Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

sretili iii art "TELEGRAPH" Sydney titiv t. by The is lel Thonstm Should we disbelieve Si ANDREW SIBLEY (Komon Gallery) is probably alarmed by his own facility. fie draws effortlessly. A likeness presents no diffi- culties. lie has a true gift for color. But so far the structural aspects have been weak. Now he seems to be de- liberately uglifying his technique; and - just con- ceivably - making the structural weakness into a peguse necessity for his subjects of human weak- ness. These figure subjects in firmly thumping color chords of red -blue-green can be described as Molvig and Matisse, though It is the early Matisse of 'The Dance," when art nouveau and Lautrec were still visible. The people are cursively outlined with phosphorescence; they are distorted. But the distortion Is not one feels, due to the pres- sures of harsh reality, nor even of this artists per- sonal vision of the forms underlying things. It is a disturbingly passive, re- gressive distortion, for what Sibley sees la the embryo In us all. "The Lavers;' The Family," "Beach Beauty," "The Stoic" (apparently an aged tart), all revert to near - embryonic shapes. Now Sibley's few report- ed statements have mostly been about disgust, as with raw unburnt flesh in his Transfield winner. Can disgust really generate art except in brief outbursts? Surely it is more usual for en artist to love his regu- lar subjects. So we may disbelieve the disgust, and conclude that Sibley is expressing g. Universal back - the - L ALSO, SUBTLE DRABNESS . . . BEST OF THE POTTERS ... womb wish that he himself shares. HENRY MOORE'S enor- mous bronze "Arch (Large Torso) 1963," whose desperate night club per- fomsance under colored lights I reported at British Fortnight has been re- moved from the Show - grounds to the Art Gallery of N.S.W. It will remain there some months on log from the British Council. The setting is better, but not much, for this sort of thing Ls best outdoors, elemental on storm -tossed mountain. It la at once a mountain, a rook, a mas- sive bone, a cave, Maybe its mother, too. ' For to confirm the uni- versality of Sibley's womb - yearnings this giant arch impels people to leap be- tween its legs. Children were shooting through steadily when I was there, and I think I saw s grown- up, too. GRACE COSSINOTON SMITH (Macquarie) knew all about Matisse in 1915, long before Sibley was born, and she has been through her expressionist moments, too. Now how- ever she is just as she has been for over 20 years; gently sincere but unsen- timental, modestly impres- sionist pictures tat modest prices Mims. to 10Ogns.) of Australian bush or In- teriors, or still-lifes. The bush she respects and paints with subtle drab- ness, In her own house she can take more liberties, dramatise the orange light flowing into a French window, heightel the colors, as in "Pixie, and Chair"; and in ceie large and rather Biotic divi- Monist picture of other pictures and furniture, the objects in the house begin to stare back strangely at their owner. The still-lifer -seem less successful, evidently be- cause less personal ex- perience seta into them. THE Potters Society of N.S.W. (Dominion) is a remarkably efficient or- ganisation. It publishes the only speclajist magazine "Pottery in Australia" and the current exhibition - Its third, but they're held at two-year intervals or more, to prevent a mere annual routine - operates as an Australian exhibi- tion, with potters from all States, not Just New South Wales. This looks their best show yet, partly because the Dominion makes an ex- cellent gallery, with space and light (and some of their last exhibition, ab- stract paintings from For- mosa, on the walls). Part- ly because the pots are pretty good, too. Besides the familiar names like Sahm, Levy. Rushforth, Hughan and Gazsard, two especially good new one, to Sydney, are Robin Welch (Mel- bourne) and Carl McCon- nell (Brisbane). There are WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK TODAY AND ALL WEEK Art Galiese of N ssn, cr",r Art )).16th centurse. Moore bran. ient by Br.4sh Council. McCoYea nnell). Ilerteirch, Newcaltle: New Guinea Art. Pottery (England, ALL TIM WEE K H aub. Departoleht Gallery: Society el Artists Annual eetribi. Mon. Derelnlen: Petters Society. Rudy Kenton: Andrew Sibley. paintings. Illembeele: Grace Common Smith, paintings. r.,...33.,r-A% Pants". Itteroh.bar'git etorrimair University et Sydney, War Memorial Gallery: Franc). Welborn.. PO.nlioVe. yet1Usiverelt N.S.W.: P. Goldatain Hail: ray Bonnet!, dyed fabric penele. OPINING DmIll Jame: Pets, RI:Worth WIDNRIDAY, pottery, B arry Stern: Gareth Jones-Roberts. paintings; John Gilbert, pottery. Little Galleiyi Judith Fins, palming.. RIDAY Nemwsle city Art Callers OPINING ConteFmporary European Painting. the StJyvmsent OoPtclion. LUNCHTIME ACTIVIT11151 SOCIETY OF ARTISTS Tuesday. 1.10 p.m.: Lloyd Mem, "Tradisionat and Modern." Wednesday, 1.10 p.m.: Phyllis ShI41110, NOW 1.0 Collect." Thureday. 1 10 p.m.: John Nonshaw. The S. a A. ishIbIllon." AWN Frday. 1142: *. yam) dim:Rion. 1.10 p m., PaInt.re Oman. Mellen be Idware 511. POTTIRY LICTURI: SATURDAY Potters Society: Cell Blink Theatre, 8 p.m 7s, NokOhIbIle, OMelee. Pets from New York, Stockhotol. other new names as well. Practically all the pots are useful; sculptural or- naments. which can after all be appallingly trivial, are absent. Practically all except Rachel Roxburgh's earthenware is made of stoneware: practically all is in the Oriental tradition. The lack of earthenware and porcelain is no doubt a passing fashion; but to draw upon the main cer- amic tradition of China and Japan Is the best pos- sible wisdom. The potters seem better at refreshingthemselves from their principal source than the painters. They are constantly visiting Japan. but what painters have had a trip to New York lately, or even Paris? Their potters' craft is all the better for it, and those who are more craftsmen than artists, that Is those who do not discover forms of their own, will find bet- ter traditional forms on which to exercise their craft. THE Barry Stern Gallery has two shows. Ups'airs are paintings by Arch Cuthbertson, an art teach- er at Ballarat, 20 ens. to 120 gas. Little trace re- mains of the vivid abstract expressionism last seen ex- cept In the boldly slashed green and orange "On Summer Grass." Now he sets out small low -toned elements on tablets; they are mine- fields, or geological speci- mens according to the titles. They tend to be dee- sgust? °naive, but the gouache "Deciphering of fossils" is' a very pleasant decoration indeed. Downstairs lots of pots by Wanda Garnsey. She has no identifiable style of her own, unless perhaps a consistently successful touch with small crisp ob- jects - mugs, little bowls and the like, THE UNIVERSITY OP N.S.W. takes a special interest In crafts. Recently it had an exhibition of American crafts; the pot- tery was a bit wilfully ornamental (though Peter Voulko's was sculpture in its own right), the jewel- lery very crisp, and the woven fabrics the most interesting perhaps because we see so little textile craft. The exhibition is being circulated by the United States Information Service- and Is highly recommended, The death of Rah Fizelle last Saturday should not go unre- corded. Aged 73 he was an important art teacher, and pioneer of cubist painting in Sydney. He belonged in the circle of Frank Hinder, Balson and Crowley, conducting an art school with the. last during the 1930s., In 1940 he was First! temporary Art Society president of the Con in New South Wales. The Art Gallery of N.S.W. owns work in oil, woodcarving, and most significantly, in watercolor.