Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

t "TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W. The Week in Art by Daniel Thomas Oh, for a trade union ART has no trade union. The apparent breach of contract over some mural reliefs intended for the new Commonwealth Office building in Hunter Street make one almost wish it hod. "HILLS NEAR ATHENS," by Lloyd Rees (Macquarte Gallery). , . The Commonwealth Department of Worka last year invited the Sculptors' Society td nominate half a dozen 1r so artists to com- pete for the Job of decorating the lift lobby - in effect the 'entire ground floor - of their new building. , All the nominations were , well-known artists who '.work In a predominantly ',t abstract idiom; in the 1960s there are no others' of sufficient merit. The nominations were approv- ed, the competition took -,- place, and was judged by lz:r, tzars, ,Keiseifdye.natnodf two architects from the De- partment. A design submitted Jointly by Michael Nichol- son and Leonard Hewing was judged the winner. Work commenced; money and time was spent by the artists. Now we hear that the contract is cancelled. A properly organised compe- tition, the expert advice of various people has been set aside, apparently be- cause someone high up thought It "too abstruse' for this building: "The people working in It will be workers." Art auction An auction at Geoff K. Oray's of mostly Austra- lian paintings, mostly modern, was held on Wed-. nesday. The prices were reasonable. The reason: no Major Rubin present. Greedy sellers, rushing to unload paintings, should remember that boom prices that depend on the caprice of one buyer only are artificial. A small, and not speci- ally interesting early Pass - more failed, even at 375 guineas, to reacts a reserve that could only have been placed on it with the freak price in mind that Major Rubin paid recently. Arunta School water colors fetched only II, 10 and 16 guineas. Friend. and Flower were rather cheaper, around 40 and 50 guineas, than they would be from an art dealer. An excellent, large, Elaine Heaton "The Kite Flyers" was only 80 guineas. Some- bod3, who should be scold- ed for not learning to love Ian Fairweather's "oekko" bid only 200 guineas. Lloyd Rees Lloyd Rees' drawings at the Macquarie are sketches done in France, Italy and Greece in 1959. He is an older painter whose art has been deepened and en- riched by the years. His minutely detailed drawings of the 'twenties had the same romantic mood as today's. but their stagey flatness has long since been exchanged for the warm flesh of now favorite ample, swelling forms, and for the warm breath of soft atmosphere. His choice, or happy dis- covery. o. 'he same favor- Tushiuss. Rale as 0 teItfarna., thtphollils off Rome is only. to be -ex- pected. Nor is generosity of form matched by parsi- mony of details; he is one of our few draughtsmen who can integrate a multi- tude of events intO a vision of panoramic experience. Elizabeth Bell Elizabeth Bell, showing paintings and drawings at the Barry Stern Gallery, is the wife of John Bell. whose beat selling exhibi- tion at the same gallery was so publicised last year. Previously her work, seen in mixed exhibitions at, say, the Macquarie, looked better titan his. Domesticity must. have added its burdens, for now we have an artist who draws beautiful studies, but whose paintings lack both the stylistic unity and the pressure of a genuine feeling for their sublect that her husband's had. - With Elizabeth Bell there is still an air of art school exercise, and a doubtless fortuitous resemblance to several local painters. The Australian Art So- ciety is holding its 38th Annual Exhibition at David Jones. All is straightforwardly representational: only the symbolic outback color of the President Clif Pier goes much beyond a goudy impressionism, Brian Stratton and Molly Johnson stand out in this not very distinguished company. What's on TODAY AND NIX? WICK Art Gallery al N.S.W.-Sre tie' exhibition. AcpultitioN 1462. Noiei Winter chasmic time 430 p.m. CLOSING MONDAY Rees, dra in9scLosiak wcsoonisog Farmers-I nnnnn etionat Nam pnotograpIty. Grecs Bees., Chelaweed. - Cumberland Art Society ALL NEXT WEIS. Nuesrs aarae.-Charlea Ra din ton. Ninies.-Australl in Art Society. Frances Jones Stuille.-Beri Esser ' Clark. iA Child'. World. Anita, Steak Carb-Conlen, Pt'.7)PABINIe"TVeltIVY Dossiattan.- Abstract Dram '90/0101°411.141111SNILIDAY Massrarle.- Kenneth Head. Claim.- Beck room show. Stern.- Gareth Jenepaob tarts Kamen.- Contemporary Brit- ish Printmakers Sydney Building Information Centre, Elltebeth StreeL-Cotur reprodust lons of muttons& by British matters. TUESDAY LECTURI Art ..Tha Gallery Satiety, 11.15 p.m.- Ada In Aust.,. 0ny byLitiTir Litioni Kramer. Donovan C 1"14SUIIRAY'Llallint Mary Wads, 11,660, .6 3.1""godiselM46A4P.,:--Me;Allinti, Put I. premed,-