Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

Next Wedn esda y Rudy Komon will ex- pect proper money for paintings by the Rub- instein Scholar ship winner, Eric Smith. Last Wednesday, how- ever, convalescent cheque books were' still being of- fered low - priced work- either young artists exhib- iting for the first time, or established artists exhibit- ing drawings and prints. There Is little doubt that if you must have small or cheap pictures then draw- ings and prints are more satisfying than trivialities in other media. Only the most powerful imagina- tions seem able to prevent tiny oils or sculptures from "TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W. t.-1) The Week in Art by Daniel Thomas THIS was the last week for loW-geared, after -Christmas art marketing. there is both technical becoming trivial. At the Stern Galleries Silver Collings, a 22 -year - old sculptor, shows a num- ber of open-work animals constructed from metal rods. They are not especially small, but few of them go much beyond art school exercises. One, a horse made from metal sheets, not rods, seemed promising; perhaps because it is less like the work et Lyndon Dadswell, who was presum- ably her teacher. Investigation of the tech- niques is still, understand- ably enough, a major con- cern; her personal imagi- nation is not yet fully re- vealed. At the Macquarie Gal- leries on the other hand OWL WITH THREE BIRDS, a stone-cut by Lucy which is part of the Eskimo graphic art exhibition at Wales House. authority and personal imagination in the draw- ings and prints offered so cheaply by 40 artists. Some of them, best known as painters, show studies full of exciting pro- mise for the larger ver- sion; Hodgklnson, Coburn and Plate for instance. Others who are scarcely known as painters at all have perfected a form of expression for themselves in the more modest, but also the more sprightly linear modes. Can oil paintings ever be really funny? Quite apart from the subject matter, Rowland - son, 150 years ago, drew a line that was rollicking in itself, and Paul Klee, the most profoundly witty ar- tist of the twentieth cen- tury was at his best in drawing. So here In this exhibi- tion Ray Coles' abstract drawing is humorous, and Cedric Flower's "Padding- ton Terrace" and Donald Friend's "Juke Box at Joe's" make their subjects funny by means of their drawing. This last drawing dates from 1944. Another artist, Then Proctor, has an even older one-a wonderfully stylish (1 Edwardian woman of 1908 -though her 1962 drawing has no less authority. Sydney has learnt its lesson of "encouraging the younger artists" almost too well (helped by dubious appeals to the gambler's Instinct). But most younger artists indulgentpar today haveaffluentveentsIt ang the older artists like Thea Proctor or Lloyd Rees. also well shown at the Mac- quarie. who are in greater need of moral support. The artistic dividends rrons_their work will be de- pendable. too. Print studio Among the printmakers In the Macquarie exhibi- tion are Earle Timken and Elizabeth Rooney with etchings, Strom Gould with a lithograph. Eva Kubbos . and David Rose with seri- En aphs, and Sue Buckley and James Sharp with woodcu tr. These artists are gener- ally less known for their 'paintings than for their prints. They have persevered in these ancient forms of in- ' timate art, which is cheap (they are, in fact, re- ' peatable originals), but which also has its own special qualities of line, surface. and texture-the , thick ridges of. ink in etch- ings the grain of the wood exploited in woodcuts. Since printmaking is, I surprisingly not taught at East Sydney Technical College, it is of the great- est interest that the Joy Ewart Studio, which has conducted art classes at Chatswood for some years, is moving in a few weeks ' to larger premises at Wil- loughby, where Sydney's first graphic arts work- shop will be conducted. Some of the artists men- tioned above will teach printmaking there and in- quiries for enrolment in these classes, or in the painting classes, should be made to Miss Marie King (telephone 44-2628). Five free places will be awarded to gifted children. There is also an a-ssoei- ated arts centre to foster all branches of the cre- ative arts. It is a reol- tered cultural body to which donations a; J 'ax - deductible. Folk prints A living folk art from the Eskimos of Cape Dorset, Canada, is now on exhibi- tion in the basement of Wales House, at the corner -of Pitt and O'Connell Streets. tWhy are the exhibi- tions, often very interest- ing, always sneaked into Wales House without let- ting anyone know?) There is no explanatory material to tell whether these prints are a new art form or not. The prints, stone -cuts or sealskin stencils, are strict- ly limited to an edition of 50 numbered copies. All are carefully in- scribed with title, date, technique and the artist's name. The exhibition has been made available by the Canadian Govern in e n t Trade Commissioner, but there is no commercialism in these works of art other than their efficient mar- keting. The artists all have single names, Anootiga- look, Pudio. Saggiasse. or Lucy (the only Western- ised name). They 3iostly print in black, but blue, yellow, red or green are occasion- ally used. The subjects are all very close to Eskimo life-dom- estic problems, hunting, and the supernatural spirits. Among the wildlife the owl and whale seem to be especially meaningful to the Eskimo. The spirits are clearly created in the Eskimo's own image, rotund, jolly and rough at play. Newcastle gallery. Newcastle is the only provincial city with a , properly run public gallery (founded in 1957). Next weekend it will also become the only N.S.W. city. outside Sydney, with a real commercial gallery. The von Bertouch Gal- leries will be situated in Lumen Street, virtually next door to the City Art Gallery. It will be open from 12 to 7.30 p.m. and for the inaugural exhibition this will include Sundays. The first show, open to the public next Sunday, will be of work by eight major Australian artists who were born in New- castle or became, like Paul Beadle and John Pasamore, closely associated with the city. Dobell, of course, heads the list, and the others are Olsen. Molvig, Bill Rose, Ross Morrow. and Tom Gleghorn. Some works will be lent but most will be for sale, including three drawings sent from London by Gleg- horn, the 1961 Rubinstein Scholarship winner. nnvnr rtnrint