Daniel Thomas : Newspaper writings

"TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.S.W. 'SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, .EEBRUARY 23, 1964 13 The ,Week in Art by Daniel Thomas LEONARD FRENCH with his prize-winning picture and (left) American crt authority James Johnson Sweeney. MELBOURNES a r t world seemed mod about money lost week. And it was a madness learnt from Sydney: on art prize. We may be blase enough to think art prizes can be overdone. We have had them for over 60 years. We have at present three awards that are decidedly larger titan the '150 ans. of the Georges Invitational in Melbourne: there are about halt a dozen more at 500 gns.; and many .ether smaller suburban ones. While Georges Invite- i.onal, now in its second year. appears to be Mel- bourne's only art prize. The excitement amongst the artists was increased by extra money -changing with their own ai bookmaker-another trick or art itself, after all fits other great they might have learnt (His speech only just love besides contemporary from us, for the Rubin - survived two votes of art, and, like most Ameri- stein has always had its thanks. One wilfully bookmakers. gibed at abstract art, and cans, what he most wanted to see in Australia was the In the end the favorite. called on young Miners Sydney gallery's aboriginal VIP guest as French's seeond-best. What's on ALL NEST WEAK Tent Clung, IA Mitesty Stteet.-Jahn OsAstn. H..9.1 'Ism, 41 VitnalSor Wrest, Psdnington-7Init0l Knurl. ,t'Ittt B ans Ston, 20 Glimmers Pood.-illaris Chapman, sainting*. An. Sonnet, 531 Grott, Streit.-"Contrast or law, SWII." Dulth d.t0.a11H arts, osintInqs. Werfithint Arts Gentrst, Lbws! WIllos143-24.21. 11.,F toll.," Pans 104, 7430. Von Bortosch, Ninscastle.-Pobot 1710srsort, Crawls's. WslIontsn0 -100 ps&rs AultrsIlan painting. Want Canso. Ils Pat100 litshwayr Nernsby.-Joan 0.5. AnOsny lierdWs ISE4G111.-Arthibald. Wan. & 3sInnn trIttls David Janos. arsskrals. -WarrInosh pHs. sempetttlon. OPENING TUESDAY Itanstarts, 11 Allah 3 .-Los 111Altsborsualt, 2.1,1 C1.10.1,, peLlo. OsolrylnION, 192 Cattleriash SONIC-SUNUP Pollan. OPENING INIONE&Eittk_ .4;hqs,.-E1411roppotpry Inas. -'1. SATIJOIDAV ONLY Clusp-Anunrurs In An. ssrattottstNontessrsoWannerdn#1,0101/n01.0~~serrosognOsts1 In fact, French's "Fifth . Day" was not up to hie best. An awkward left- A very special event for over area at the top was this year only was the a worry, but then this presence of James Johnson awkwardness may be Sweeney to advise the kill' appropriate to the general and to open the exhibition, effect of strength and He is a past president of ,power the International A.SSOC/11,.: The symbolism did not Won of Art Critics, was. read clearly, but even if once director of the aug- there were specific icono- genhelm Museum, New graphical intentions, It is varli and now has charge rash to argue from linen - of the art museum at point)the real meaning brought him to Australia: 'I Houston, Texas. Qantas itonsocimay be quite an act of enlightened cul- different from what the tural patronage. artist himself thinks it is. And so on until the prize He Is one of the world's went to French, not, In greatest museum men, and fact, for his painting, but his opening speech was an for the painting plus a inspiring moment. Art was drawing, "The Seventh lifted on to a plane where Gay," whirls raised no for- its enjoyment was large malist or iconographic ob- and simple, for Sweeney s jections. particular concern is to demolish anything that In- Sweeney I think, has a terferes with a direct sea- personal ' preference for suous response to the work the toughcef rather than the Leonard French, got the to produce what ordinary first prize, Carl Plate the 'people can understand, and second prize of E250. and can more easily buy- Jan Senbergs the 50 gns. thereby reducing art from commendation for a Jun- its proper role of revela- tor artist (under 35). lion and prophecy to mere The prize was instigated home decoration. The by Alan McCulloch, done- other dwelt obtusely on the ted by a leading depart- money value of art.) ment store, a Melbourne He takes less interest in art critic, and the special the price of a work of art, thing about it la that the or the subject matter, or Art Critics' Association is the artist's name tper- supposed to provide the in- haps there are no labels in vitation list of competitors his museum), or in the and to provide a Jury. The work as an art -historical result is an exhibition of document Uts place in the high quality, but In fact history of style, or In the higher than one open to artist's own career), than all but rigorously selected, In Its unique presence, its like the W. D. & H. G. immediate appeal to the Wills In Sydney, senses. And this year the orig- In his session with the Inal idea of three annual jury - Alan McCulloch, , categories, figurative. non - Gertrude Langer and my- figurative, portrait, was self-he pleaded unfami- liarity with the work, and very properly scrapped - especially since the first nominated no names him - year's awards to Olsen and Williams, nominally for figurative painting, were exactly on the borderline of such artificial cate- gories. The absence of category limitations has meant a much better ex- hibition than last year, but 29 pictures are still too mapy for so small a gal - !erg' as Georges. self. Instead, he gave his comments on the jury's genial for imam. own short list. The main point to emerge was the temp- tation for Judges familiar with the artist's past work to Judge on the artist's particular achievement. But, said Sweeney, perhaps Plate's best picture In i months is still not as good grave posts). So against his warm support for Sen- bergs in the junior section his considerable admiration for Mfigate's white soul searchings should also be recorded. Neither the gum -tree regionalism of Fred Wil- liams nor the big -city Sydney folklore of Lan- celey were easy for him to grasp, and in Lanceley's case he preferred the handling of assemblage to the paint. A final important point was his reminder that all art must he to some extent derivative. It is not shameful to see Leger in French or Braque In Plate, or French In Sen- bergs. Indeed, artists are in the happy position of being able to choose for themselves the parents that will be the most con-