Royal Tour Contemporary Art Society Exhibition 1954

Melbourne : Contemporary Art Society, 1954. Folio, single sheet, folded, designed by James Birrell, list of 28 works. Corner a little creased, otherwise very good.

Catalogue includes works by Sam Atyeo, Vladmir (Yosl) Bergner, Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Robert ‘Bob’ Dickerson, Inge King, Ian Fairerather, Donald Friend, Sali Herman, Joy Hester, Jackueline (Jacqueline) Hick, Laurence Hope, Roger Kemp, Francis Limburger, Sidney Nolan, John Percival (Perceval), Michael Shannon, Fred Williams, Eric Thake, Norma Redpath, Danila Vassilieff, Ian Sime, Albert Tucker, Clifford Possum. The exhibition was held at Mirka Mora’s studio and was opened by Hephzibah Menuhin.

A rare and important foundation catalogue for Australian modernism, the exhibition staged in opposition to the exhibition of the Fellowship of Australian artists being held at the same time at the Melbourne Town Hall with the assistance of a government grant, to which the Contemporary Art Society strongly protested against.

‘This exhibition (collected at a moment’s notice from private owners) is a deliberate challenge to the pretentious display of pictures now on view at the Town Hall under the auspices of the Fellowship of Australian Artists. In the Fellowship’s obvious attempt to establish itself some official status in the community, one is inevitably reminded of the similar attempts in 1938 of the short-lived Australian Academy, which vainly tried to acquire the privilege of calling itself “Royal”. It should be made clear that the Fellowship is merely a small sectional art group, comprised almost exclusively of those working in the narrowest academic tradition and having no sympathy whatever with ‘contemporary’ artists and no understanding of their work.’

Provenance:

The estate of the late Barbara Blackman, Council Member of the Society

The library of the late Felicity St John Moore, art historian, curator and author.