Queensland Art Gallery

So, before I leave January 2024, a final blog about 2023 activities. While in Brisbane to see Opera Australia’s Ring Cycle (described here) we visited the Queensland Art Gallery. These are some of the paintings that took my fancy. There were quite a few works by Indigenous artists including some very early ones from the 1940’s I think, and some modern ones but I didn’t photograph them. These six are from 1971-3. Interesting to me because of the attempt by some to deride the notion that modern dot painting is traditional. Another attempt at a culture war from right. The top left painting is Telling a Rainbow 1972 by David Corby Tjapaltjarri. The rest are all by Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrla, anti clockwise from the middle left, Old man’s bush tucker Dreaming 1972, Bushfire Dreaming 1973, Medicine Corroboree Dreaming 1971, Women’s ceremony in a cave 1971.

These two are later works. The one on the left, Rock holes west of Kintore 2005 by Wentja Morgan Napaltjarri. The one on the right, Sandhills, Kintore area 2003 by Lily Napangardi.

These remarkable things are Nalan Gugal – traditional firemakers used by the Bama people of Queensland’s Rainforest region. They were made in 2019 by Michael Boiyool Anning of the Yidinyji people. Nalan means board and Gugal means drill sticks. These six feature designs that have been revived and reinterpreted from customary designs found on historical Yidindyji shields. From the top down the designs are: Yalma – Cross boomerang, Yuman – Native banana, Wanggulay -White cockatoo, Bida – Bark dish, Banga -Native bee and Mugaru – Hand-held fish net.

There were a number of paintings of early Brisbane, by Queensland born artist George Wishart. A busy corner of the Brisbane River 1897 depicts the Eagle Street Wharves, now part of the CBD. In the background, according to the accompanying note, the artist has captured the Bunya pines in the old botanic reserve (later to become the City Botanic Gardens) established in 1828 to provide food for the early penal colony.

Since seeing a number of exhibitions featuring under-appreciated women artists I keep a particular look-out. Here are some, in chronological order. This is Ethel Carrick Fox, On the beach c.1909. Ethel spent her life promoting her husband to the detriment of her own reputation.

I hadn’t heard of the Queensland artist Vida Lahey. This is her Monday morning 1912. It depicts the unusual subject matter of women’s work, doing the weekly wash in copper tubs and using bar soap. It’s the artist’s only surviving large-scale work of the period.

I’ve seen work by Hilda Rix Nicholas before, maybe even this painting, The fair musterer 1935. She studied under Frederick McCubbin in Melbourne. This is set where she lived at Knockalong Station (great name) in Delegate, NSW. Her son’s governess is modelling the part of the fair musterer!

I was also familiar with Dorrit Black, although this is a bit different from other works by her that I’ve seen. In the foothills 1942 was painted while she was living in Magill in the shadow of the Adelaide hills. The note says this is a radical painting – the viewpoint is unusually elevated, there is no conventional foreground and the outlines of the hills are boldly rendered. She was one of a number of Australian women artists of the time who were exploring form and colour in new ways, and taking the lead in applying a modernist aesthetic to the Australian landscape.

Here’s another of those modern women artists, Grace Cossington Smith, Deep water, Bobbin Head c.1942. She’s quoted on the accompanying note: My chief interest, I think, has always been colour, but not flat crude colour, it must be colour within colour. Amply demonstrated here.

This is another by Grace Cossington Smith that clearly demonstrates her interest in colour. Church Interior c.1941-42.

A final painting by a woman artist is Boonah landscape 1962 by Margaret Olley. I’m more familiar with her still life paintings and her interiors but this is quite lovely.

Because of his friendship with Patrick White, I’m interested in paintings by Roy de Maistre. He features in David Marr’s biography of Patrick and his selected letters. This is (Studio interior) c.1935. I’m not sure I like de Maistre’s paintings, but they’re interesting.

Patrick White was a great fan of Ian Fairweather. I like to think he based his lead character in The Vivisector, an artist, on Fairweather – he certainly fits the self-made obsessiveness bordering on madness of the character. Patrick bought this painting in 1961 and had it first in his bedroom and later above his writing desk. Gethsemane 1958.It’s one of a series of works on biblical subjects and at that time larger than his earlier paintings. The work’s strong calligraphic lines are testament to Fairweather’s years spent living in China, immersing himself in the culture.

There were three Ian Fairweather paintings on display. This is Kite flying 1958, inspired by the Chinese Chung Yang kite-flying festival which occurs on the ninth day of the ninth moon and celebrates the protection of families from misfortune. In it Fairweather has captured the upturned faces of families, strings, sky, clouds and tussling kites. The top half is full of movement, the bottom half anchored by the bodies depicted.

This is the third painting on display by Ian Fairweather, War and peace 1959. It has more colour than in other works and I’m not sure I can relate the imagery to the title.

Back to other Australian painting by those breaking the mould. This is Fisherman’s Bend 1941 by Albert Tucker. A softer depiction of humanity than usual from this artist. I don’t like his paintings of prostitutes during the Second World War, but I like this one.

And this is by Charles Blackman, Stradbroke ferry 1952. Vibrant colours.

I’m interested in Arthur Boyd‘s work. This is his Sleeping Bride 1957-58, from the celebrated Love, Marriage and Death of a Half Caste, known as the Bride series – one of Arthur Boyd’s defining contributions to Australian art.

And this is Arthur’s Persecuted lovers – study 1957-58. Amazing paintings for that time period.

I’ve always loved John Olsen‘s paintings. Given his death in April 2023 a brief overview of his life next to this painting was a nice touch. This is Journey into the you beaut country no. 2 1961; one of his cheekily titled ‘You beaut country’ series painted in the 1960s. It winning the H.C. Richards Memorial Prize in 1961, awarded by then Australian favoured artist Russell Drysdale, sparked great public debate; Olsen’s vision was a high-energy mix of place, memory, imagination and emotion that disrupted conventional views of the landscapes and presented Australia’s landforms afresh. Certainly did!

Two more favourite painters. First Fred Williams, Yan yean 1970. Another artist who transformed Australian landscape painting. I like seeing how he developed from his earliest to later paintings. Getting briefer and briefer in his depictions of the bush and vegetation. This one is expansive!

Secondly Jeffrey Smart, The traveller 1973. His figures often remind me of Alfred Hitchcock – everyman in his buttoned up coat and tie complete with briefcase and male pattern baldness.

Finally on our way out we came upon this Picasso, La Belle Hollandaise 1905. It was painted after a short trip to the Netherlands in 1905 by the then 23 year old artist; where he was enamoured by the picturesque houses, windmills, and the women dressed in traditional West Frisian costumes and caps. The note says few of the works from this trip survive but I’m familiar with this image. It’s pretty amazing a young Dutch girl was prepared / allowed to pose naked for him. The gallery has had it since 1959, so it’s not a new acquisition. I’m not sure why it was placed near the exit.

I have just one other picture from the gallery. Something modern for a change – well now I look it’s not so modern. This is by Chinese artist Wang Jin, entitled Robe 1999. He has rendered the iconic form of the Peking Opera robe in transparent plastic embroidered with fishing line. The juxtaposition of a traditional high-cultural form and modern synthetic material refers to transformations in Chinese society, most pointedly the rapid evolution of consumerism. Quite beautiful I thought.

There was obviously a lot more on display at the gallery, but as I said, these are the things that took my fancy. And here endeth my memories of our time in Brisbane in 2023.