Wieneke Archive Book 3 : Moreton Galleries 1960-61 Presscuttings

Rowell surprise MELVILLE HAYSOM John Rowell, In his exhibition of paintings at the Moreton Galleries, reel, has sprung Buildings, Ed- ward a surp se on people who have accepted him trhoughout the years as a stallrart of the rep- resent tior,s1 approach to sainting. In this show we see Mr. Rowell expressin himself m thre ways; the old, the new and the extra new. In the old manner, we find such titles as June Morning, Freshness 01 Morning, Autumn Pastoral Tall Timber, In Sombre Mood and TimeWorn Monarch. The last two paintings mentioned are good ex- amples of this particular phase of the artists out- put. The paintings of the Inland, Warren Gorge, Nearing The Range, A ('reek In The Flind- ers. Nildolli Gorge, The Far North, In The Flind- ers Range and Near Gregors Crossing, still show him as skilfully presenting the scene, the last-named painting being the choice In thin section. A new Rowell emerges in such paintings as Country Town, Ti -Tree and Gums, Coastal Storm Black Boys, A Sou' Wester and Evening Glow. Church Of The Outback and The Slipway reveal a still further movement away from the Rowell we have been accustomed to see. - .Y. His art fo'r ,. By FREDERIC RoGERs artistk.:HtouNdwrgei ROWELte.hof an Even more artistically important is his 5 ym- pathetic understanding of her many moods. Since his last exhibi- ' Bon In Brisbane Our! I years ago, Mr. Rowell has .., been around-Into Aus- tralia's lush green pas- toral valleys, by her rug- ged coastline, and Into her forbidding centre. The results of this com- munion with the outdoors are to be seen in his show opening tomorrow at the Moreton Galleries-a show to delight the eye of those who still believe that a painting need not require analytical explanation to be enjoyed and appre- ; dated. s Tang of bush Whether it be in "Coun- try Town," with its r genuine atmosphere of a sleepy outback village, in "The Slipway," in which the artist has somewhat departed from his custo- mary techn in ical style, "Coastal storm," with its menacing sky or in "Blackboys," that almost carries with it a tang in- ot the bush, there is a s1 cerity in all thork that will make ite s womewh nostalgically attractive to both the man who likes I sonlething he can under- / stand, and the more sophisticated art -lover who can appreciate a sound te;11\neirqeue, is nothing ab- stract about Mr. Rowell's art-it is a sensitive set- ting down on canvas of the scenes that Weal to all theenjoy and appre- ciate natural beauties of this great eetultry. e e (2e.A-42-4.J. a