Wieneke Archive Book 3 : Moreton Galleries 1960-61 Presscuttings

Economy In oils MELVILLE HAYSOM Oil stopn. A.R.A.S., areaintings by MoIlY on John view at the Galleries. AMP MoretonBuild- ing. Edward Street. The artist studied first. at Canterbury College, New Zealand,. and later with A. D. Colquhoun, of Melbourne, from whom it aPpears she has gained much valuable knowledge of Max Meldr UM'S theories on the science of appearances. In this show of paint- ings which, I believe, is the painter's first lone ex- hibition in Brisbane, one is struck immediately by the retharkable and very successful economy of means used to express the truths of elusive visionary impacts. There is an overall feeling of efficient crafts- manship, but here and there, minute unfortunate details in brushwork and composition This is a pity in such delightful works as Dusk-Hawkesbury and Morning Glory. Near the Snowline, Head Waters of the Snowy River, Close to Evening. Old Haystack, Rain ,Glasshouse Moun- tains). Glimpse of Fore- shore Sydney ) , Natures Harmony, The Sapling, Frieze Landscape and Ceramics with Flowers are paintings very de- serving of attention. 10' mill' C.' JOHNSON Iiiishaile Moreton (,ilierie, Mks Johtemit i, 'hog mg 33 oil% ol Mndscupe Fier serve 01 tahics make, hei com- positions, usually imeompl well inteer,tied and iiIV.1111,ed 111 IAA:111011s tit she lielleaCi, anti dhoti] due to het individual in the range [tom violet - blue to ycliou. as in her ideas of open rolling coituto for which she uses dark foliage green. a cool light gieel] and the greenish yellow of grass in dry autumn %%cattier. She likes blue water in rivers and broad expanses. In "Chinese Holiday" the eye is caught by a group of figures in gay clothes in the bottom corner and led away across ricep-blue sparkling water to distant grey - blue hills. She makes some Arent' ires iti, a more abstract style: "Burnt Tees of Vl'arrumbitngles" is a very good pic- ture. ,emi-ithstract, austere, thoughtful and full of feeling. In a small piece, she handles very deftly problems of color, light and form and solves them in splashes of sombre green and crimson. J. V. DUHIG Molly Johnson's oils MOLLY a. JOHNSON'S landscapes in oils at the Moreton Galleries rely precariously on freshness and lightness of touch. Freshness of handling Is an attractive quality, but will create little impact if not also backed by a freshnes. of vision. There is danger in taking a lead from the brushwork and thin pigment of certain Sidney Nolans without realising the mind which gives substance to the slightest sketch of a personality such RS his. The majority of Miss Johnson's paintings show little formal exploration and strike one as rather anaemic sketches from nature. However, "Untamed Hill," "Hartley Valley Relic," and "Glass House Mountains" are among half -a -dozen paintings where means and ends meet. ART REVIEW by Dr. Gertrude Langer Archibald prize works ON view at the Moreto of paintings from th Suiman Exhibition. This' includes the winners in the first two but not the winner could the bee Sulma sera cured), considered the out- standing painting of the lot. JUDY CA SSAB'S prize- winning portrait of the painter Rapotec is a suc- cessful compromise (though one could not call it a very profound solution) between representation and abstrac- tion. The best . . The portrait does justice to the physique as well as to the character of the sit- ter, and it is certainl the best portrait here wheny one considers the painting as a whole-I mean as a form- ally explored structure. Or other portraits differ- ing from iloSe in th "offi- cial portrait mannee r" we ha JOHN RIGHT'S '"self Partralt,," which exhibits n Galleries is a selection e Archibald, Wynne and flair for design without fundamental departure from conventional requirements. SAM FULLBROOK'S romantically felt "Ruth Bergner," and William Pid- geon's "Dobell," somewhat Inspired by the example of the sitter. A subject such as Sir Ed- mund Hillary surely could have inspired a more imag- inative painting than the one by CARRINGTON SMITH. JOHN PERCEVAL'S "Dairy Farm" jumps off the wall with Its Jewelled green and action -painting-like ex- uberance. It Is an odd com- panion to the pedestrian PENDLERURY with which it shared the prize. More deserving than the latter are the sensitive and form -controlled impression- ism of de SILVA'S "After- noon Storm, Brisbane," and RONALD STEUART'S Ink -and -wash painting"Fat- tern of the Bush." MOLLY G. JOHNSON, A.R.A.S. 17 APRIL TO 28 APRIL 1961 MORETON GALLERIES A.M.P. BUILDING EDWARD STREET BRISBANE ART PRIZE WINNERS MELVILLE HAYSoll At the Moreton Galleries, AMP Build- ing, Edward Street, can be seen selected paintings, including the prise winners, token from the three major annual art compe- titions, the Archibald, the Wynne and the Sulman. To a certain extent, works submitted for these coveted prizes give an overall picture of what is happening from year to year in the realms of painting in Australia. The exhibited entries can be considered as representing the artists concerned at, or near their top form. Judy Cassab's winning portrait of Stanislaus Rapotec has aesthetic alities and reveals not ly her craftsmanship t her fine appreciation as well, Scott Pendlebury's Dr. Kel Bemmcns has a pleasant feeling of in formality, John Risby's Self Portrait is not so happy. In contrast, Wil- liam Pidgeon's William Dobell and T. J. Santry's Mr. R. S. Wakelin strike quite a cheerful note. Graeme truen's Richard Edwards is a ' tine example of tonal appreciation and Wil- liam Dargle's Self Portrait rates high to clean handling of the factual statement to representational paint- ing. Joshua Smith's entry, Ht Excellency, the Gov- ernor of Victoria, Gen- eral Slr Dallas Brooks, is notable for the attention paid to fine detail but It lacks in true art con- tent, Individual styles The for- the Wynne landscape prize, Old Farm House by L. Scott Pendiebury, and Dairy Farm by John Percival. are very good examples of the artists' Individual styles. Deserted Mines Sunny Conner, aNSW, by James Afternoon Storm, Brisbane, by , Frank de Silva; Numin- : bah Valley, South ' Queensland, by Cyril 0. Gibbs; Heat Haze, Dubbo, by Alan R. Grieve; Pat- tern of The Bush, by Ronald Steuart; George Street, Sydney, by Allan Hansen; and Sugar Mill at Night, Tully, North Queensland, arc pleasure - able items. Other interesting works include Douglas Dundas' Miss Jan Barber, Sir Edmund Hilary, by J. Carrington Smith, and Sam Fulbrook's The Dancer, Ruth Bergner. !4` 1"