Wieneke Archive Book 3 : Moreton Galleries 1960-61 Presscuttings

ART REVIEW by Ur. Gertrude Langer DRAWINGS BY LAMBERT AND WILSON ON SHOW _I The Mot eton IL -Merles oiler Drawings by late GEORGE LAMBERT (1873-1930) and Hilt' WILSON, who died in 1946, aged only 35. Lambert. who ,o,loyed of the full scope ranging great material success in his from the literal to the purely ; lifetime, was more remark- abstract) of this promising able for his bravura tech- painter, who was not ague and cleverness, which granted time to attain to he directed towards the his Oiliest potentialities. limited goal of representa- tion, rather than for the SKETCHBOOK profounder qualities of creative design and penetra- Personal sketchbook anno- don to regions deeper than taUons (perhaps intended surface, as material for paintings) While some of these though these sketches are, sketches and studies of the they reveal a grasp of the figure and of the portrait essentials of a landscape or strike one rather as cold in cityscape. their academic correctness The gracefully scribbled and assurance, one cannot areas have nothing arbi- help admiring the aristo- trary. but are part of a crane elegance of rendition considered structure. which in others, such as "In The lifts these tiny sketches Strand," The Hunter." or above the commonplace of "Rider and Horse." mere literalness, and one of The collection of small the drawings shows a three - sketches by Eric Wilson, of don towards greater ab- course, does not give anidea straction. IMPORTANT ART SHOW MELVILLE 11.4ASOM An important exhibition of drawings is on view at the Moreton Galleries, AMP building, Edward Street. It is composed of works by two outstanding figures in the story of Australian art, George + Lambert. ARA, and Eric Wilson, There Is a splendid quality 01 draftsman- ' ship throu,liout, A deeper appreciation .ii the artists can be ob- Ptained through the med- num of these exquisite -If ragmentary statements from the sketch book. as one of Australia's mast, ways will be remembered George Lambert al- -brilliant artists of his period. He excelled in sculpture as well as Ipainting and drawing. A number of sketches In this show are prelim- inary notes for large 4 works such as the Henry Lawson Memorial and Important People. Lambert served as an official war artist during 1914-1918 and much of his art is to be seen in 1-- the National War Mem- orial Museum. Eric Wilson achieved a remarkably high posi- tion among his contem- poraries during his short career in art. He died when he was at the stage of his development which suggested a tremendous future. These small colored drawings of his reveal his sensitive reactions to the charm of the French scene. 1 t4.4kAtit4 MORETON GALLERIES M P loottwqr. CDWAI:15 T 11120,1IANI T DON'T enjoy en-. I tering into con- troversy with a woman. But when the woman happens to be an art critic who belittles the work of the greatest Australian painter, In favor of expon- ents of the abstract and the abstruse, I f e e 1 justified In taking a brief against her. 2111llllllllll 11111111111111111111111111111111I11,1111.1111111111111111111111.41,m. 11111111111, m11111110 run ititice-vL Aco-t.e,6140 4 "71.t.i.' _ -- Reviewing (Ciitq - lion of drawings by the I late George Lambert, now on exhibition at the Moreton Galleries, Dr. Gertrude Langer makes the following ob- servations: (1) Lambert, who enjoyed great material success in his lifetime, was more remarkable for his bravura tech- nique and cleverness; (2) These he directed towards the limited goal of "reps - men ation; (3) Whereas, he could have devoted himself "to the pro- founder qualities of creative design and penetration to ,egions deeper than the sur- face." Well, I Interpret the crack about Lambert's material success to mean that he lacked a sort of spiritual ap- . t proach to his art; or, If you prefer it, he should have given his truly great canvases away. E Why, the self-con- fessed fraud, Picasso, exponent of the ab- strait, has made far lo more money out of his illegitimate art than George Lambert made out of a .lifetime of success earned by pro- digions work and the 3 true artist's endless search for perfection in his media. Lambert's work will be inspiring the artists 3 of this country when the last decadent studio 1i. of Europe has gone 1 down to oblivion, and the last smart boy who can't draw and can't 3 E. paint has taken, his 3 'profounder qualities of -.1i creative design a n di '13 penetration" to regions so far below the sur- face that he'll never come up again.