MS 49 Papers of the Print Council of Australia Australian Prints and Printmaking Collection Summary Administrative Information Biographical Note Associated Content Acronyms Used Box Description Folder Description Summary Creator: Print Council of Australia Title: Papers of the Print Council of Australia Date range: 1966 - 2000 Reference number: MS 49 Extent: 95 boxes + 11 ring binders Prepared By: Peta Jane Jones Overview The collection represents a non-governmental organisation involved in the visual arts with broad activities and influence. The collection includes mainly correspondence, exhibition details, printmakers, gallery/art centres, colleges/universities, entry forms, slides, receipts and copies of newspaper clippings. They provide a comprehensive history of the administrative processes of the council and its exhibitions. The majority of the collection contains correspondence written by administrative staff; of greater interest is the correspondence, often handwritten by the artists themselves. In the earlier boxes the exhibition detail is more comprehensive with itineraries (drafts and finals) and forms stating the exhibiting galleries and artist lists with print sales included. Also of interest are the artists’ biographies, sometimes with handwritten notes; these were used for exhibition catalogues, print directories, Imprint and member print submissions. There are approximately 2000 slides in this collection mainly representing prints associated with PCA exhibitions. PCA committee records including ballot forms for nominating committee members, agendas and minutes of Annual General meetings, bank statements and bank reconciliation statements also comprises part of the collection. Keywords 1 Australian Printmaking; Exhibitions (see biographical section for list); patron/member prints. Key Names Grahame King; Robert Grieve; Geoff La Gerche; Neil Caffin; Udo Sellbach; Roger Butler; Barbara Hanrahan; various printmakers (see biographical section). Administrative Information Access Contact the National Gallery of Australia Research Library reference desk librarians. Phone +61 2 6240 6530 Email [email protected] Provenance Three boxes arrived in 1989, 33 boxes in 1990 and one box in 2001. The papers were received directly from the Print Council of Australia under the directorship of Roger Butler, Senior Curator for Australian Prints and Drawings. Preferred Citation Note [Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], National Gallery of Australia Research Library’s Archive Collection, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Biographical Note The Print Council of Australia (PCA) was established in 1966 to encourage the production and appreciation of hand-printed graphics. The intention of the PCA was to stimulate printmaking activities, to encourage understanding and appreciation of the original print and to define the various types of printmaking (wood-cut, etching, engraving, lithograph or serigraph). The council represents one of the first administrative bodies in printmaking which began with migrant artist-teachers trained in the mainstreams of European traditions (Udo Sellbach) and the return of Australian artists from overseas to work and teach (Grahame King, Earle Backen, Robert Grieve, Murray Walker and David Rose). Artists who have made significant contributions to printmaking in Australia and have been documented in this collection include Basil Hadley, Barbara Hanrahan, Earle Backen, Robert Grieve, Geoff La Gerche, Murray Walker, Stanley Palmer, Jock Clutterbuck, Franz Kempf, Ruth Faerber, Grahame King, Mary MacQueen, Allan Mitelman, John Olsen, David Rose, Udo Sellbach, Michael West, Ray Beattie, Roger Kemp, Brett Whiteley, Hertha Kluge-Pott, James Taylor, Olga Sankey. The council assembled exhibitions of prints by Australian and overseas artists for itineraries of showings within Australia and arranged exchange exhibitions with other countries. Print council exhibitions were shown in Europe, the United States of America, South East Asia and New Zealand. Prints by students that were under 2 instruction at art schools in all states were also assembled and selected each year for showing in Australia and overseas. In addition each year the council commissioned prints by well-known artists in limited editions for members and patrons. The council’s programme also included the publication of exhibition catalogues and posters and the journal Imprint which contains articles on Australian printmaking and printmakers. These activities were managed by a voluntary committee and financed by membership fees, donations and grants from the Visual Arts Board of the Australian Council and State Government. The presidents of the Print Council of Australia include Grahame King (1966 -1975), Robert Grieve (1975-1977), Geoff La Gerche (1978-1980),) and Neil Caffin. Exhibitions represented in the archive include: Australian Printmakers Exhibition in New Zealand 1975 Five New Zealand Printmakers Exhibition in Australia 1975/1976 Tokyo Print Collection in Australia 1976/1977 Etching Exhibition 1977 Second Western Print Biennale 1978 Australian Prints in Secondary Schools 1982 German Student Printmakers Exhibition 1979 Print Prize Exhibitions 1967-1973 Student Printmakers 1971-1972 Polish Printmakers 1972 10 Printmakers 1970 Student Exchange Exhibition 1975 Australian Student Printmakers Tour of Australian Art Schools 1975, 1976 PCA Student Printmakers 1975-1977 Contemporary Japanese Print 1976 Victorian Prints – Aichi Prefecture, Japan 1985 Exhibition for 100 Prints and Drawings 1978 Exhibition of Nine Printmakers 1978-1979 German Student Exchange Printmakers Exhibition 1979 3 Australian Student Printmakers German Exhibition 1978 Australian Etching 1978/1979 Australian Print Exhibitions – East and West Coasts, USA 1978 Student Printmakers Exhibition from West Surrey College of Art and Design 1977/1978 Australian Print Exhibition, Sweden 1977 Contemporary Swedish Printmakers 1979-1982 Australian Student Printmakers 1977-1983 Print Council Exhibitions 1978-1982 Third Western Pacific Print Biennale 1980-1982 International Biennale Exhibition of Prints in Tokyo 1981 Australian Lithographers 1974-1976 12 Australian Lithographers 1975-1977 Australian Print Exhibition, Tokyo 1977 Western Pacific Print Biennale 1975-77 Contemporary Australian Printmakers 1977-1979 Print Exchange 1977/1979 The Tokyo Print Exhibition 1976-1978 Second Western Pacific Print Biennale 1978 Australian Prints 1980 Scottish Exchange 1980 Australian printmakers Miniature Print Exhibition 1983-1984 US Prints from the North West 1984 San Francisco Bay Area Student Printmakers 1983 Associated Content 4 Subject Australian Prints and Printmaking Relationship to the National Gallery of Australia Research Library These manuscripts are part of the National Gallery of Australia Research Library Archives, Australian Prints and Printmaking Collection that includes: Papers of Grahame King (MS20); Papers of Studio One (MS65); Papers of Thea Exley (MS60). Relationship to the National Gallery of Australia Collection The National Gallery of Australia collection holds 94 works of art that were acquired for the gallery from the Print Council of Australia, please refer to http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/. Acronyms used PCA – Print Council of Australia AGM – Annual General Meeting Box Description Box 1 Australian/New Zealand Printmakers Exhibition 1975 Australian Printmaker tour of New Zealand 1975 Five New Zealand Printmakers Exhibition 1976 Miniature Print Exhibition 1984 Etching Exhibition 1977 Second Western Print Biennale 1978 Victorian Prints to Aichi Prefecture, Japan 1984 Print Council Exhibition 1984 Box 2 Employment, administrative details 1976 Education Department Interstate 1982 Australian Prints in Secondary Schools 1983 German Student Printmakers Exhibition 1979 Reports Lists Box 3 5 Exhibition of Victorian Prints to Aichi Prefecture, Japan 1984 Modern Japanese Print Exhibition 1976 Western Pacific Print Biennale 1976-77 Print Council Exhibition 1976 Nine Printmakers Exhibition 1978 Australian Student Printmakers Exhibition 1978-79 Australian Etching Exhibition 1978 Contemporary Australian Printmakers to USA 1978 Box 4 Student Printmakers Exhibition from West Surrey 1977-78 Australian Student Printmakers Exchange with West Surrey and Germany 1977-78 Australian Prints to Sweden 1979 Australian Printmakers Exhibition Exchange – Italy 1978 Australian Student Printmakers Exhibition 1981 The Exhibition of Victorian Prints – Aichi Prefecture Japan 1984-85 Box 5 Australian Etching 1978 Print Council Exhibition 1978 Australian Student Printmakers Exhibition 1978 Australian Print Exhibition Sweden 1979 Contemporary Swedish Prints 1979-80 Print Council Exhibition 1979-80 Third Western Pacific Print Biennale 1980-82 Box 6 Australian Print Exhibition, Tokyo; International Biennale Exhibition of Prints in Tokyo Twelve Australian Lithographers 1974 Print Council Exhibition 1982; Project No.2: Australian Prints in Secondary School (Department of Education) Box 7 Western Pacific Print Biennale 1976 PCA Annual General Meetings 1975-1980 The Tenth Jerusalem International Book fair 1981 Australian Prints in Secondary Schools Project I Education Department 1981 Australian Prints in Secondary Schools Project 3 Education Department 1983 Box 8 Australian Student Printmakers 1979 Australian Print Exhibition Tokyo 1977 Bank Statements and General Accounts 1981,82, 83 Print Exchange 1978 Techno Image Exhibition 1982-85 6 Australian Prints