Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

"TELEGRAPH" 0-? Sydney, N.S.W. SUNDAY TELEGRAPH{ :AUGUST 18, 184.1 57 The Week in Art by Daniel Thomas A POTTER IS LED ART and craftsmanship are very different matters, however much craftsmen may wish to upgrade them- selves. A chair, for example, however satisfyingly designed, can never truly seem a work of art. Ivan Englund, whose pots last week were as good as ever, hankered after cer- amic sculpture and painting as well. The venture away from the circum- scribed safety of tra- ditional pottery forms and of traditional functions only re- vealed a wildly arbi- trary sense of form. Giant spongey cer- amic polyps reared from the floor. Drain- pipes were chopped and scratched, evid- ently while leather - hard, and made into plaques, or towers slung on metal rods; the left-overs becom- ing relief assemblages. Other reliefs aspired per- haps to the subtle painted textures of William Peas - cod, one of Englund's col- leagues at Wollongong. Re- cent visitors to that city have discerned ap "earth feeling" manifested in its art. Each city its own brand - image, but one which theoretically might seem well adaptable to pottery must only have led this fine potter astray. The Jewellery of Helge Larsen and Darani Lewers at the Macquarie might seem at first to be minia- ture sculpture, independent of function, or of tradi- tional forms. This Is true of brooches, and here there are just two pieces (out of 1901 which do have a displeas- ing arbitrariness. But rings, earrings, cuff- links and especially the neckrings have functional limitations with which to challenge their makers, and perhaps more important, to provide a readymade be- ginning and end to the task. Pendants, too, have a function, that of suspend- ing a precious object as ele- gantly as possible. and these, with the necklines and armrings, are of the greatest beauty. All the jewellery Is silver, and it is combined with brilliant yellow amber, mysterious boxwood, or iri- descent abalone shell even ms c happily than with the familiar sapphire. chalcedony, topaz or ruby. Larssn is Danish. trained with the world's best ail- vetsmiths, and it is allow- able. to see ancient Viking and jewelle necry krings behi. nd the arm His wife is Australian. and now that, they have been working here for a year or so, one can see a hint (only a hint) of bush - land twigginess entering some of the designs. Prices from seven to 56 guineas seem cheap for things that will be cher- ished for ever. There is also for the first time some hollow ware: a magnificent bowl and a ladle, at higher prices. Start book Garen! Lowers went to school at Mittagong. On the edge of the schoel grounds was Sturt, unique craft centre open to anyone in the district (adults or children) who wished to do weaving, car- pentry, or pottery. To mark its 21st birthday a book has been published, Stu t Workshops r (42/, Ure Sith). The many beautiful photographs by David Moore and others reveal an environment which must. have helped Miss Lewers' sensibility grow, must have demonstrated the fitness of craftsman- ship, and revealed certain values, (No jewellery or metalwork is taught there, and of course her artist parents must take most of the credit for her.) Anybody who has asso- ciations with Frensham or Stunt, or who is interested in the crafts, will un- doubtedly enjoy this book. Terry Clunes is another itinerant, from Swltzerlend via Ceylon, and in Sydney since early this year, The "Ceylonese Still Lifes" are admirably bold and decorative: some king- ly Ceylon landscapes have fauvish colors, purple earth and orange sky. Think of Nolde for some idea of his work. Watercolors But in Ills Australian outbackery, our subtle The Australian Water- drabness has not submit - color Institute's 40th an- ted itself to his decorative nual exhibition, at David expressionism. Jones, has taken on a little extra life this year. Or per- haps It has hung less of the facile commercialism that has sometimes crept ly have such giants as Me- in. pelleppel and Ben Hie- Of the 124 works by 65 nelson artists (one dead: the In- Frank Werther, at the stitute's first president B. Dominion, is a Melbourne E. Minns) the two State fauve who paints the land - gallery directors. Robert scene beyond Heidelberg Campbell and Hal Missing- that Arnold Shore an ham, more titan hold their 1 I own. Others marked with ap- , 'royal in my catalogue are Hector Cillilland, Tom Green, Robert Grieve, Margo Lowers, Elisabeth Rooney, Imre Seigel!, and , G. K. Townshend, the last , offering a surprise by put - ling a close-up portrait of 1, "The New Curate," pink and shy in front of his! familiar landscapes. Recommended "The Golden Age of France," that is French antiques lent from Sydney collections to Bishopscourt, sounds promising. The Grace Art Prize at Chatswood has, I am in- formed, found space to ex- hibit every one of its 400 or so entries; this seldom happen: and could be very interesting. Artlovers loan exhibi- tion will show little-known ASTRAY private collections; and another Northside Festival event, the Lionel Lindsay prints given to Gordon Australian pictures from Council Chambers, will make an instructive com- ,- WHAT'S ON parison with present-day d s,,,,. t.,, graphic art in the 3rd an - ad Cellars el-N.S.Viriltalifrr.'..r. ' ' r . ' j, o... , loaned .0), Mr. mutt exhibition, at Farmers, IrkGheyeni "The Australie fermi ii In conjunction ieelth current "TV eerie: . ' Foe' R""'''' of the Sydney Printmakers. ALL NeXT WEEK And if you venture over mr .A17.6....'' '3 ''' '6" .7.71.14""* the1 Manly Art AwrMaPleoryt vtinOit. - Garry Vern: LAW... HOP.. Comic nudes, dubious old Terry Cl',,.: Edith Holmes end Gerald Vereguth. Derelnliin: F.0.11 Werth., end Chula. 10.511. masters, two superb Tom Walk Callow Horneby. Molly Johnon end Harry Collins. Roberts, one. a watercolor, David Hoc Watercolor Institute. Anniall Eehibit On. Leak Gallery. 15 St . Oarliughurst: Inaugural fh/bil... very badly faded. Smee and Angela Morris. Hanlon Enos.: itousewires. An Con linition Crane, Wollongong: Ter Gu:no 5hoh CLOSING MON SAY NOON MACGUARIEt Jewellery by Helve Larson and Dement Loon OPINING WEDNESDAY On loan to the Art Gal- l:W Jon, Fins Ans. nth Floor, lery of N.S.W. are two Fermi,., Sydney-Printmakers' Annual Eah'1,11,on Iludy NM.: Peter Upward. by two giants of English painter. Se. Store: Phillip Soto, portraits OPINING FEIDAY the School of Paris, Soutine MONDAY TV LECTURE and Modigliani. Van Be ileolo, N..11111111: 0.1111014 13.11iy UrgIsirtc iitUlg, Alt. Vannir.. 2. 4.50 Pm.: iThree Auer... 13. pieces, and not to be These are near-master- ' ".4111=DAY DISCUSSION An Canary Iti7MIVit. P.m.: h;PetTanT hlal:r nig '4,7',;,*: by 00" missed. Mary :eke Scheel. 6 p re. : Modern Art:. the Golden Age.. They stare at another NORTHERN FESTIVAL 11041EIT1ONS loan of five recent Dobells Noah Shoe Wertokep Arts Celelre 33 Laurel St.. Wiiloughbo Annual an the 0.---- . smite wall and Art Soiety. until Friday. Royal Art Satiety, 25 Weilkor St., North them somewhat. Eshibition until Friday. A. J. 111milentlo, Chatswood: Comberlod (45.20111fit. Sydney, to day and until not Sunday, Gordon Council Chembers. PAO by Slr Lionel Lindsay, for' one month, *Aloe. Gallery, 0'9 Pacific Highway, Artermea: Auttrallan Colonist! Painting,' opening ruoday for fortnight.' Independent Moto: Tomo Am, until not Sunday. Goo Oro, Chanwood: Grace Art Prise. until Sew - day. One also notes ....Ito re one par - 1 iitifni- Cart We school of followerog" ! tare to the next, or to up round Carington Elmith "" I the whole. in Tits-nattla. And. some' seeps emerging out of Sal-, Weirdies alarmingly figurative land-; keuskas' abstractions. , Sharing the Dominion Gallery is Charles Bassett Colorists . whose sixteen desolate pie- ; tures have Utles like "Mourn n o t for me," Next week Phillip i3ut-. "Soliloquy," "Minotaur." ton, by all accounts. a pre- They are, in fact, all of sent day Matisse from logs and roots. England, will show us the He might be from Mel - pure joys of singing color, bourne, too. judging by at David Jones' Fine Arbil; the type of clay adhering Gallery. Gerald at:, to these tree stumps, Some are almost trompe- l'ocil in their naturalism; all share a commonplace surrealist intention which gets no further than lounge -room tameness. Laurence Hope at Barry Stern's ig genuinely weird. He has lived in Sydney and Brisbane (traces of the latter appear in his pictures) and now inhabits Use Melbourne painting world of Blackman and his kind. A heavily symbolic blue maiden yearns against an nemoonnt.v makjecangdoesa acTlesci :zit:. snowbound black forest, poverty is dwelt . upon, men's hats (not bad these) become a fetish. Quite a few pictures show a pair of heads pok- ing out of bedclothes tone lot are lesbians, another link with Courbet and the mid-Victorian mood), but with no body whatsoever Prices rather high at 150-260 guineas: and his presence Is surprising in a a1lery which will short - Line Bryans used to paint, Likewise only half a and in a manner not so man emerges front one different from theirs. heap of newspapers. He has °Sher manners, The imaginative quail - too; Pugh-like concentra- ties cannot emerge front tion on a patch of heath such inadequate painting. blossom, some "Burnt Out" sensed beneath. landscapes suggesting a Only. three or four (Nos. teacher In common with 14, 15, 17, 26) are exhibit - Shay Docking. 'able, and the novelist Hal Porter should know better The less abstract the than to contribute an !a- better: however some fine, vitation card blurb about opulent color; occasionally being 'permitted the op - a nice sense of pattern, portunity-say. rather, the but very little ability for privilege-of being haunt- ed by his work." Modigliani