Wieneke Archive Book 4f : The Arts in Australia Presscuttings

S 59.5 11 1 I 1, 55 5 1: IP s 40.5 1 SO 5 '111 .1; 5 ..- 49.5. 9Z1 47.5. 611 47.5 iT, ill 1350m .n Claim, na 91aor 54 SI 5 50.5 so 49.5 49 49 49 49 49 4 9 ke BARON von THYSSEN Priceess Thyssen art works coup by gallery I3y JOHN MONKS ONE of the world's greatest private collections of Modern art, the interna- tionally renewed 'Thyssen collection, is coming to Australia in December. Hot on the heels of the an- nouncement that the Aus- tralian Gallery Directors Council a as bringing the ms Russian Hermitage collection to Australia this year the directors last night revealed this second coup. The Thyssen collection is oan- sidered priceless. One paint- ing alone, Van Gogh's Les Dechargeurs a Arles. is in- sured [or more titan $1.5 mil- llob. The total value of the 90 works in the collection would be astronomical, For this reason the Australian Government is understood to be indemnifying the col- lection as it tours the galler- ies of Western Australia. Vic- toria, Queensland, South Australia and NSW later this year and next year. The exhibition will be the cli- max of Werstern Australia's sesquicentennial celebra- tions and the curtain -raiser exhibition for Perth's new $10 million art gallery. Announcing the exhibition last night the executive di- rector of tile Australian Gal- lery Directors Council, Mr William Warner, said: "We congratulate the art gallery of Western Australia on its vision in successfully con- cluding negotiations with Baron Thyssen, "The exhibition will obviously be a tremendous highlight for Western Australia's 150th anniversary - celebrations, and will draw large crowds. "It will also be a rewarding ex- perience for art lovers all over Australia who will have he opportunity of seeing through the paintings the creative development of in- ternational art movements which gave new direction to the art of our time." The collection, which is per- manently housed in the Villa Favorita in Paris, was begun in 1927 by Baron von Thys- sen, the European steel mag- nate who died in 1997. It originally contained works from tile Siennese prima - lives and Venetian fresco painters and included old Florentine masters and art- ists front the Low Countries. The present Baron von Thys- sen-Bornemisza added to the traditional collection by ac- quiring El Greco, Rem- brandt, Goya and Friedrich masterpieces. Later he began collecting work of the French Impressionists, German expressionists and a selection from the works of the exponents of cubism, Surrealism and abstraction. The collection touring Aus- tralia will include the paint- ings of Picasso, Miro, Klee. Chagal and Mondrian. Australia will see Cezanne's Fruit Garden and Marc Cha- gal's Le Coq as well as Degas' Deux.Danseuses, Arts boom But council warns of a fragile future AUSTRALIA Is exper- iencing an unprecedented re- surgence in the arts With dramatic improvements in literature, music, drama, crafts and films over the past 10 years, THE growth in cultural activity was reported yester- day by the Australia Council in its annual report to Parlia- ment. The council said tastes had become broader and more so- phisticated since the late 60s. At the same time, more money and thought had been devoted to fostering the arts than in any previous decade in Australian history, it said. The councilsaid: "Much that has happened since 1968 has been financed, stirred, seeded or guided by funds provided by the Federal Government," But the main growth and achievements had been the result of artists' own efforts. Looking to the future, the council said some of the im- provements which at present seemed secure might prove to By WARWICK COSTIN be fragile if public support was not sustained. It warned that some changes which now seemed promising might not reach Munition, while others in the long term could have far move signifi- cance than expected. The annual report said the number of art galleries had about doubled, higher educa- tion courses in the arts had soared fivefold, and touring art exhibitions had increased on a scale previously unknown in Australia. The report said: "Tile build- ing of the Australian National Gallery (to be opened in 1981). and its spectacular program of acquiring major works of art, will l een in years to come a, a lasting achievement of the 1970s." In literature there had been a renaissance in the short story, an increase in the publi- cation of new novels, and growing outlets for poetry in books, newspapers, magazines and recitals. Hunt urges dip in health costs By BILL MULDREW SPENDING on health is likely to leach $8000 million this year, the Minister for Health, Mr Hunt, said yes- terday. He was releasing figures which show that the national health bill last year topped $7000 million, although the Government was able to keep the brake on the rate of in- crease in health care spend- ing. Tile $7151 million spent last year was 10.7 per cent more than in 1976-77. In that year spending on. health care in- creased by 14.1 per cent, com- pared welt 35 per cent in 1975- 76 over 1974-75. Mr Hunt said the continuing decline in the rate of increase in health expenditure was pleasing, but there was no room for complacency. lie said: "Costs are still far ton high, and that is why the Government has found it nec- essary ta-4110111 measures and hosp last week "It is it tions of t forces in trend to costs ism o4.9e uuauges to ne Mr Hunt said the proportion 'introduced on September 1 of grass domestics product as this year this trend would con - presented by total health ex- tinue. penditure had been retained about the same level to which it rose In 1975-76 - 7.84 per cent. It was 7.76 per cent in 1976-77 and 7.89 per cent last year. The Federal Government's, or the taxpaying public's, share of total health expendi- ture had continued to decline. In 1975-76 federal expendi- ture was 48 per cent ($2717 illa- tion) of the total, declining to 42.6 per cent ($2750 million) in 1976-77 and 37.5 per cent ($2682 million) in 1977-78. Mr Hunt said funds provided by private sources were now back to the same proportion of total expenditure as in 1974-75, before Med i ban k. In 1974-75 expenditure by the private sector on health care was 37.8 per cent ($1583 mil- lion) of the total, dropping to 28.4 per cent ($1607 million) in 1975-76, then increasing again to 33.9 per cent ($2187 million) in 1976-77 and 37.9 per cent ($2709 million) in 1977-78. These movements reflected the continued expansion it 11.6Ith In911ronoss Av4 c-ek.\ ciYl Small cheer as A.C.T. pubs cut their hours TI1E A.C.T.'s lenient liquor laws - the envy of dedicated drinkers in other States - MVP been tightened up. Front today licencees need only open for six hours be- tween noon and 8pm. This is a reduction from the present "closing time" of lOpm as well as n shortening of the basic core period of eight hours. Although many hotels remain open well past 10pm under extended trading regu- lations some publicans are ex- pected to take advantage of the new minimum trading hours. Pollee are also given the power to institute proceedings relating to drinking by under 18 -year -olds in amended regu- lations. Previously only the Reg- istrar of Liquor Licences could institute proceedings. Certain restrictions have been placed on clubs because authorities claim many have been operating as public houses. Front today clubs will need to have 200 financial members aged 18 or over to enable them to obtain or renew licences. The amendments were sug- gested by the Liquor Licensing Board and the liquor Industry. Diamond Singleton's 'awyer asks "Another heartening feature of the past decade has been the growth of small literary magazines and publishing en- terprises," the council said. It noted, though, that most of Australia's good, creative writers still earn hardly enough from their writing to run a car. On music, the council said the Australian Opera had in- creased its total audience from 161,000 in 1968 to 307,000 in 1977 - "an impressive achieve- ment." It said the most important thrust for the emergence of music which was characteristi- cally Australian was increas- ing concentration on music in education, especially in pri- mary schools. On theatre and dance, the Australia Council reported the main growth in audiences had been by the Australian Ballet Company. The ballet had developed Into a company of interna- tional standard able to attract outstanding artists and choreographers, and capable of undertaking extensive over- seas tours. It described trends in drama as heartening, with Australian plays no longer being a handi- cap at the box office. Formal training in filet and television expanded sharply during the decade, while more than 70 feature films had been made since 1971. The council said respect and admiration '.or craft work had revived dramatically. "More craftsmen are earning a living from their work through sales to a more aware and discerning public," it com- mented. Craft exhibitions had been seen by about a million Australians in 1976. The report concluded: "The achievements and the experi- ments of the past 10 years provide a firm foundation on which to build. "And the social and eco- nomic changes within Austra- lian society in the past 10 years suggest strongly that the arts have an indispensible part to play in education, in leisure, in work and in foster-' ing that sense of personal ful- filment which makes life worthwhile." a--2-sTotes ig (A tains to a halt fly Industrial Correspondent JOE SCAVO THE NSW rail system will be virtually paralysed for at least six days after a vote by 93 men in Sydney yesterday for an indefinite strike in support of a pay claim. A heated stopwork meeting of 95 of Sydney's 2000 track maintenance workers - mem- bers of the Australian Rail- ways Union - voted to reject a union executive recommenda- tion and stage the strike. The NSW secretary of the ARU, Mr Jack Maddox, was abused as his recommendation to return to work was defeated 93-2. Mr Maddox was one of the two who voted against the stoppage. The strike is in support of a $20-a -week wage increase claim, based on work value changes in 'track upgrading since till' 01 anville disaster in 1976 Mr Maddox said: "We tried to do the right thing, but sometime we agree to disa-