Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 9 : Construction of the cultural centre, 1977-1981

THE WEEKEND AU I Art? Just cop T HE BEST piece of art that will be on show at ~ueensland's n(lw $100- million-plus Cultural centre won't even form part of. the display. In fact, it won'.t be in the grounds. I didn't see It myself, until I turned around. And there, rising above, und seemingly out of, the broad Brisbane river was a 1111noramlc poster of a big city - underlined by over– lapdlng green freeways an delimited by three huge bridges stretching · out of view as a surrealist would depict Infinity. It was Brisbane as she has never been seen before - visible all at once, but 11tlll almost close enough to touch. A city re-seen from below like a sculpture on a high Island. I had approached my re- 110rter's visit acro.,s the · river to the south bank gloomily because, from the city, the new Cultural Cen– tre began Ip look more and more like It was being made out or giant cigarette · 11ackets as It took shape, resembling a modern orrtce block that had fallen on Its side along the river bank. And, being Brisbane born and bred, It was not a happy prospect to be char– l{Cd with breaking the news t hat, $100mllllon later, Brisbane still had failed to produce something; any– thing, for tourists to won– der at. Besides, I knew that In many ways I was the wrong reporter to send because I was a performer In the old Cremorne Theatre that :;tood on the site until the 50s. And I am unlikely to get an Invitation· to re-ap– pear at the new model - unless they want someone Lo , tap-dance the Sailor's Hornpipe. To a nostalgic llke myself the government was merely replacing one Cul– tural Centre with another for, although I hadn't been to this area for at least 25 years, I still had fond mem– ories of the Cremorne, or roller skating at the Blue Moon rink and could just remember the colored Brbltaae'a ltreatbtak• lns•aew CUltul'al Cen• tre .. ready to rival aayt..••• tllat tbe N8t el Australia .. n oBer. llat tlle real ....w...... tbe .......w......... ........ • rbllane •taeU, .. ae•er lffft ltefore. TIie atuaaln1 paaoraaa el tlle elty 1 .....w.. lN•tbe Coatre,ulltlYatld HUGHLVffN-al• ................. ltUJ lfflatwtas• ....•· NW tllat t .. eN WU ................... t11ral.,.....eacefff .. ................... ••'• a.....,.. . . . . Bri.~bane's new Cultural Centre ojff ers a front seat, multi-million dollar view of the city's sleek . •·•'.•'•••••·••••o ,,:,:•:o:•••:•:•• • • o:o•o'•:•:•:o:•••:,:•••o,,,,,o,o,o;o:o,,,•!•o •·••'•••••••••·•••••••••••••"••••••••••••,o,o,o:,,,..:,:o,o:o,o:o ,o :,,o ,o ,,:,:,,,, 0 ,o,o,o :,:,,o!o•oo,o?o,o,.:,:, o~-·• ••• ,,,:,:,,,•, ,:, I••·•~.:,:,:,:,:,,,:, : ,:, I o'o .',•o,o'o ,:,;,:,,,:,:oo'o !, o O •.:.:, 0 o OO o ~ ••::. 0 ,:,:,:,.. oo :,: 0 oo 0, o',•,••' ,lights of the famous Troca– dero dance hall. Now they were all long • gone, to be replaced In 1974 by a gia nt hole beneath a sign proclaiming "The Queensland Cultural Cen– tre" - which many found apt at the time. On top of all this several years ago I had a run-in with the architect for the project, Robin Gibson. which Interrupted a social · evening. I had been to Ade– laide and had sung the · praises of the Festival cen– tre there which was far ahead or anything that ex– isted In Brisbane. And I had briefly wonder-':)d aloud why Brisbane's Cultural Centre was going . to cost three t imes as much. As Browlnlng once wrote, suddenly the worst can turn the best to the brave and des pite this back– ground I set out for the site In my artistic Honda. No doubt the view was al– most as good from the side or the old Blue Moon or out the back or. the Cremornc, · but that was before Bris– bane got Its spectacular skyline - and before I had lived seven years overseas to better a pprecia te Lhe in– nate beauty t hat is Brisba– ne's. lt often struck me in those years away that It Is so Important for a city to be able to be seen - not just by Its visitors, but also by Its lnhabltors. Not from afar, from a plane, the top or a building, or from within a street - for these views provide no dimension. The view of a r.lty that can provide a real feeling or size and sculp– ture and give a city a real · race is from close-up, and preferably below :- which means viewing across a narrow stretch of water. Few cities can boast such a view. Hong Kong ls ' the best I have ,seen, and Syd– ney allows such a view, but only of a race divided into .100 parts. I had always thought Brisbane lacked this face until I turned around at and saw as crm– prehenslve a view of a city from close-up M it Is possi– ble to Imagine. Which means that this centre Is the exact anti– thesis of Sydney's Opera House - the one Is to be viewed from afar as a mon– olithic art object itself. The other provides a thousand views of a giant sculpture, and makes the entire sky– line a canvas. It will be many years, of course, before it ls known for certain which of t he two Is the more successful for a city, though t.he Opera House at compara– ble prices cost almost ex- actly twice as much for less than half the facilities. Unfortunately, the · most • successful wlll' almost cer– tainly be 1,he Opera HOUSI! because, as the advertising Industry knows so well, It Is the external appearance or a product that sells. And fe1¥ products come in more dramatic form, and in such setting. But that said, there Is no doubt Brisbane Is Jetting much, much more for its money than either Sydney or ~delalde. · A Cultural Centre with a view from every theatre foyer, the museum, the art gallery, the auditorium, the restaurant, the library - all . opening out over the river to the city and an aspect that ca tches fully the bril– liant Brisbane winter sun. It Is a labyrinthine com– plex connected by tunnels with glass domes, walk– ways, underground roads and overhead passages past high glass wall5 which makes the Opera House small and the Festival cen– tre ln Adelaide more like a waiting room. It Is so massive, In fact, that the only question Is will there be enough Inter– ested people In Queensland to flll It up? For there L5 juRt a tinge or an uncul– tured government In this saying to the Influential few: ''You want culture? OK well cop this." Certainly everyone will come tor a look-see once word gets around what'!! In store - and the viewing ot art Is, I am sure, about to · become a popular pastime in Brisbane because It Is the Art Gallery which Is . perhaps the outstanding feature. I got this preview of com– ing attractions by tagging along when Sir David Muir, the Cultural Trust Chairman, showed State Treasurer and Deputy Pre– mier, Dr Liew : Edwards, where all his money was going. Sir David Immediately showed why he Is the pub– lic servant ,Queensland's politicians have always chosen to entrust with their touchiest tasks when, Dr Edwards - Investing te1~s or millions a year In this project - came face to race an old wooden and tin shed across the road bear– ing the sign : "Cultural autos. Repaints $250," In case Dr Edwards should think - If ever so briefly - that this had any– thing to do with either the museum or the Art Gal– lery, Sir David pointed it out and said, tactfully: "It doesn't take long for local bu5lnessmen to catch on that culture Is the reflec 7 • tlon of life." Inside a great the han· of the created ~ ted cone -Inside level. Th with ga vines to the sub Brisban often, soften look. The e1 gallery I the outs giant Ill Ught sh1 gles tl concretr wide wa middle mostsu than 14 lous leve Outol assured, 20-feet I wards th The w called, waterfall fie noise· serve' 11 n1, the gall brochure ably the course p ables tit