Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

In the West, the bamboo, the plum and the pine are simply three trees. In Japan, they signify the Three Friends, the Companions of the Deep Cold, flourishing happily in the dead of winter-the bamboo representing resilient strength; the plum, lasting creativity and als~are I say it-a sexually active old age; the pine, enduring courage. And there are many more such symbols-the exhibition is full of them. Finally, the exhibition reminds us that in the nineteenth century, when the so-called 'fine arts' were becoming more and more decadent, simple craftsmen were preserving a more truly artistic spirit. Today, when modem industry threatens to destroy folk art, we are becoming increasingly aware of the people who are trying to keep it alive-humble craftsmen, whose names and careers are, for the most part, quite unknown. 'The Art of Ai' emphasises their ability to reduce complicated representational ideas to simple forms and to delight the eye with patterns that are optically tantalising. There is a poem in the Anthology of Ancient Japanese Poetry, The Many6 Shu (the collection of IO000 leaves) dating from. the eighth century, which manages to immortalise the art of Ai: ·Across the ·great vermilion painted bridge, Her crimson skirt-hem trailing, Wearing a robe dyed with mountain indigo, A young girl walks alone That single picture captures much of the mystery and fascination of Japan. And finally, I just want to say one more thing-another reason why I'm especially happy to be here tonight. This is the first time a Trustee of the Gallery in Brisbane has opened an exhibition here at the Centre. I hope it will not be the last. I look forward to a close and co-operative relationship between our two galleries and I will do my best to make this happen. 2 So, I know, will Queensland Art Gallery Director Doug Hall, who is with me here tonight. He has just come back from Japan, where he attended the opening of the exhibition of Australian painting and sculpture which we sent to the Saitama Museum. He too, I rather think, is now under the spell of Japan. 2 Vote of thanks at the opening of 'The Ceramic Traditions ofJapan: Masterworks from the Idemitsu Museum ofArts, Tokyo', 26 July 1988 NOTE: THIS WAS THE EXHIBITION OF I05 CERAMIC MASTERPIECES FROM THE OUTSTANDING COLLECTIONS OF THE IDEMITSU MUSEUM OF ARTS IN TOKYO. THEY COVERED THE PERIOD FROM THE EIGHTH CENTURY BC TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AD. MR SHOSUKE IDEMITSU, WHOSE FATHER HAD FOUNDED THE COLLECTION AND WHO HAD EXTENDED AND ENHANCED IT INTO ONE OF THE GREAT COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD, WAS PRESENT IN BRISBANE FOR THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THIS, THE THIRD, EXHIBITION FROM HIS COLLECTION TO TOUR AUSTRALIA. 'THE CERAMIC TRADITIONS OF JAPAN' WAS ORGANISED BY THE QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY AS A 18