Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

"TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W. 21 OCT 1962 The Week in Art by ,Daniel Thomas Art in the country The art galleries in New South Wales country towns are not well enough known. th fade thatf cremoirilaeri tvadmitth- , wi .. On Monday I was in Tamworth judging e the two previous winners, , annual art competi- ,hanging in the gallery Moat of the pictures are Australian. A group of paintings by Wiil must be the largest in any Australian collection. There are some big Hans Amens and Sydney Longs Two; pictures by Tom .Roberts (on loan to the gallery) would be enough reason for any tourist to stop. One is an oil paint- ing of aborigines picnick- ing, as gracefully as any of Watteau's fetes, in a gum -tree glade. The other is a pastel of a late Vic- torian lady, full length and elegantly aware of Whist- ler and the Japanese print. There are a few early English watercolors, and minor classical landscapes. And quite a lot of Vic- torian anecdote, both Eng- lish (Frith for example) and Continental, includ- ing even a few of Wore once -popular scarlet coin - positions of cardinals at play. The strongly Vict,rian collection even has brand new rails to keep visitors away from the pictures, as most galleries did in Victorian times. In such a context it Is not surprising that the award of the first Tam - worth Art Prize, two years ago. to a vivid abstract - expressionist painting by Carl Plate, caused a fierce outcry. The city must have been quite unfamiliar wi th 20th century art, and un- aware that nearly all the painting being done In Sydney today is abstract (at least by the younger artists, who are the moat likely to enter c o mpeti- tlons). The city council with- drew its gift of money fur the prize-Wagga has done the same-and the follow- ing year the struggling local art society had to find all the money itself for an outstandingly beau- tiful "Images of Sleep" by Hector Gilliland. This year Tamworth is becoming resigned to -nod-I ern art, for half tile wise money is to be provided by the city. I have n o t heard whether the picture, abstract again, by Coburn, to which I [worded t h prize has been as unpopu- lar as the other two, but I would doubt It. tion. It WAS held in bred their new gallery, a respect and liking for them. Opened last year to In en- housesgigtedc,eeflopsumeehntst tion of paintings be- imourti be r membered the large collec- Pu queathed to the city what a seriouse twee Government by Mrs. Norman Bur- discontinued the Travel- dekin. ling Art Exhibitions ser- With the works (mostly vice six years ago. by himself, but Including The exhibitions, accom- an early Frances Hodgkins ranted by quallfled lec- watercolor) given by Jack eteu;eerst:ebrailleugeehtelijfreyatd)3wienaz Salvana over the past 40 Stern: Leonora Howlett and Frank Chicken. years, Tamworth n o w and were a powerful e u- Beard Watson: Early Australian prints. owns about 200 paintings, cational force. It is time drawings and prints. they were revived. OPENING WEDNESDAY The only other large 4 hoot the year. had collection to be found In' = Dominion: 011ey, Jessup, Strachan. the country is the well- known Howard Hinton gift (1000 works), again mostly of Australian paintings, to the Teach- ers' College at Armidale. There are some very lovely paintings by Rob- erts and Btreeton. and Im- portant early works by Roy de Maistre and Do - bell. The students are most fortunate in their daily surroundings, but it is not always easy for a visitor to find his way around the classrooms and corridors. Maitland, Muswelibrook, Wagga, Albury and Bath- urst have built up small What's on? TODAY AND NEXT WEEK Art Gallery of NEW.: Special exhibitions, RebeLs and Precursors (final day', Pre-Raphaelite Art (final week). MONDAY-THURSDAY East Sydney Technical College, Cell Block Theatre: Godfrey Miller, current paintings. ALL NEXT WEEK Mune: Voss Smith collection. Komon: Andrew Sible Macquarie: Roland Wakelin. Farmers: Contemporary Art Society Annual Exhibition; the Roy H. Tails Prize. their fifth annual exhibi- Only Bathurst, besides non of old prints from Mr. Tamworth, has set aside a Chard's collection contains special room as a gallery, rather more non-Austra- and it is in fact rather Ilan material than usual- more attractive, better lit a Piranesi etching, some and better planned than 18th century maps. Tamworth's. The pastramis, is, of It was designed by a course, always fascinating Bathurst architect who -Lycett, Prout, de Sain- seems fond of his city. son, Terry, Gill - all th' There are galleries at old favorites are here. Lismore, Broken Hill and Some have been ha.y.i- Begs, which I have not colored only very recent - seen. Newcastle I have not ly. Such lack of respect for mentioned, for it is well originals would only be jos- known. tined if they were in fact It is the only one to be not originals but modern run on fully professional reprints, lines, the only one with a Director and staff and with a full programme of exhibitions and lectures. Until the country gal- leries oan afford proper staff, the Tamworth sole- tion of placing the gallery adjacent to the city lib- rary seems the best one. Supervision can be sup- plied by the library, and by force of circumstances the librarians become cap- able of handling enquiries. But it is time the Gov- ernment's travelling art ,,ervices were again avail- able. FILMS Clouzot's famous film, Le Mystere Picasso, Im- ported by the Art Gallery Society, is booked out for 29.the premiere on October There will, however, be a further screening at Union Theatre on November 12. Enquiries to Art Gallery Society, BW1650. An independent film company in Sydney, which has already made one ex- cellent art film, wishes to make another on Austra- lian abstract painters and their work. It is willing to do this at cost. Some art patrons have already given enough money (or half the film to be shot. but at least £500 is needed if the mate - collections In recent years rial completed on Olsen. from their annual art Hessing. Rose and others competitions. These plc- is not to be wasted. tures are inclined to be EXHIBITION scattered around various municipal premises where they are seldom seen to At BEARD WATSON'S best advantage.