AGNSW_AnnRep_00 full.pdf - Parliament of New South Wales ...
AGNSW_AnnRep_00 full.pdf - Parliament of New South Wales ...
AGNSW_AnnRep_00 full.pdf - Parliament of New South Wales ...
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Jeffrey Smart standing in front <strong>of</strong> his work, City Landscapes 1970<br />
oil on hardboard, 280 x 932.3cm overall<br />
Purchased 1975<br />
Photography<br />
The photography collection received many<br />
handsome gifts, including 15 Cazneaux photographs from<br />
his family. A recent photograph by Bill Henson was<br />
acquired, along with five Tracey M<strong>of</strong>fatt works from her<br />
series Scarred for Life II, and three works by Felicia Kan<br />
from her 1999 exhibition.<br />
EXHIBITIONS<br />
Two major exhibitions consolidated the success <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Art Gallery in initiating, curating, organising and marketing<br />
important exhibitions. They were Michelangelo to Matisse:<br />
Drawing the Figure and the Jeffrey Smart retrospective.<br />
In total, the Art Gallery presented 40 exhibitions<br />
during the year, including those at the Brett Whiteley Studio<br />
and on tour to regional galleries. In partnership with the<br />
permanent collections, they attracted 1,065,154 visitors.<br />
Michelangelo to Matisse, a Festival <strong>of</strong> Sydney event,<br />
was the top drawcard with 124,312 visitors. The 2<strong>00</strong>0<br />
Archibald Prize - teamed with the one-<strong>of</strong>f Sporting<br />
Portrait Prize - had 63,849, followed by Jeffrey Smart’s<br />
55,171. Touring exhibition attendances were lower than<br />
the previous year, with the State Gallery <strong>of</strong> Victoria under<br />
renovation and not available as a venue.<br />
The skills and commitment <strong>of</strong> Art Gallery staff are<br />
tested in this demanding schedule <strong>of</strong> exhibitions. In<br />
addition to public programmes - discussed later - many<br />
other operational aspects come into play. Work <strong>of</strong> the<br />
conservation staff ranged from the preparation <strong>of</strong> bark<br />
paintings for exhibition to conservation <strong>of</strong> antique frames<br />
and making <strong>of</strong> reproduction frames for Australian Icons.<br />
The photographic studio’s 749 requests included<br />
photography for three in-house catalogues, documentation<br />
<strong>of</strong> all exhibitions and highly detailed slides <strong>of</strong> Michelangelo<br />
to Matisse for lecturing. Acquisition <strong>of</strong> 488 works and<br />
including loans, involved the registration department in<br />
documentation, coordination, crate design and construction,<br />
packing, transport, loan agreements, courier arrangements<br />
and installation supervision.<br />
Australian Art<br />
More than 80 paintings by Jeffrey Smart, selected by<br />
the Art Gallery director Edmund Capon, made this<br />
celebrated Australian expatriate’s retrospective a highlight<br />
<strong>of</strong> the year. Smart has found inspiration in the urban<br />
landscape, expanding to the hard, repetitious architecture<br />
and technology <strong>of</strong> the late 20th century, transforming his<br />
subjects into classically precise, rigorously executed<br />
compositions. After its Sydney showing, the retrospective<br />
toured to Brisbane and Melbourne, sponsored by<br />
ABN•AMRO Rothschild.<br />
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