 more vibrant, and exotic than a hot houae run or orchlda. It seem, 111ch common• place thln11 u 1hellfllh, safflower, uffron, cochl• neat, walnut huau and caustic soda are Just a few of the many every– day Items which are used to produce different colora, The exhibition In– cludes wall hanrtn1s, screen prtnta, wall sculptures, landscapa, fabric palntln1s, batlka and numerous Item, of elothtnr, Several of the exhlb– 'ltora lncludlnl Katia StoaeJe1, Jna Canaan and Mell1 T11fney were at the openlnr. And what choice could there be than the Mlnlater tor Culture, National Parka and Recreation, IHa 01111... to · ottlclallJ 1et the ahow oft the rround. Amons thoae •Pottld at the openln1 were Mr Jutlce Peter c... .u,, Dr Noraan llehu, the Director Cft the Cratta Board or the Australia Council, Daw.. WJIUaau, who WU In town 1pec– lal17 from SJdne,, 1al– lery director a-1 llel– lllll, Mu c.. lllMII, LU– iu ,......., Hae Cu– •an. R1a,1 s1a-.., lolul Maller and Knlll SIMell, Others there were Alu and Judith cailaaliu, N- U....0711, lane Whlteou, Grace Pr,v, Brian Dean, llrlaa llahalNll, ... O'Lilall, Rft Mac.Allan, ,... All– uahe.., Pal Clerll a,·an and lllal'J Walace.