Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

One example will suffice. In an essay on the collection, the writer, who shall be nameless, had this to say about a particular oeuvre: The message, wording and tone of this work are both idiosyncratic and typical of a particular social caste, recalling the generative effect of language upon thought and of culture upon language. Verbal expression constrained by linguistic convention limits communication to reiteration of stylistic and ideological stereotype. It follows that self-definition, or individual identity, is experienced in terms of, and therefore largely consists in, the stereotype. There will be a prize of a wooden spoon-and a large one-for the first person to pin that tail upon the right donkey. There will be a second prize----a smaller wooden spoon-for anyone who can translate the passage into intelligible English. When someone has done these things-or even before----we will all have a glass of wine together. 4 Speech to introduce the Premier, the Hon. Mike Ahern, to open 'Your Collection Revealed', 29 March 1989 NOTE: THIS EXHIBITION WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW SCHOLARLY REHANG OF THE GALLERY'S COLLECTION, UNDERTAKEN BY DIRECTOR DOUG HALL WHICH HAD OCCUPIED GALLERY CURATORIAL CONSERVATION, EXHIBITIONS AND EDUCATION STAFF FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD IN THE PREPARATIONS. It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the Trustees and staff of the Queensland Art Gallery, to welcome you here this evening and, in particular, to welcome the Premier, who is going to open the exhibition 'Your Collection Revealed', and Mr Jack Anderson, whose company ARCO has, by its generous sponsorship, helped to make this exhibition possible. This evening is a very special landmark in the history of this great Gallery of ours. Last year, the year of the Bicentenary and Expo '88, the Gallery mounted a remarkable series of major exhibitions, twelve in all, plus two significant unveilings----of Rupert Bunny's Bathers and Sidney Nolan's Mrs Fraser and convict. Four of the exhibitions came to us from other countries and two of them– 'Masterpieces from the Louvre' and 'The Ceramic Traditions of Japan'-were wholly organised and managed by this Gallery. We had over half a million visitors-more than twice the number in the previous year-and sales of tickets and merchandise generated more than $1.3 million. The net proceeds were applied to the purchase of an important expressionist portrait by the twentieth-century Master, Chaim Soutine, Man wtth ribbons-a painting which, I venture to predict, will, in time, be as well known and as much admired as this Gallery's La Belle Hollandaise by Picasso, which returns tonight to be displayed after an absence of almost a year. The Gallery not only made money last year but established an international reputation as a spectacular venue and an efficient host for major visiting exhibitions. It is unlikely that the events of last year will soon, if ever, be repeated. 62