Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

RESPECTIVELY, OF THE GALLERY AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME IN 1987. TO SAY THAT WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER HARMONIOUSLY AND SUCCESSFULLY IS TO UNDERSTATE THE CHARACTER OF THE RELATIONSHIP. 'WHEN I WAS APPOINTED, ONE OF THE FIRST LETTERS OF CONGRATULATIONS I RECEIVED WAS FROM DICK, IN WHICH HE ALMOST MOURNED THE FACT THAT HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE GALLERY WAS SOMEWHAT REMOTE. NOT LONG AFTER THIS HE WAS APPOINTED CHAIRMAN, WITHOUT ANY PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD BEEN PROPOSED. THAT HE WAS FOREWARNED ONLY A DAY BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT SAYS AS MUCH ABOUT THE WAY THINGS WERE DONE IN THOSE DAYS AS THE NECESSITY OF KEEPING INSPIRATIONAL DECISIONS UNDER WRAPS UNTIL AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NECESSARY. DICK HAS LATER RECALLED HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE THEN ARTS MINISTER, BRIAN AUSTIN, ABOUT CABINET'S UNANIMOUS ENDORSEMENT OF HIS CHAIRMANSHIP. THE MINISTER LOOKED HIM STRAIGHT IN THE EYE AND WITHOUT FLINCHING SAID, 'I SUPPOSE JOH THOUGHT YOU WERE MY BROTHER'. 'I AM NOT GOING TO EMBARRASS DICK BY GIVING A LENGTHY VERSION OF HIS DISTINGUISHED ROLE IN PUBLIC LIFE, NOR EMBARRASS MYSELF BY BEING INADEQUATE TO THE TASK, BUT I WANT TO OFFER A FEW OBSERVATIONS ABOUT A UNIQUE MAN WITH WHOM I AM FAMILIAR-OR PERHAPS THINK I KNOW-A PERSON WHO READILY ACKNOWLEDGES TRADITION AND CONVENTIONS, YET PARADOXICALLY, (IF NOT ZEN– LIKE IN ITS MAVERICK PRAGMATISM) CAN SEE SITUATIONS IN REFRESHING AND, AT TIMES, IN UTTERLY ORIGINAL WAYS. 'FROM THE OUTSET THERE WAS NOT THE SLIGHTEST HESITATION IN RETHINKING THE GALLERY AND WHAT IT MIGHT REPRESENT. HIS INTELLECTUAL AND POLICY EMPHASIS TOWARDS ASIA HAS GIVEN US THE INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE AND THE PROGRAMS WHICH ARE NOW RECOGNISED NATIONALLY AND, IN THE CASE OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC TRIENNIAL, INTERNATIONALLY. WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER THROUGH PERIODS OF EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE AND NEVER CROSSED SWORDS. HE HAS' NEVER WANTED TO TELL ME HOW TO RUN THE GALLERY AND ALWAYS RESPECTED THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THOSE WHO WORKED IN IT. I CAME TO UNDERSTAND WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE A PARTICULAR POSITION ON SOMETHING-THE CONVERSATION WOULD INVARIABLY BEGIN, 'PERHAPS WE MIGHT CONSIDER'. THAT WAS ALWAYS THE SIGNAL TO RECONSIDER, AND HE WAS INVARIABLY RIGHT. 'DICK'S RECOGNITION OF CERTAIN INEVITABLE$ AND WHAT WAS INTRINSICALLY PROPER TRANSCENDED PERSONAL TASTES AND WISHES. THE DECISION TO MAKE THE GALLERY A MAJOR AUSTRALIAN ART MUSEUM OF AND ABOUT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY_HARDLY COMPLEMENTS DICK'S PERSONAL TASTE AND STYLE, AND l'M SURE HE WON'T MIND MY OBSERVATION THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHEN I THOUGHT HE REGARDED THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND MUCH OF THE ART PRODUCED TOWARDS THE LATTER PART OF IT, AN APPALLING ABERRATION. EVEN THOUGH HE THOUGHT l'D LOST THE PLOT, HE NEVER VOTED AGAINST THE DIRECTOR-JUST DESPERATELY HOPED HE WAS POISED FOR A FLASH CONVERSION TO A HIGHER AESTHETIC. I WELL REMEMBER ONE OCCASION AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY 168