8 September 2006

Dumping the sculpture prize

| johnboy
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The ABC has a confusing story on the decision by the National Gallery of Australia to kill off the Naitonal Sculpture prize, because it was unfair to other media and it had “achieved it’s purpose”.

There I was thinking the purpose was to have an annual prize, pretty hard to stamp “mission accomplished” on that.

The way I’m seeing it the Director Ron Radford is hell bent on taking a gallery that was interesting to the general public of Australia, and make it into one that is interesting to the global artistic elite.

As a member of the general public I think he has to be stopped.

Most of us would only see a Cezanne as part of the National Collection, Ron’s done away with that because that part of the collection was only quite good and he wants to concentrate on the excellent.

Many of us would go to the sculpture prize for a once a year gawk at modern sculpture, but we’re not Ron’s target audience of international art aficionados.

I’m not saying we need Pro Hart hanging from every wall, but the Gallery used to be about exposing the interested public to a taste of the world’s best art. The new management seems to be catering only to people who’ve already been to the Tate, Guttenberg Guggenheim and Louvre, and been there this year at that.

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I reckon the sculpture garden is the best thing at the Gallery. They should finish off the bit to the south, near the old Mirrabook though. And stick a few more in. Sculpture is good stuff. Paintings I reckon are decorations. Sculpture is useful.

Australia is void of good 3-dimensional public artworks…..you only have to look at the OWL Sculpture in Belconnen to understand how backward we are! From the side it just looks like a lump of…….what?

but the nga is a new gallery, with a relatively new collection. think of when the ngv was established waay before it so they have a collection with much older works

i understand what radford is trying to do – but i dont think hes going about it in the right way.

Id prefer a gallery devoted to oz art, but NO ONE would visit it.

As long as he doesnt flog anything off, then directors into the future can arrange the gallery collection in any way they wish.

They want more hockneys great, they want more freud great, they want more van goghs wonderful.

I think that a NATIONAL GALLERY shoudl also promote local artists and that includes developing their skill. Look at teh way that the NGV nurtured artists early on (even before the actual gallery existed) and the legacy it can display as a result.

I’ve been to the guggenheim + the louvre and I still think the Nat gallery should keeep the monets etc out. Seeing them in real life is so much better than in books.

“achieved its purpose”

“The Gutenberg gallery was started by Steve Gutenberg of the Police Academy films.”

Yes, I believe it contains some wonderful examples of 80s breast humour?

The Gutenberg gallery was started by Steve Gutenberg of the Police Academy films.

yep, thanks.

Where’s the Guttenberg gallery? You don’t mean the Guggenheim do you JB?

The sponsor signed up for three exhibitions over six years, the last one was 2005. The agreement was before Radford’s reign. QED.

The sponsor was keen to keep going from what I’ve heard.

It was a wildly popular event in their target demographic.

Er….I think the question has to be asked, is it the Gallery that’s dumped the prize, or the sponsor no longer funding it? Subtle difference.

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