Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

"TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W 13 JUN1955 This show's got everything! "THE Art of Drawing," a circulating exhibition at the Art Gallery of N.S.W., is one that needs nothing more from me than insistence that you see it. Like the Rodin ex- hibition It ...entail's work of supreme beauty by the great - eat masters, and It Is 'thus another show (of Which there might be only three or four In a year) for which you should be shot for missing. Its intelligent concep- tion, and above all Its amazingly helpful cata- logue, mean that no visitor ran fall to gain Immense pleasure, and knowledge. Assembled by Dr. Ursula Hoff and Mr. Harley Preston of the Department of Draw- ings In the National Gallery of Victoria it come chiefly from that Gallery's collecti o n ; plus a few from Sydney and Adelaide, and a few from private collections. IL does not include anything of the Gothic, Oriental, Prehistoric or Primitive traditions of drawing. It is kept unified within our own tradi- tion of West Euro- pean art that has de- veloped since the Ren- aissance. At first its planned title was 'The Uses of Drawing," and this is what it shows: Drawing as studies for a paint- ing's composition, for figures, nudes, heads, landscapes (with a sub- section of topographical or landscape), sculp- tures, and a final mis- cellaneous section, in- cluding drawings for engraving, theatre sets, architecture, goldsmith's work, botany or sur- gery. Old masters Within each of these sections there is a series of European drawings from the old masters to the modern, plus a few extra examples by Aus- tralian artists. The Australian addi- tions are the only part to quarrel with-too many are not good enough, especially (ex- cept Klippel) in the sculptors' section. Some could have had better examples, e.g. Lyznburner and Drys- dale. And there are some surprising absentees- Passuore, Donald. Friend, Fairweather, and Szigeti. Obviously there is still a need for the survey of Australian drawing, which this exhibition does not attempt. And how trivial such considerations are in the presence of Durer, ReMbrandt, Tinto retto, del Sarto, Tiepelo, Romney, Gainsborough, Blake, Millet. Modiglt- ant, Matisse, and I Picasso. Don't forget the cata- logue: it will add a hundredfold to your ap- preciation. 3y Daniel Thomas LOCAL SHOWS Stan de Teliga (Mac- quarie) gets better and better, His "Bush Girls" and surfing 'subjects continue his investiga- tion of combining sense of heat, light, and air with the cool blue- green colors dictated by the subject matter. Late Hot Afternoon II from the Easter Show is still my favor- ite. Paintings 35 to 250 guineas, drawings (note Lastl$ccondi 20.to 24. Aspden 20.; 2111t. creditable first one-man show. He is a good colorist who makes abstracts - some with sea and shore titles-out of large torn shapes. In some a dead straight dividing line, diagonal or vertical, must symbolise a shore- line or the horizon - 40 to 100 guineas for good-sized paintings. Mike KItching's six assemblages (S tern) have become much more protuberant from the wall, the aluminium shinier, less blackened, and the general concern more with the opposing rotations of war-mach- ine parts. Though, of course, they're still splendidly I decorative in the way of heraldry and armor -50 to 150 guineas. Eva Keky (also at Stern), a German and Paris -trained Hunger- , fan etcher and water- colorist, strikes a very genuine note of poetry with what looks like peculiarly womanly problems and pre- occupations - worried or happ faces, flowerg,-* cats, etc.y / What's on in art art Gallery of N S.W.-Spa' tic nh.bitions, 1n Art of Lomat: Le Gay are Non *Irtlecali City Ail Gallery. -Special eanaht on; London Tramped Parma David Jena-Rodin. bran., drawings Kama - Mixed Antrellan paintings and sculpture,. to ineveurre rensanlied Gallery. - Lyn.. burner, nullinga and draw. 91. Mateuerie.-Stan de Tellac painting. and dr...ring.. - David Ander, ninlIngs Slam-Mike KlIching. and Eva Kitty. etching. and waNisolore. Hungry Kruse.-Utla Fodder* abA woven Intim - Aborigine' art from Arnhem Land. Underned.-Cierrick Andre* b Command A fine sense of scale In these unfussy etch- ings and watercolors and a sure command of her craft make this a show of some distinc- tion -10 to 35 guineas. Ulla Feddersen (Hun- gry Horse) has woven fabrics and open -weave curtain lengths in vivid dyed wools; email rugs In raw wool from black sheep are the best. Francis L y suborner, whose space ran out last week, should be seen at the Dominion If only for the luscious pink nude with turquoise necklace and stockings. His undeniable skill is vehicle for a genuine, If conventional, romanti- cism. Workshop Arts Centre, VOL Inghby.-K Aron Dont. paint- inVSIzole, Adblan.-Inbet Sal. Ism, painting.. Von /*Mauch. Nmircassle.- Col Levy, Las tillikobrough, Pottery, OPENING TUESDAY. Darlinghwat.-Louie Kahan, Little Gallory.-Jan King, watercolors. OPINING WIONISDAY Name. - Japanese Clone-Louis Jresee. Paint. Ings OPINING SATURDAY. Gallery A. - Leonard Hee.. sing. TUESDAY LICTURE Contemporary Art Society, Adyar Hall. Irish Street, 0 p.m.-Pater Kollar. architect, an "72.000 Facets of Um %timid "