The Field (exhibition)

The Field, held August 21–September 28, 1968, was the inaugural exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria’s new premises on St Kilda Road. Regarded as a landmark exhibition in Australian art history, it presented the first comprehensive display of colour field painting and abstract sculpture in the country in a radical presentation, between silver foil–covered walls and under geometric light fittings, of 74 works by 40 artists. All practised hard-edge, geometric, colour and flat abstraction, often in novel media including coloured or transparent plastic, fluorescent acrylic paints, steel and chrome. Echoing emerging American stylistic tendencies of the time, it sparked immediate controversy and launched the careers of a new generation of Australian artists.

The curators

Director of the NGV, the English curator Eric Westbrook, was determined to make the new gallery a lively place and he supported curators of the exhibition John Stringer, Exhibitions Officer, and Brian Finemore, Curator of Australian Art, in their aim to showcase contemporary Australian art not previously seen in major institutions, but which had been emerging in a few commercial galleries, and in which the artists reflected an international tendencyIt was to be the first of a series of exhibitions presenting aspects of contemporary Australian art.

The artists

Selected for exhibition were forty artists then working in a flat, abstract, patterned, geometric or colour field style. Nine were under 30, and many had yet to have a solo show:

Artist	Life dates	Artwork/s shown in The Field	Age in 1968
David Aspden	England 1935-Australia 2005, Australia from 1950	Field 1, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 245.0 x 152.5 cm. Private collection, Brisbane	33
		Fifth force, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 167.6 x 602.0 cm, Transfield Holdings, Sydney
Sydney Ball	Australia 1933-2017	lspahan, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 182.8 x 341.0 cm, The University of Western Australia Art Collection, Gift of Dr Albert Gild, 1969	35
		Transoxiana, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 203.2 x 145.1 cm, Transfield Holdings, Sydney
Tony Bishop	Australia born 1940	Short & curvy 1968, painted wood, 187.0 x 126.7 x 47.3 cm, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell. Donated 1978 (1978.27)	28
		Clik-clak-clik, 1968, painted steel, 400 x 85.0 x 100.0 cm, Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle. Gift of the artist through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program 2002, (2002.024)
Peter Booth		painting	28
Ian Burn	Australia 1939-93, United States 1967-77	Two glass/Mirror piece, 1968, mirror, glass, wood, 94.0 x 63.5 cm. Private collection, Brisbane	27
		Four glass/Mirror piece, 1968, mirror, glass, wood, 93.8 x 63.1 cm. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, purchased through the NGV Foundation with the assistance of the Rudy Koman Fund, Governor, 2001 (2001.559.a)
Gunter Christmann		artist	32
Janet Dawson	Australia born 1935	Wall 11, 1968-69, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 184.3 x 184.4 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Purchased, 1969 (69.88)	34
		Rollascape 2, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on composition board, 150.0 x 275.0 cm irreg. Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat. Purchased with the assistance of the Visual Arts/Craft Board, Australia Council, 1988 (1998.2)
James Doolin	United States 1932-2002, Australia 1965-67	Artificial landscape 67·5, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 129.6 x 101.8 cm. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Purchased, 1969 (87·6)	36
		Artificial landscape 67·6, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 184.0 x 136.0 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Purchased, 1969 (69.86)
		Artificial landscape 68-1, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 166.7 x 132.4 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Gift of Chandler Coventry , 1972 (8.1972)
Noel Dunn		sculpture	35
Garrey Foulkes	Australia born 1944	Untitled 1968, remade 2017, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 182.9 x 274.3 cm. Collection of the artist, Queensland	24
Dale Hickey	Australia born 1937	Malvern, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 183.5 x 176.8 cm. La Trobe University, FM Courtis Collection. Accessioned from the artist between 1969 and 1974 (LTUC118)	31
		Untitled 1967, oil on canvas, (a-b) 185.0 x 371.0 cm (overall). Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Purchased 1993 (1993.047a-b)
Robert Hunter	Australia 1947-2014	Untitled, 1968, synthetic polymer paint and cotton thread on canvas, 215.0 x 215.0 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Purchased, 1968 (69.146)	21
Robert Jacks	Australia 1943-2014	Red painting, 1968, oil on canvas, 176.0 x 238.0 cm. TarraWarra Museum of Art collection, Tarrawarra. Gift of Eva Besen AO and Marc Besen AO, 2001, (2002.040)	25
Michael Johnson	Australia born 1938, England 1960-67, United States 1969-75	Chomp, 1966, polyvinyl acetate on canvas, 122.0 x 305.5 cm. Private collection, Brisbane	30
		Frontal 2, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 198.5 x 214.0 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Gift of Michael and Margot Johnson, 2000, (88.2000)
Col Jordan	Australia born 1935	Daedalus - series 5 (Redux), 1968, (remade 2017), synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 167.6 x 335.3 cm. Collection of the artist, Sydney	34
		Daedalus - series 6, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 164.0 x 170.0 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Purchased, 1969 (69.89)
		Knossus II (Redux), 1968, (remade 2017), synthetic polymer paint on wood, aluminium, steel, 104.0 x 231.0 x 162.0 cm, Collection of the artist, Sydney
Michael Kitching	England born 1940, Australia from 1952	Phoenix II, 1966, aluminium and transparent synthetic polymer resin, 204.0 x 120.0 x 80.0 cm. Mildura Art Centre Collection, Mildura, B.P. acquisition award, Mildura Prize for Sculpture, 1967 (67/2)	38
Alun Leach-Jones	England born 1937, Australia from 1960	Noumenon XX first light, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 137.2 x 137.2 cm. Macquarie University Art Collection, Sydney. Gift of the artist, 1978 (MUACA1978/16/1)	31
		Noumenon XIX Indian Summer, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 137.2 x 137.2 cm. Private collection, Mornington
Nigel Lendon	Australia born 1944	Slab construction 11, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on plywood, 131.0 x 76.5 x 70.0 cm. Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Purchased 1994 (1994.124)	24
Tony McGillick	Australia 1941-92, Europe 1960-65	Polaris 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas 236.0 x 218.5 cm, collection unknown	27
		Arbitrator, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, (a-d) 287.0 x 406.0 cm irreg. (overall). Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Purchased 2007 with funds from the Estate of Vincent Stack through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation (2007.220a-d)
Clement Meadmore	Australia 1929- United States 2005, United States from 1963	Curl,1968, steel, ed. 2/4, 38.0 x 76.0 x 35.5 cm. Collection unknown	39
		Wave, 1968, steel, ed. 2/4, 29.0 x 29.0 x 66.0 cm, Collection unknown
		Up and over, 1967, painted steel, 31.0 x 40.7 x 60.1 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Purchased, 1969 (69.102)
Michael Nicholson	England born 1916, New Zealand 1955-60, Australia 1960-86, New Zealand from 1986	1.6/66x3, 1966, aluminium and concrete, 313.5 x 99.0 x 43.5 cm, Collection unknown	52
Harald Noritis	Latvia born 1927, Australia from 1951	Come away, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 152.0 x 193.0 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of the artist, 1993 (93.1195)	41
Alan Oldfield	Australia 1943-2004	Mezzanine, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, (a-b) 304.0 x 213.0 cm (overall). Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle. Gift of the artist, 2000 (2000.002a-b)	25
Wendy Paramor	Australia 1938-75	Luke, 1967, remade 2000, powder coated aluminium (a-b) 214.0 x 122.0 x 48.0 cm (each). Casula Powerhouse, Sydney. From the Liverpool City Council Collection, Courtesy of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 2000 (CP2008.135)	30
		Triad, 1967, galvanised iron and automotive paint, (a-c) 120.0 x 20.0 x 120.0 cm (each). Casula Powerhouse, Sydney, By courtesy Luke Weston Paramor and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 2012 (CP.2008.065)
		Diablo, 1967, synthetic polymer paint on composition board, 122.5 x 186.0 cm. Casula Powerhouse , Sydney. From the Liverpool City Council Collection, Courtesy of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 2000 (CP1466)
Paul Partos	Czechoslovakia 1943- Australia 2002, Australia from 1949	Vesta II, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 230.0 x 251.0 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Visual Arts Board Australia Council Contemporary Art Purchase Grant 1975 (10.1975)	25
		Orphea, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, (a-b) 244.7 x 366.9 cm (overall). Collection of The University of Queensland, Brisbane. Purchased with the assistance of the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council , 1979 (1979.13.a-b)
John Peart	Australia 1945-2013	Cool corner II, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 236.2 x 236.2 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Gift of the artist 1968 (OA27.1968)	23
		Corner square diagonal, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 229.2 x 227.6 x 12.6 cm. National Gallery of Victoria , Melbourne. Purchased through The Art Foundation Victoria with funds provided by the Gallery Society of Victoria , Governor. (AC11·1985)
Rollin Schlicht	Gilbert and Ellice Islands 1937- Australia 2011, Australia from 1939, England 1956-66	Twentieth century note, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 274.3 x 411.5 cm.	31
Eric Shirley	Australia 1919–2008	Encore, 1967, polyvinyl acetate on composition board, 349.2 x 233.5 cm. Collection unknown	49
Joseph Szabo	Hungary 1932- Australia 1984,Australia from 1950	Without-within 7, 1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 165.5 x 150.0 cm. Collection unknown	36
		Without-within 8,1968, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 167.0 x 151.0 cm. Collection unknown

Emphasis

The curators acknowledged their bias towards a particular form of abstraction; artists with established reputations, such as those of the nationalist, or arguably provincial, movements culminating in the 1959 Antipodean Manifesto and exhibition, were not considered, nor were the concurrently practicing expressionist abstractionists John Olsen, Leonard French or Roger Kemp.

Instead, the emphasis was on internationalism, especially the influence of contemporary movements in American art, of which Sydney Ball, Ian Burn, Clement Meadmore and Mel Ramsden had direct experience, alongside James Doolin, a visiting American who via his teaching in Sydney and Melbourne, introduced many, particularly Jacks, Dale Hickey, Hunter and Robert Rooney to the hard-edge, colour field, minimal and geometric styles.

A visit to Melbourne was made by New York art critic Clement Greenberg who identified and promoted Colour Field painting, to judge the 1968 Georges Invitation Art Prize. He awarded it to Sydney Ball, who between 1963 and 1965 had been living in New York, for his colour field painting, thus legitimising the work of contemporary Australian abstraction.

Australian artists were practising in this style prior to 1968. Stringer had worked as consulting curator the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, travelling exhibition Two Decades of American Painting, which opened at the NGV in 1967. As the first large-scale survey of contemporary American art, including abstraction by Josef Albers, Ad Reinhardt and Mark Rothko, it was an important influence on 1960s Australian art. There were Canadian influences on the work of Jack and Hunter (residing in Canada at the time work was selected and who freighted their paintings into Australia), and British and European influences also amongst several exhibitors born in, or who had travelled to, Europe and the United Kingdom, such as Janet Dawson, one of only three women in The Field, who was exposed to School of Paris, Art Povera and Tachiste abstraction during residencies in Paris and Italy in 1959-60.

Reception

That the exhibition was held in such a public institution as the National Gallery of Victoria led critics and commentators to react to it as an augury of the future of Australian art and of national identity. For some it was seen as a threat; especially Herald newspaper critic Alan McCulloch, supporter of many of the Antipodean group who condemned it as ‘ephemeral’, a ‘wholesale imitation of another country’s abstract art’, and "a serious threat to the emerging creative spirit which during the last fifteen years has been given distinct and promising identity to Australian painting." Influential in his major publication, in the same year as The Field, of The Encyclopedia of Australian Art, he continued to condemn the styles the show represented.  Artists such as Clifton Pugh and Albert Tucker criticised the exhibition for its 'internationalism’. Defenders included art patron John Reed, director of the gallery styled, after MoMA, the ‘Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’,  and also writers of The Field catalogue Elwyn Lynn, and Age newspaper critic (and later, from 1981, Director of the NGV) Patrick McCaughey who announced the show ‘a new direction’, in his essay 'The significance of The Field' published in Art & Australia in December 1968, and as suggesting different conventions, beliefs and pre-suppositions about the nature of the work of art and the role of Australian artists.

Legacy

The Field continued to be the subject of debate and theorising for fifty years and it has been revisited in subsequent shows; The Field Now (1984); Australian Art 1960-1986: Field to Figuration (1987); Fieldwork (2002); and The Field Revisited (2018). The original established abstraction as a significant in contemporary Australian art and in its recognition by the public, and revised expectations that the public art gallery as a venue that could display the ‘avant-garde’ and challenge ideas. It is argued by art historian Jim Berryman and others that The Field represented the tail-end of Modernism, and many of the artists represented had begun to move in other directions, toward Post-Modernism.