Jump to content

Australian Academy of Art: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
copyedit
foundation members list
Line 3: Line 3:


== History ==
== History ==
Attorney-General [[Robert Menzies]]' formed the anti-modernist Australian Academy of Art in [[Canberra]] in 1937 and was its inaugural chair.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 June 1937 |title=Academy of Art Formed at Canberra. Royal Charter Sought |pages=10 |work=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> He declared he could "find nothing but absurdity in much so-called "modern" art'<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ashcroft |first=Bill |date=2004-10-01 |title=Reading Carey Reading Malley |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.20314/als.d5ed90e35f |journal=Australian Literary Studies |doi=10.20314/als.d5ed90e35f |issn=0004-9697}}</ref> The organisation aspired to principles of the British Academy and to advise government on artistic matters, but it failed to obtain a royal charter when opposed by the [[Contemporary Art Society (Australia)|Contemporary Art Society]] and other modernist groups, so its last annual exhibition was in 1947.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McCulloch |first=Alan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/80568976 |title=The new McCulloch's encyclopedia of Australian art |last2=McCulloch |first2=Susan |last3=McCulloch Childs |first3=Emily |date=2006 |isbn=0-522-85317-X |edition=Fourth |location=Fitzroy BC, Vic. |oclc=80568976}}</ref>
Conservative Attorney-General [[Robert Menzies]]' formed the anti-modernist Australian Academy of Art in [[Canberra]] in 1937 and was its inaugural chair.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 June 1937 |title=Academy of Art Formed at Canberra. Royal Charter Sought |pages=10 |work=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> He declared he could "find nothing but absurdity in much so-called "modern" art'<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ashcroft |first=Bill |date=2004-10-01 |title=Reading Carey Reading Malley |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.20314/als.d5ed90e35f |journal=Australian Literary Studies |doi=10.20314/als.d5ed90e35f |issn=0004-9697}}</ref> The organisation aspired to principles of the British Academy and to advise government on art admiinistration,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berryman |first=Caitlin Stone and Jim |title=Australian Academy of Art - Organisation - The Robert Menzies Collection: A Living Library |url=https://www.menziescollection.esrc.unimelb.edu.au/biogs/E000045b.htm |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=www.menziescollection.esrc.unimelb.edu.au |language=en-gb}}</ref> but it failed to obtain a royal charter when opposed by the [[Contemporary Art Society (Australia)|Contemporary Art Society]] and other modernist groups, so its last annual exhibition was in 1947.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McCulloch |first=Alan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/80568976 |title=The new McCulloch's encyclopedia of Australian art |last2=McCulloch |first2=Susan |last3=McCulloch Childs |first3=Emily |date=2006 |isbn=0-522-85317-X |edition=Fourth |location=Fitzroy BC, Vic. |oclc=80568976}}</ref>

The opposition to the Academy was led by George Bell, a spokesman for 'modern art'. His argument with Menzies was very public, pursued through the newspapers. In July 1938 he issued a leaflet, ''To Art Lovers'', which led to the formation of the Contemporary Art Society of which he became founding president,<ref>{{Citation |last=Williams |first=Fred |title=Bell, George Frederick Henry (1878–1966) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bell-george-frederick-henry-5192 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en |access-date=2022-11-01}}</ref> with Adrian Lawler as secretary.<ref>{{Citation |last=Fry |first=Gavin |title=Lawlor, Adrian (1889–1969) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lawlor-adrian-7112 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en |access-date=2022-11-01}}</ref> Others who decalred themselves against a conservative, outmoded 'Academy,' were [[Isabel May Tweddle]] and [[Norman Macgeorge]], while [[Sydney Long]] and [[W. Lister Lister|William Lister Lister]] refused to join the Academy.

== Foundation members ==

* [[John Longstaff|Sir John Campbell Longstaff]] was first president of the Australian Academy of Art, 1938-41
* [[James Muir Auld]]
* [[William Leslie Bowles]]
* [[Ernest Buckmaster]]<ref>{{Citation |last=McGrath |first=Joyce |title=Buckmaster, Ernest (1897–1968) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/buckmaster-ernest-9616 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en |access-date=2022-11-01}}</ref>
* Norman St Clair Carter, who regarded 'contemporary art' as a 'fungoid growth'<ref>{{Citation |last=Lindsay |first=Frances |title=Carter, Norman St Clair (1875–1963) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/carter-norman-st-clair-5525 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en |access-date=2022-11-01}}</ref>
* [[Alexander Colquhoun (artist)|Alexander Colquhoun]]
* [[Archie Colquhoun]]
* [[Rayner Hoff|George Rayner Hoff]]
* [[James Ranalph Jackson]]
* [[Fred Leist|Frederick William (Fred) Leist]] was a foundation member but soon resigned
* [[Harold Parker]]
* [[Adelaide Perry|Adelaide Elizabeth Perry]]
* William Nicholas Rowell was appointed drawing master at the National Gallery in 1941 and was acting head of its art school briefly in 1946.
* [[Roland Wakelin]]


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 12:06, 1 November 2022

The Australian Academy of Art was a conservative Australian art organisation which operated for ten years and staged annual exhibitions between 1937 and 1946.

History

Conservative Attorney-General Robert Menzies' formed the anti-modernist Australian Academy of Art in Canberra in 1937 and was its inaugural chair.[1] He declared he could "find nothing but absurdity in much so-called "modern" art'[2] The organisation aspired to principles of the British Academy and to advise government on art admiinistration,[3] but it failed to obtain a royal charter when opposed by the Contemporary Art Society and other modernist groups, so its last annual exhibition was in 1947.[4]

The opposition to the Academy was led by George Bell, a spokesman for 'modern art'. His argument with Menzies was very public, pursued through the newspapers. In July 1938 he issued a leaflet, To Art Lovers, which led to the formation of the Contemporary Art Society of which he became founding president,[5] with Adrian Lawler as secretary.[6] Others who decalred themselves against a conservative, outmoded 'Academy,' were Isabel May Tweddle and Norman Macgeorge, while Sydney Long and William Lister Lister refused to join the Academy.

Foundation members

References

  1. ^ "Academy of Art Formed at Canberra. Royal Charter Sought". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 June 1937. p. 10.
  2. ^ Ashcroft, Bill (2004-10-01). "Reading Carey Reading Malley". Australian Literary Studies. doi:10.20314/als.d5ed90e35f. ISSN 0004-9697.
  3. ^ Berryman, Caitlin Stone and Jim. "Australian Academy of Art - Organisation - The Robert Menzies Collection: A Living Library". www.menziescollection.esrc.unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  4. ^ McCulloch, Alan; McCulloch, Susan; McCulloch Childs, Emily (2006). The new McCulloch's encyclopedia of Australian art (Fourth ed.). Fitzroy BC, Vic. ISBN 0-522-85317-X. OCLC 80568976.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Williams, Fred, "Bell, George Frederick Henry (1878–1966)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2022-11-01
  6. ^ Fry, Gavin, "Lawlor, Adrian (1889–1969)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2022-11-01
  7. ^ McGrath, Joyce, "Buckmaster, Ernest (1897–1968)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2022-11-01
  8. ^ Lindsay, Frances, "Carter, Norman St Clair (1875–1963)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2022-11-01
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Academy_of_Art&oldid=1119405519"