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Quarterly of The Art Galleries & Museums Association of New Ze_a_land Cover i//ustration: Gate, Waioneke. Colin McCahon Dulux on panel 1967 . Collection of the National . a AGMANZ JOURNAL

Contents

Anne Kirker Aspects of Collection Rationalisation John McCormack and QEll Peter Entwistle Thoughts Towards a National Co—ordinated Collecting Policy Darcy Nicholas Contemporary Maori Art Bill Milbank A Provincial Response to Collecting Margaret Taylor Manawatu Art Gallery 10 James Mack The Dowse Art Museum ii Austen Davies The Bishop Suter Collection Meg Parkin Aigantighe Art Gallery i3 Rob Gardiner The Hamilton Centre Gallery of i4 Contemporary Art Russell Beck Southland Museum and Art Gallery 15 Tony Martin Collecting for a New Regional Museum 1.6 Tim Garritty The Hocken Library 17 Frank Dickinson Dunedin Gallery 19 Luit Bieringa Collecting and Collection Policies at The 2O National Art Gallery Agmanz Journal is the quarterly magazine of the Art Galleries and Anne Kirker An Aspect of Collecting: Contemporary 22 Museums Association of New Prints Zealand. international Correspondence concerning Marion Minson The and Prints Collecting, 24 editorial matters should be AlexanderTurnbull Library addressed to the Editor, Ms J, Bieringa, at 13 Hataitai Road, Cassells Maori ‘Taonga' and the Art Gallery/Museum 25 Hataitai, Wellington Copy Richard deadlines are 20th of February, Dichotomy May, August and November. Notes 27 Published texts and extracts may be reproduced provided full recognition is given to the author and the source Typesetting: Wordset Enterprises Limited Printing: Madison Print In this issue

This issue of the Journal focuses on hold and to whom do Art Museums have a Zealand is a small country and stimulus concerns about collections held in art responsibility? from outside an important factor (especially museums and in soliciting articles from (d) Are the collections sufficiently in the contemporary area) if we are to have both and directors l posed the accessible? something to measure and gage ourselves following questions: The results represent a wide range of against. (a) What is your institution‘s collection concerns and attitudes from a limited l am pleased to be able to include a policy? number of institutions (I was unable to conversation on contemporary Maori Art (b) Why are you collecting, for whom and include all submissions). The overwhelming which didn’t come up in the December what are the limits for art museums? Should one being a soul searching and tightening issue and also a number of philosophical there be limits, guidelines or maybe an of policies with emphasis being put on a papers on the nature of art and collection overall cover so that collections are much unique and individual stand to counter the rationalisation. more complementary? is this a feasible wide undefined collecting that has been I hope the contents of the Journal will proposition in a country the size of New occurring in many institutions. it is good provide further food for thought and Zealand? that we have become much more inward discussion. (0) What use is made of the collections you looking and specialised, however New Jan Bieringa

Aspects of Collection Rationalisation

The following observations formed part of a sketches, countless number of them, by a One way round this dilemma, i suggest, paper presented to this year's AGll/IANZ now forgotten painter who once lived in the is to judiciously separate works from the Conference under the heading ‘Rationa/ising of area. They take up precious space, they all permanent collection into Art Gallery Collections '. primary and need re—matting (not to mention resto— secondary holdings. The primary compo- ration), they have never been properly cata— nent would be active, public demonstration public collection of any content should logued — secretly you would like to burn of the art gallery’s personality and role in the have a coherency and demonstrate a them all! community, whereas the secondary compo— pattern of development. it should be readily Nevertheless, those sketches were nent would serve as back—up study material identifiable, whether it be a regional or donated in good faith and accepted for the or could well be of a difference character national entity. How does one go about collection fifty years ago. Perhaps there entirely to the other. Discreet handling of achieving this ideal? Trained art historians, really is no aesthetic worth to them and the secondary works would ensure that and administrators are a relatively new possibly there is little of historical interest they need not impose their presence on the phenomenon in New Zealand and they either, But let us not be too hasty. The value ‘up—front' functioning of the institution. An have by and large been faced with a body judgements that curators bring to their example of how one body took advantage of works which appears ‘ad hoc’ and positions today can conflict markedly with of a two—tiered system is the Victoria and serving no particular set of rules. their predecessors. To dismiss those Albert Museum. Until a few years ago it Once a policy is aspects of the collection that we had no operated a travelling exhibition programme established and the staff of an institution part in forming can be a gross arrogance. through the Circulation Department which has become thoroughly conversant with Before taking that decision to ‘deacces- distributed a variety of works around their charge then it is highly likely that the sion’ those sketches, should there be an Britain’s regional centres. These works word ‘‘ will begin rearing its attempt to judge them in another way? were derived from an alternative collection ugly head. What does one do with twenty Could they be used as comparative (a secondary collection in essence) to the 19th century French fans when a decorative material, or for educative purposes in main holdings. In adopting this activity, the arts section seems far less a priority than explaining a certain technique and institution was seen to democratically serve representing the work of local approach to subject? Are they really ail that its public on a broad basis. seriously committed to their vocation? bad? Aside from these qualitative consider- Secondary works could also be utilised In my opinion, it is too easy a solution to ations, do we wish to risk losing potential by government or city council departments simply sell them off (if that were possible) or donors by permanently removing (given (although ideally they should acquire ignore the fact that they exist. There again, that this was legally proper) works that collections for their own use). As tastes what does one do with those foxed originally came by way of gift? change and artists are re-evaluated, the then two-tiered system could prove in some should constantly be aware of this. Even if institution for a set period and instances to be interchangeable, For those very early bequests to your gallery reviewed. At this point the work was either example, in the gallery’s organisation of a comprised ‘indifferent’ material chosen by formally accepted into the permanent insti- thematic exhibition, certain secondary a less discriminating eye we should collection, or it was offered to other market. collection items might easily be called remember that lesser quality objects, even tutions and possibly put on the and upon. To facilitate these instances, and to forgeries or copies, can have merit as study Right from the start, both the artists re— generally maintain high standards of material. institution were aware of the terms This professionalism, the same rigorous ‘house— In this country, the emphasis in any garding the acceptance of material. National keeping’ of all art works would need to be collection must ideally reflect the New policy allowed the Australian than it constantly in force and an up-to—date inven- Zealand sensibility. For regional galleries it Gallery to speculate much more tory kept. A system of appraising afresh the probably makes most sense to acquire the would normally do and it avoided the issue contents of both components of the collec- work of local artists as a priority just as at of trying to ‘deaccession’ later on. tion should ideally occur regularly. the National Art Gallery, the focus should be in summary, rationalising an art gallery collection, is about acquiring a thorough Tying in with a secondary collection is the on a comprehensive coverage of New knowledge of existing holdings and those possibility of exchanging material with Zealand art (without however, invading the of other institutions. it is about other institutions. If those 19th century Turnbull’s territory) around which other endeavouring to present a coherent and French fans do not fit into the overall material is assembled. The gallery’s inter- readily identifiable presence to the users of concept of your gallery, they may very well national works should complement the New your gallery. in doing so it might well adopt suit an institution elsewhere in the country Zealand component and in doing so offer a a two—tiered system for the collection. And it Here, I venture to suggest that many of the broader experience of the , should demonstrate a flexibility that allows pre-1880s New Zealand works at the enabling viewers to see the national for change in keeping with the development National Art Gallery (William Swainson product in a world perspective. of these times. drawings for instance) would be much How do we get past the feeling that only (I thank Margaret Taylor, who in the better served in the Alexander Turnbull mid to late career artists may reliably be course of discussion, assisted with this Library. A movement of works to more collected? The Australian National Gallery meaningful situations is surely desirable had until recently, an enterprising scheme paper.) and avoids the problem of duplication called Art Current which provided first- Anne Kirker among collections. it is at the Turnbull that hand experience of new art developments. of Prints and Drawings we expect to find Swainson drawings, not at Granted, only international material was National Art Gallery the National Art Gallery. A policy of long- involved, but the notion could equally be term loan should, 1 believe, be adopted far applied to local artists. Basically, Art Note: Deaccessioning more readily than it currently is. Certainly, Current allowed for the purchase of work by Auckland City Art Gallery has prepared an this sideways shift would stall the more young artists which was retained by the excellent paper on the rationale for de- drastic step of ‘deaccessioning’. collection over the years with strengths accessioning and disposal of art works There have been instances when according to their own special field of from their collections. This paper could removal of material from permanent collec— knowledge. Those strengths should be well serve as a framework in part or tions abroad and in this country, through honoured in retrospect and not dismissed entirety for institutions looking to imple— sale, has subsequently been regretted. by succeeding encumbants. For the ment such a policy, Both the policy and Nowadays i believe we should acknow- question of an individual’s ‘taste’ and area deaccessioning forms are available on ledge the value of individuals building up a of expertise is variable, and institutions request from the Auckland City Art Gallery. The Arts and QEII

his issue of Agmanz which focuses on has been translated into a number of pro- costs. art museums and their collections, grammes designed to realise these broad 0 The administration of an exhibitions provides a useful opportunity to examine goals. These include:- budget to assist with the costs of mounting the Arts Council‘s relationship with public 0 Major grants for study and training. The and touring exhibitions for the national art galleries and art museums. While the Council recognises the importance of circuit. Applications for exhibition grants historical basis of the relationship remains training to those working within the pro- are assessed by an exhibitions committee unchanged, the Council is developing fession and a number of grants have been comprising two representatives of the Arts more active partnerships with organisat- approved over the years to directors, Council and the Chairman of the NZAGDC ions and institutions in order to address curators, education officers, art historians, or his/her nominee. This allows the pro- areas of mutual concern and to achieve and so on to undertake both long—term and fession to be directly involved in the shared goals. short—term courses of study overseas. The Council’s decision-making process. Historically, the Council’s policy towards newly established curatorial internship at 0 The Gallery Purchases Subsidy Scheme. galleries and art museums has been to the National Art Gallery will also provide Under this scheme dollar for dollar sub- encourage and support the development of important training opportunities for gradu— sidies up to a prescribed amount are avail- the profession; to assist galleries and art ates pursuing a curatorial career. The able to public art galleries and art museums museums to make the visual arts acces— internship is funded jointly by the Arts to assist with the purchase of major works of sibie to New Zealanders; and to encourage Council and the National Art Gallery. art by significant New Zealand artists. an appreciation of the visual arts in order to 9 Ongoing support for the New Zealand When the scheme was introduced, the contribute to the development of a climate Art Gallery Directors’ Council through Council hoped that the availability of funds, within which they might flourish. This policy annual grants to assist with administration which must‘be matched by gallery funds, would encourage local body funding the problems faced by the visual arts documenting the project, and extensive authorities to increase the acquisitions community and a commitment to achieving promotion of their work through the budgets of their local art galleries The a better deal for artists. Some examples of catalogue and the exhibition. scheme has been successful and the these partnerships include:- 0 An international programme. The Council now finds itself in a position where 0 The introduction of an -in—residence Council believes that there is a need to the acquisitions budgets of most insti- programme. The Council sees the introduc— develop a structured international pro- tutions far outstrip our ability to assist. tion of this programme as an important gramme which will allow us to project New Nevertheless, although the monies avail- means of providing greater part—time and Zealand art into an international context able to galleries under this scheme form a full-time work opportunities for artists which and to bring exhibitions, artists, critics, and very small part of their total acquisitions in the long term will contribute to the goal of so on into New Zealand. This can only be budgets, galleries still find the scheme reducing artists‘ financial dependency. The achieved with the support and co—operation useful, particularly those who apply the first residency is under way in Wellington in of public art galleries and art museums. funds to controversial works which might the Rita Angus Cottage and the second is Perhaps the best example of this kind of co- otherwise have a difficult path through City under discussion with the Sarjeant Art operative venture to date is the Colin Councils Gallery in Wanganui. The partnership McCahon exhibition / Will Need Words While the Council remains committed to envisaged involves the Wanganui City which was organised by the Arts Council this range of programmes, we also believe Council and the Sarjeant setting up and and the National Art Gallery for the Fifth that there is an urgent need to strengthen maintaining a house and studio for visiting of Sydney. This exhibition has and extend the support structures available artists and a commitment from the Arts attracted significant critical attention both in to practising artists. This focus on the Council to providing major grants for the Sydney and in the United Kingdom and it needs of artists will be reflected in some of artists selected to take up the residency. has done much to broaden perceptions of these programmes. For instance, last year The programme will benefit artists by pro- New Zealand art amongst our colleagues in an important change was approved to the viding them with employment opportunities Australia and further abroad. Gallery Purchases Subsidy Scheme. The for periods of up to 12 months, and it will The Arts Council believes it has a subsidies now apply only to works of art also contribute to the long—term goal of responsibility to act as an advocate for which are being sold for the first time by an integrating artists into the community. visual artists and that this responsibility artist or his/her dealer. This is to ensure that 0 The Chelsea project. Under this project, includes encouraging public institutions to the funds benefit not only the galleries by which was developed by the Arts Council, extend the role they can play as an impor— assisting with purchases costs but also the five New Zealand photographers were tant part of the support structure for visual artists by contributing directly to their commissioned for a fee of $3,000 each to artists. Our relationship with the profession incomes. Works purchased from auctions produce a series of images for the New is therefore likely to continue to develop as or private or public collections are no longer Zealand Sugar Company. With the co— a partnership with those institutions who eligible for subsidies. operation of the Auckland City Art Gallery acknowledge the very real needs of artists Perhaps the most significant recent this project was later developed into an and whose programmes reflect these development however has been the begin- exhibition with an accompanying catalogue concerns. nings of a series of partnerships between and poster. For the artists, the project the Arts Council and individual galleries John McCormack provided a fee, a portfolio of images which Visual Arts Advisory Officer which reflect a shared concern to address they may sell, a full-colour catalogue OEII

Thoughts Towards a Nationally Co—ordinated Collecting Policy

n this note l shall confine myself to Perhaps the most striking characteristic settlements in a large, uninhabited space. discussing only collections of the visual of our visual arts collections is that they are The history of New Zealand is that of a arts, in public galleries and libraries. It so numerous, and, generally speaking, so gaggle of small settlements divided by would be useful to widen the discussion to small. A visitor from Britain, the United geography and regional loyalties. include what may be called museum col~ States or even Australia, is likely to wonder it may be thought that New Zealand is lections, but that would carry me beyond why so few people have set up so many changing because in recent years the time and space available. collections. In other places three million Auckland has emerged as a conurbation By public galleries i mean those insti— people might be served by one or two large clearly on a greater scale than any of the tutions that are in any form of public collections. in New Zealand there are more others. But at the same time the number of ownership, whether they are called than twenty collections in Public Galleries collections has multiplied, not diminished, galleries or museums, which have, as a and Libraries. it is this numerousness that and so it must be supposed that our matter of policy, collections of the visual dictates the smallness of our institutions. tendency to organise at the regional and arts which they seek to enlarge. The libv We have no equivalent of the State collec- community level, ratherthan the national, is raries l have in mind are principally the tion in Victoria although that territory has a intensifying. Alexander Turnbull and the Hocken though population about the same as our own. it seems then that any consideration of it is important to remember that others, But to wonder at this is to wonder at the national policy must take this fragmentation such as the Auckland and Dunedin Public nature of New Zealand life itself. We are a into account. Libraries, have significant collections of scattered population in a broken country. The next most striking characteristic of visual arts material. The history of Australia is that of a few large our collections is their relative lack of funds available for collecting The principal collec- have to consider: Auckland and Dunedin Public Libraries tion in Victoria will this year spend in excess 1. To be the total of funds currently avail- (though that is one too many) as the four of A$800,000 on acquisitions. If the funds able for collecting in all the institutions. metropolitan galleries have far lesser spent by all the New Zealand collections Perhaps about NZ$500,000 pa. holdings of that sort. But the Auckland and were added together they would perhaps 2. To be the existing patchwork of collect— Dunedin Galleries have substantial amount to half that sum. (The comparison ions around the country, some idea of holdings in many of the same fields. The becomes even more invidious when it is which can be gained from a careful reading National Art Gallery and the Robert recalled that there are other collections in of Keith Thomson’s Art Galleries and McDougall also have holdings in some of Victoria which are spending considerable Museums in New Zealand. This may those areas and so who is going to give up sums and of course the Australian National perhaps be crudely summarised as re‘ collecting what? Gallery is spending at a rate which dwarfs vealing: six major New Zealand collections; Consensus about these things would not that of Melbourne’s.) two significant and two lesser foreign be easily reached. But if the galleries and There are several reasons why we spend collections; a number of lesser New libraries were able to put together a less collecting the visual arts than the Zealand collections; a number of minor National policy it would then be possible to Australians (or the Americans or the British) foreign collections; and some highly go to the government with a case for ad- but one of them is probably the numerous- specialised collections such as the Medi- ditional funding that would have some ness and smallness of our institutions. In aeval holdings of the Auckland and moral authority. We would not be asking for this matter a lot of little voices do not Dunedin Public Libraries. funds to spend competing with each other. command the same respect as one big one. 8. To be the desires and needs of the We would be asking for them to assist in The third outstanding characteristic of whole population of New Zealand. What building a carefully crafted National our collections is that despite their number these are is liable to be the subject of some resource. and their tiny resources, they seem fre— discussion. in discussing the matter it The failure in other countries of, attempts quently to be in competition with each should not be supposed that what the to produce a nationally co-ordinated collec— other. Almost every institution is collecting public desires its institutions to collect is ting policy does not augur well for us in our contemporary New Zealand art (the what those institutions now collect. Nor fragmented condition. This note is intended Turnbull is the principal exception) and should it be supposed that what needs to to sound opinion on the subject but the there are very few fields in which only one of be collected for the public is what it now writer will not be unduly offended if other our institutions is active. desires. members regard it principally as the If prompted most Directors would It seems to me that a policy made up with expression of a pious hope. probably cite a demand by the community due regard to these constraints would or the ideal of educating the public as the Peter Entwisle , probably embrace the following points: Deputy Director reason why they collect contemporary New a) That no more (and preferably) fewer Dunedin Public Art Gallery Zealand art. The cynical will add that this is than the present six large New Zealand one of the cheapest fields of endeavour collections should be built with comprehen- open to us. No doubt all these things act sive aims or even with the aim of being upon us, and not unreasonably. generally representative. That in those But what is unreasonable, or at least cities where there are two of these collec- disorganised, is that with so few resources tions (Wellington and Dunedin) the scope of we have made virtually no attempt to co— each should be reduced so that ultimately ordinate what we do. the two will together amount to a compre- To co—ordinate the activities of all these hensive New Zealand collection. It would institutions would be at least complex. In be absurd to end up with two comprehen— the absence of a self-restraining consensus sive collections in one place. it would be impossible. Because to estab— b) That most galleries will continue to lish a co—ordinated collecting policy would collect contemporary New Zealand works be to secure a general agreement among but some kind of specialisation, either Directors to collect only in certain fields and regional, or perhaps by medium or subject more often than not in fields where no—one matter, should be agreed upon so that we else was collecting. In short Directors don’t end up with twenty minor New would have to agree to give up collecting in Zealand collections that are all more or less fields in which they are now active, or would alike. like to be active. While it might not be diffi- c) That in collecting foreign works every cult to persuade Directors of the desirability effort be made to concentrate resources of the general adoption of such a policy, and avoid duplication. Considered gar persuading them individually to make the together, the collections throughout the m {was /r:’ A owlsme. necessary sacrifices is likely to be very country might be taken as a base for you 071/57 flaw/7‘ /r_’5 difficult. building the kind of foreign collection there gar/0M7;4:50 72/5 is at Melbourne. (Our development has Even so some points may be made 601.4 ECWJ/V. concerning the adoption of a nationally co— probably gone too far to permit consider- ordinated policy. ation of the kind of collection envisaged by Collecting policy is, or should be made the ANG.) The most obvious approach is within three general constraints: to divide the field into different nationalities 1. Thefunds available. and periods and then allocate these on the 2. The nature and extent (or absence) of basis of existing collections and funds any existing collections. available. 3. The desires and needs of the public the But this is more easily said than done. We collection is designed to serve. can perhaps agree that the field of medi— A nationally co-ordinated policy would aeval should be left to the Contemporary Maori Art

During the Easter weekend i went to the to be special trees, rocks, pa sites that think most Christians or a very high number Tangihanga for my sister in law. it was in acted as history books, guiding lights, and of priests even understand their religions. this house of my own people that l met my spiritual resources for us. The land here in The Christians preach that Jesus was the oldest friend Rautama. I had been asked to Taranaki has been decimated by the Son of God. The Maori concept is that write an article on contemporary Maori art pakeha. To be Maori is to see the land as people are at one with nature. and had found the process of defining and the blood and dust of our ancestors, it is to Christians are obsessed with worship- refining Maori art to be as elusive as the feel the pulse of it and to feel that you are in ping this blue—eyed lair man called Jesus. i wind. Perhaps definition is after all some— harmony with it. It is this and many more think man created their god in their own thing that belongs to the pakeha world things. image. it has worked badly for our people rather than Maoridom. Darcy: Well the land is always a subject of because all the things we believed in were As I glanced intently at the beautifully great confusion with the pakeha, especially cast aside and made our people into carved poupou, i caught the flickering when we speak in terms of “productivity”. i glossy-eyed puppets. image of Rautama as he passed between know you have a special love for it as it is Darcy: That’s a bit strong. the poupou and l, with a welcoming smile of always central to your and Fiautama: Well you might be right. But in my instant friendly recognition. . Do you think a lot of the land is heart, the arrogance of the missionaries He walked over, grabbed my hand and wasted by us? hurts. What sort of people distracted us as our foreheads touched in our traditional Hautama: No! As I said the land sustained from the beauty of living in harmony with greeting, l was reminded of his mother and us for hundreds and hundreds of years. The nature. father who had brought me up as a child. trees and dense bush has been a store- Darcy: i know all these points are important How i was born the week after his father‘s house for our people. All the small bird and in helping to understand where your art best friend had died and given that name. plant life, small eel streams, everything was comes from. Let’s discuss contemporary Well brother, good to see you again he there, you need only to have walked out and Maori art. What to you are traditional said, we‘ll have another long korero just so I got your food. The sea was another place, a symbols and do they ever appear in your art can make sure you haven‘t forgotten too valuable storehouse of food. I feel angry forms? much in that pakeha world. when i think of it all. The first thing the Rautama: The mere creation of a work of art I explained to him that I had been given settlers did was to destroy the bush, they places it in the realm of tradition. Tradition is this task to write something on con— destroyed the animal life and then took the the step just taken. temporary Maori art. I had known him land. Now they pollute all our seafood. The Darcy: How then does contemporary Maori longer than any of the other artists working land like all these big businesses belong to art differ from contemporary pakeha art? in a modern style. 1 had followed his work just a small number of people. It cannot Fiautama: Well, to start with the word very closely and wondered if he would let feed most of our people who have drifted to Contemporary Maori Art really has no parti— me interview him. the city for work. cular meaning for me. Our art, as always, Darcy: Rautama, can i interview you on your Darcy: How does this affect your work? has relevance to what is happening to our art? Hautama: Well, you have to look at what our lVlaori people today. We have been really Rautama: Well, i don‘t know brother, some people think of themselves. They see ‘hacked about’ but there is an exciting of my ideas might be a bit strange. Who are themselves as landless, cultureless, a phase developing amongst some of our you going to show this to? people with a very unworthy background. artists. All they need now is some sort of Darcy: Gallery and Museum people as well They run to the churches for salvation, they encouragement. as others involved in the arts. get into gangs, they laugh at themselves Darcy: What do you mean by some sort of Rautama: Come for a walk first, i want us to and act like they are stupid. You and i know encouragement? go up to the urupa where our parents are that our people are not stupid, they are Rautama: We are a race of warriors. We buried. trying to find an answer, they have put need a challenge, a mountain to climb. We We returned close on two hours later and themselves in this prison because they have to do the fighting for ourselves. For too he then agreed to do the interview. don’t question the pakeha, they think the long we keep asking for handouts and put Darcy: You have been painting and pakeha will provide the answer but they are ourselves in a subordinate position all the now for as long as l have known wrong. time. We spend too much time fighting you. You only started about eight Darcy: Yes, but how does this affect your amongst ourselves, trying to get the upper years ago. Are you a Maori artist, do you work? hand. We need a common goal. see this as a fair description of yourself? Hautama: Well my work is a reflection of my Darcy: Well could you think of one. Rautama: For the sake of making things sense of belonging to the land and the Raurama: Just off my head, how about easy for our pakeha friends, you can call people. l want to tell my people that they using our art to uplift our people. me a Maori artist. it is a bit like telling them also belong. My work speaks only to them. I Darcy: Give me examples. though that the sun is a round ball in the like to show it wherever our people gather. I Fiautama: We need to get organised and sky. There is an element of truth but the like speaking to our young people. promote our own art to our own people. reality is far more complex. Darcy: How do they accept your work? Look at our music, our dance, our carving, Darcy: Can you expand on this? Hautama: Well, some are completely painting, weaving. Apply it to our culture Raufama: Yes, to be a Maori is to feel the confused because their vision is clouded and make it available to our people. Send wind and fill your lungs and heart with it, you by Christianity. l don't know if we can help some of our people overseas to broaden look out across our ancestral land and for them. their vision. Overseas travel lets you know hundreds and hundreds of years, this land Darcy: ls Christianity such a bad thing? of your own uniqueness. Let those people has fed us, clothed us, comforted us and Rautama: No! i think the basic idea of come back and teach the young and the acted as our final resting place. There used Christianity is very good. However, I don’t old. Let us find ourselves again and work Pall/Sade wooden poles and painted found objects. Se/wyn Muru.

Téunga Waka, laminated wood. Para Match/ti. from there. We should feel good about our people. Take this as a serious state— don’t know how to handle it. Take public ourselves. ment because it is true. servants for example, they do their best to Darcy: Hasn’t this been done by artists like Darcy: Do you think we should become part obstruct you but if you have power and Kiri Te Kanawa. of the international art arena? I mean can influence they do their best to help you. if Fiautama: Well, yes but i think she has gone you put a price on our art? they saw themselves as helping people so far sideways, she has become highly Hautama: No you can’t put a price on our then the smaller people wouldn’t have so adept at pakeha things. I find it hard to art. I’m not sure whether we can keep our much stress in their lives, relate to her success in the pakeha world. art off the international arena after Te Maori. All races have been guilty of extreme I think people like Pine and Jone Taiapa in many ways we are caught in a swift cruelty. Our people are certainly no and in more recent years, the work of Cliff current and don’t know where it‘s headed, exception. But we live in a country where Whiting and Para Matchiitt has a vast Darcy: Fast currents can lead to waterfalls. there is potential for so much richness. impact on making people feel good about Hautama: I know, but they can also lead to Darcy: Well, we could speak on a whole being Maori. the sea and other horizons. We are a range of things but time is short. What do Darcy: Well, what about Te Maori? seagoing people. We don’t send the whole you suggest? Rautama: Te Maori showed people here tribe but we should send some of our most Fiautama: I don’t know. What is ‘short time’? what you and l have known for years. It has experienced and seasoned warriors to Darcy: Well, l think our nephews have dug taken this long for pakeha people to see the scout out the new horizons. the hole. We should go back to the Tangi. it uniqueness of our culture. Unfortunately it Darcy: Others have done this and l have to has been good talking to you. Can I show will probably take just as long for them to return to the field of music with Kiri and lnia you something I have written and would like realise the value of work by people like Cliff Te Wiata. There have been others in the to include in the article with your permission. and Para, Fred Graham, Pine and John field of light entertainment like Dalvanius. Taiapa, and many of our artists who have Rautama: When you look at people like Kiri Thoughts been working in the last fifty years. and Inia they did break new ground and These thoughts remind me of my mother Darcy: With the upsurge in pakeha people show our people that they could attain the and father carving, many people would say that highest levels of Opera in the pakeha world. — for they are my earth and sky, people like Owen Mapp, Norman Clark, That still does not make our people feel and Don Salt can carve as well as Maori good about themselves. It makes them feel They remind me of those who have carvers. good about Kiri and lnia. passed before me Rautama: One day Androids may replace What Dalvanius is doing is very good but ~— for they are the stars of my darkness humans, Their work reminds me of that, it is it is still a single step in a marathon. in the They remind me of my family pretty and precise. l like to see work by final analysis it all boils down to how the art - for they are the sun they warm my people that reflects their personality, their makes us feel about ourselves. heart and soul intellect, their cultural heritage. Look at the Darcy: Some people would say that They remind me of our sister Sylvia work of Selwyn Muru, aggressive, museums provide our people with the Nicholas emotional, warts and all. it gives us an inspiration they need. — who left us on the morning star 4 April impression of how the Maori mind works Rautama: Museums provide museum 1985 today. people with what they need. They need to The real value of Maori art today will tell feel good about their collection, they need Fiautama: There is a centre you how lVlaori people are thinking, how to feel good about their knowledge, they The sacred tree is alive and well they feel about themselves, their people, need to feel good about their cataloguing, their environment, their culture. restoration, and preservation of the severed Darcy Nicholas Darcy: I want to try and raise points made limbs of our culture. it really has nothing to Director, Wellington Arts Centre by pakeha friends. is Maori art today just do with the Maori people apart from using part and parcel of New Zealand art? them as a vehicle for their own pleasure. Rautama: No! What they see as New Museum people need to go out hui, spend Comment Zealand art has a reference point starting time around them and talk to our people. This interview with Fiautama was at his from Britain and stretching out through Not just large gatherings but also small ancestral meeting house, his family Urupa America and Europe. it has a reference ones. They should return carvings to their and his family house. Rautama is described point beginning in foreign lands amidst own people if not permanently at least from by Darcy Nicholas as his Taiaha, that timeles foreign cultures. time to time. element, that parallel spirit that all Maori Some of our artists have tried following Darcy: How do you find the New Zealand people have in the world of today. the pakeha road as it is still a fascinating art galleries? Darcy Nicholas is a Maori artist and Director one. But let‘s not fool ourselves, it has a Rautama: Well, they fell in love with the of the Wellington Arts Centre. ln1984 he was different reference point. If our artists want British, then the French, then the Americans awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study to do it, it istheir choice. in the final analysis, and at times the Dutch and the Spanish. At Contemporary Native American and Afro it is still a reflection on where lVlaori people other times, the whole lot at once. What American Art. are today. should i think of the galleries? Now they The photos are by Kees Sprengers and were Darcy: Are you saying that we need to want to take control of our carvings. They selected by The Editor. convince pakeha people that our art is also want to use them as a vehicle for their different? own pleasure and status. It really has Fiat/lama: No you don’t need to convince nothing to do with our people. the pakeha people of anything. Like I said Darcy: What do you think of the pakeha? before, we need to educate our own Rautama: There is good and bad in all people. we need to build galleries and walks of life, When it boils down to the break through our own boundaries. We common denominator, we are speaking of need our own art schools and to work from people in power whether it be pakeha, our own base, if anyone is capable of Maori, Japanese, French, Russian, breaking into the International art arena, it is Chinese. Power can corrupt people who A Provinciai Respofise to Art useum Coilecting

consider it a very appropriate time for a aspects of New Zealand life. the creators of the works m the Artists. major re-evaluation of the collecting Our institution houses a collection that To have a work acquired by an institution policies of New Zealand art museums, so l typically illustrates a country coming to that has a reputation for its strong collection will attempt to outline the policies, obser» terms with itself i.e. late 19th C early 20th C; in a given area, provides meaningful credi— vations and strategies I have been involved reinforcing the ties with Mother England; tation, that could increase opportunities, with at the Sarjeant Gallery. the 1920‘s and 30's; attempts at and growth of position for the artist. Equally, A brief outline of our Acquisitions Policy Nationalism; the struggle with Inter— a sound purchase of a leading or exciting categories: nationalism of the 50’s to 70’s, and now an new artist provides the institution with 1, New Zealand Collection: developing a emerging respect for a unique or individual strengthened credentials that can be collection of New Zealand Art in all stance. projected to the public. mediums, excluding applied arts, by artists More institutidns are refining their This institution/artist relationship is in- who have contributed to the development policies so that strengths that exist within valuable in developing strengths, and of New Zealand art in the widest sense. their collections —~ and new directions, can depths in collections, and i see it as an 2. Wanganui Regional Collection: A sub- be more positively developed to enable integral part of any acquisitions policy category of the NZ. Collection shall be them to take up a unique position rather strategy. directed; than just housing an above, below or Naturally, the collections serve a local, as a) A collection of art in all mediums in- average generalised collection of NZ. Art. well as a broader public, and in local cluding applied arts, representative of the I see value in encouraging this process of government institutions it is this group of best work produced by artists who work in developing the uniqueness of collections people to whom the collections formally the Wanganui Region. within our institutions, to the point where I belong. This building of collection strengths b) Work by Edith Marion Collier would strongly support the allocation of that recognise regional achievement and 3. A Collection of Nineteenth and Early increased funds from Central Government, provide direct contact with the artists help Twentieth Century International Art: A to assist the process of building on build a local pride and support, as well as travei— secondary collecting category shall be strengths in collections, as well as en— offering a unique experience for the directed to the general collection of art in all couraging reciprocal exchange’or perma- ling public. The collections therefore serve mediums, including Applied Arts, covering nent loan, between institutions, of material as an important promotional function, not a period 18004940 with special emphasis more appropriate to such collections. only for the institution itself, but for the placed on British taste of that period. However, any such development should community as a whole. This policy has in many ways been the offer support rather than impose direction. As strategies to strengthen the collection backbone of the Gallery’s management, It also opens up the opportunity for are developed, then it is expected that a and it allows us to examine the strengths, specialist collecting in areas that to date greater use of them, in an exhibition sense, and develop short and medium term many institutions have not come to terms will occur. Currently the touring exhibition strategies to develop the collection in these with i.e. applied arts, contemporary l\/laori programme is occupying a greater pro categories. For example, during the late art, studio ceramics etc. portion of exhibiting space than is often 703 we filled gaps in the earlier NZ. At the same time as examining acqui— justified, and a restructuring of that pro— Collection and started to look at a few con- sitions policies, and the possibilities of gramme to fewer and more clearly temporary artists. More recently, we have developing specialist strengths, it is useful focussed exhibitions would free space for looked at regional artists, and firmed up on to examine the rationale for collecting and greater use and impact, to be made use of several contemporary artists, with parti- whom do the collections serve. by our collections. cular’emphasis on Philip Trusttum due to The more usually quoted reasons, such Already much has been achieved with his having been born in the Region. as developing an archive of art achieve— improvements to the storage and regis— The collecting strategy of any given ment for now and the future, providing tration of collections, and with more space period in our institution’s history generally informed and high quality art experience for given to the coilections, the promotion and reflects the attitudes of the time, and our public, and a study resource, generally projection of our holdings can become currently reassessment of previous overshadow the significance of the acqui- more directly focussed. systems and attitudes is taking place in all sition of artworks by public institutions to Bil/Mi/bank Director, Sarjeant Gallery

”‘5’ ,4 View [seq/vows? @445a of ExoT/c SNAKES ”Vase-y 54955725, 0.9 5§$98vvu 6’07" YOU DO £59455 /7' marl/v.5 69 999966969 fl MUD/2 SKI/F7 ”v 77% gazce’ley’s flukmrfls/Né 7904My. Installation of Colin McCahon at Manawatu Art Gallery. anawatu Art Galler

E very collection worthy of the name is to the need to know other collections and their restrictive. a certain extent a work of art in itself, rev intentions and the need to communicate Many institutions in this country and in vealing qualities of proportion and harmony with one’s colleagues in other institutions. Australia have been established for a which spring from a controlled idea. Unlike Rivalry does, but should not occur in number of years and therefore have exten- a. magpie’s hoard, a true collection mani- ‘chasing’ acquisitions and when material is sive collections - many of these were tests a sense of design. found to be more significant to another accumulated before the advent of pro- in order to achieve this continuity of collection than our own -—— then this should fessional staff and before even a policy was intention each governing body should be passed on. formulated. publish a written statement of its acquisition The policy of non—encroachment is one to Although such collections may contain policy. This is one of the most important be encouraged especially in a country of some objects of little significance to our documents or statements of intention that our size. present view — I personally have had diffi— the staff have to understand in order to The acquisition policy of the Manawatu culty in accepting the too easy solution of function properly, This pertains to all staff, Art Gallery is to establish a representative de—accessioning. I should hesitate very not just curators or directors All staff are New Zealand art collection from the 1890’s much in imposing my taste and judgement communicating to the public so must be to the present day with particular emphasis on a collection formed by my pre- able to explain the reasoning behind their upon the last 30 years — it embraces all decessors. I am very aware of the healthy collection policy. The encouraging of gifts media. Much of its intention is understood differences in people‘s expertise and and donations and the searching out of rather than written. It allows the gift of work recognise the interesting bias of suc— suitable material can be spread wide if outside this stated area of collection should ceeding directors, understood by everyone. it be considered relevant by the Director However 1 am also very aware of the diffi- Hand in hand with knowing the strengths and Council of the gallery. I find this broadly culties arising from this policy when we all and weaknesses of one’s own collection is defined policy extremely workable and non- seem to suffer from lack of adequate

10 storage space. munity. It has to take note of the local collection accessible to the public, conser— As the size of exhibits over the last fifteen needs, that is of schools, colleges, of craft vation requirements and staff supervision years have increased so drastically — so guilds and individual craftsmen. Much of inhibit it. Also the collection has to be exhi- the demand for proper storage is embarras— the resource material required by these bited not arbitrarily but coherently for its sing many institutions. groups must be furnished by the gallery if it proper educational function. i remember Certainly in the small gallery we have is to properly fulfil its role. Where the perma- with great nostalgia the rooms and glass many restrictions on our collecting — not nent collection cannot satisfy demand then cabinets at the Victoria and Albert which only that of space and money but also time the exhibition programme must displayed acres of ceramics, glass and and pressure of work on a small staff. supplement. precious metals for the enlightenment of the My visits to Auckland, Wellington, There is a whole new area of collection craftsman and student. Perhaps the new Christchurch are once yearly — if time and which is necessary to extend the experi- museums could store their ‘safe’ material in budget allow. it is always difficult to restrain ence of the visitor. lt can be described as such a way that the public could have one‘s greed for acquisition and so perhaps the ‘study’ collection and consists of the access to it. I do not think it feasible in the the restriction in funding has its compen- support material, the explanatory photo- area of painting and , prints and sations. It makes one immensely critical Of graphs, sketch books, blocks, plates, drawings. the qualities and appropriateness of each letters, tapes, all of which can illuminate a The aim of public museums and their object. There can be no compromise in specific subject or person. collections is the pleasure and edification of standard. My present preoccupation at the the public. Large museums are increasing To assist in the regular re-assessment of Manawatu Art Gallery is the extending of the number of their departments, each the collection —— it is of prime importance to certain areas of collection by finding signifi- concerned with a different subject and compile and publish a checklist —— if not a cant works on paper, constructions, staffed by experts, who in turn are often catalogue of your collections. It is your most photographs, working drawings which will specialists in a particular branch. Smaller valuable working document — it shows you ‘round out’ the existing collection. By museums encourage their staff to concen— your strengths and weaknesses and as acquiring such supplementary works which trate on some special field, and often importantly it shows others your areas of are all of the highest standard — we are deliberately limit the range of their specialisation and will help to prevent able to assemble significant small exhi- acquisitions. unnecessary duplication of material. bitions of such artists as McCahon, This specialisation is largely the result of Already through exhibition loan, material Woollaston, Walters, Trusttum, Stringer, the museum becoming increasingly is travelling between institutions — which Peebles, Clairmont, Hotere and others. regarded as an integral part of the edu- diminishes the demand for duplication. The These become the teaching exhibitions cational system of a country. Acquisitions benefits of exchange of material for the which are needed by local students and reflect this concern for specialisation — it purpose of exhibition are enormous. Such public alike. The works can new cover a does not encourage the thin spread ~— the exchange would be greatly facilitated by wide period, a wide variety of media and one work by a number of artists, rather it the establishment of a national register or stand as positive statements by the artist. persuades one to acquire a series of works catalogue. Our registrars, in compiling a I must and always will argue the idea that by a limited number of artists. Be happy to national manual of registration have already a major work of art can be on a small piece borrow to supplement your collection. Do begun this exercise. of paper —— it does not by definition mean not think it necessary to compete for As‘the main function of an art gallery is in the costly completed canvas or bronze. ownership. is there are many physical the area of education, the collection Unhappily Margaret Taylor geared towards the needs of the com— restrictions on making the permanent Director, Manawatu Art Gal/ery Art Museum

written acquisition policy for the Dowse be represented by several pieces of their craft area will be given considered Art Museum is currently in the pipeline. work so that the viewing public can more attention. The Board of Management of the Dowse Art readily see the scope of their artistic Given that the Dowse Art Museum is a Museum have agreed that it is necessary to prowess. regional museum the parochial edge of the put together a collection that has a unique Budget limitations mean that it is difficult collection is important but works from local edge, a collection that does not just clone to buy major historical works and a sub— artists will only enter the collection judged that done by other similar institutions. Like mission is before the Dowse Art Museum against national standards. all institutions, the Dowse Art Museum has Management Board to consider setting There has been a moratorium placed on restricted purchasing power and for that aside seven and a half thousand dollars a the purchase of paintings but consideration reason it has been decided to give priority year which will accumulate so that if and will be given to purchasing paintings that to artists who produce art works that some when a major historical work becomes avail— are considered exceptional or which are people would define as craft, in simple able there is a pool of money there that can particularly relevant to the Dowse Art terms therefore the collection is about the be used. Museum collections. There is a policy of fine and applied arts. On the recommendation of the Director purchasing graphic materials related to the Apart from collecting New Zealand artists the Management Board have also agreed collection in its entirety and an ongoing where possible the work of artists who have to a fiscal commitment to the art of glass in commitment to building up the gallery’s visited New Zealand, taught here and New Zealand for the next 3 years. Both photographic collection for which there is a spread their influence will also be con— historic and contemporary hot and flat small bequest devoted entirely to the sidered. It is also intended that artists glass are being purchased. At the end of purchase of photography. chosen to be represented in the collection the 3—year period it is possible that another It is believed there is a given responsi-

if bility not to collect exactly the same works which has unique strengths and dreams are bound up with undertaking a as those being collected by the National Art differences. major conservation programme but part of the global plan to make the collection more Gallery. Use of the Collections it is intended that the policy document to accessible has been put in train. be presented to the Dowse Art Museum The ceramics collection is in study/storage I believe implicitly that institutions have a Management Board pays particular and is accessible to anybody who gives us responsibility to look seriously at their attention to a reasoned de-accessioning some notice of their intention to see it. Paint— collection policy as it relates to other programme and that it also gives serious ings other than those works on paper are kindred organisations. Given that New consideration to borrowing works to sub- also reasonably accessible. We are under— Zealand is small and that there are a large stantiate those already in the collection. taking major work on the works of art on number of cultural institutions we should be it is believed that the policy should name paper collection which we are sorting out looking at doing some one thing better than names and even though that list will not be and plan to refurbish and permanently our colleagues are doing. it will be healthier finite it will give serious consideration to frame 50 works a year until we have caught in the long run and will vigorously observe making in depth study of a group of artists up with the backlog. the arts on a broader base than they are in the following areas:~ ceramics, glass, it is our intention to eventually have all the currently being. weaving, fabric, wood, jewellery, sculpture works in the collection photographed and Viva la difference! to have an alphabetical index of those avail— and photography. James Mack it is important to put together a collection able for public inspection. Most of these Director, Dowse Art Museum

The Bishop Suter Collection

ince the original bequest of paintings only produce one certainty: that, provided With large collections in New Zealand from the estate of Andrew Burn Suter in the incipient holocaust holds off, the period with rotation cycles of anything from 1898 the collection has been added to by in which we are now living will provide fasci- possibly two to four years, handling levels further bequests and some occasional nating study. On the assumption that we might be acceptable. A work on view say purchases. It now numbers some six survive, and it’s the only assumption our for one month out of four years would have a hundred works notable amongst which are profession allows, the decisions that we are low deterioration factor low enough anyway the forty—two by John Gully and one now making regarding our collections, to be acceptable. hundred and six by Tosswill Woollaston. though they may not be as immediately With small collections like that at the Suter Acquisitions in recent years have been critical as those of the new breed of with a rotation cycle of something like six based more on enlightened opportunism geneticists and bio—technocrats, will cer— months, repeated handling and exposure than consistent policy since funding for this tainly be of equal interest to future can only be regarded with dismay. So we purpose has at best been sporadic. The generations. have a dilemma, To obtain high throughput Suter’s first acquisitions policy was devised Our collections are among the raw from a small community and thus en— rapid as recently as eight years ago. This states materials of history, the material evidence courage better funding one requires that works will be acquired which — without which future generations would be changeround of display, but the rapid t. complement the existing collection of unable to evaluate either our achievements changeround of a small collection is ethi- works by early New Zealand painters; or their traditions. The evidence has to be cally unacceptable. 2. extend the collection of works by signi- readily available however and it is this issue Posterity vs Prosperity New Zealand artists, ficant contemporary which is perhaps fraught with the most At the Suter (since its modernisation eight of and; problems and remains the subject years ago) the problem has so far been notable local developments, 3. represent greatest concern. partly resolved by presenting a large QEll picture purchase subsidy The It is in the very nature of things that number of the available touring exhibitions together with an annual grant from the arguments for more adequate funding of and reserving only a part of the Gallery in Nelson Provincial Arts Council has enabled our institutions, given the largely parochial which the permanent collection is rotated, the Gallery to acquire in the last few years concerns of our governing bodies, can best thus extending the rotation factor to some— works by Albrecht, Clairmont, Trusttum, be substantiated by eloquent attendance thing like two years. lf these touring Siddell, Taylor, Peebles, Maddox, Hanly, records. The ‘material evidence’ has there— exhibitions which are usually subsidised by Frizzell, Drawbridge, Ellis and Fomison. fore to be made abundantly available, the QEll Arts Council become too expen~ The Gallery also has a collection of regular exhibition turnover being the sive however, and if present murmurings contemporary ceramics which is added to method. Those who are likely to visit must are anything to go by, this appears almost from time to time. be provided with good reason to do so inevitable. The Suter and similar-size gal- Works which complement the existing frequently. High throughput figures provide leries will be able to afford only two or three collection of works by early NZ artists have the only evidence likely to impress the a year w so we would be left with little alter— not been purchased for the simple reason vulgarians that so frequently manage to native but to start shortening the rotation that there is no one-for—one subsidy avail— infiltrate our committees. cycle of our permanent collections with con— Arts able for this category from the QEll But it is also in the nature of things that sequent deleterious effects. Council. excessive handling and exposure to even Were we thinking exclusively in terms of Rotating the Collection minimal U.V. levels will inevitably cause posterity it’s probable that the optimum Speculation as to developments in the more deterioration than should be conditions for our collections exist only in a visual arts over the next hundred years can acceptable. bank vault.

12 There’s no question but that visitors are a anguished over constantly. Restoration in serious embarrassment to art museums, particular. In the past, works from the Suter poking fingers and damp breath are the collection have been restored at both stuff of nightmares, and the average school Auckland City Art Gallery and at Dunedin party is regarded as the peacetime equi- City Art Gallery. Now Auckland appears to valent of a commando raid. The only right be limiting its help to other North lsland and proper attitude to the exhibiting of galleries, and Dunedin appears to be permanent collections is —— don’t. having staffing shortages. Unfortunately the two most crucial factors Three works in oil are currently under— as we see them here, i.e. our concern for going restoration at the recently posterity and the need for a modicum of established workshop of John Harper in prosperity,,appear to be mutually exclusive. Christchurch. The high cost however must To exploit our resource to its maximum and inevitably limit this work to about four paint— thus encourage maximum funding to ings a year on present budget levels. At the enable us to extend our collection, we must time of writing there appears to be no one to do just that which is contrary to the best whom this gallery can confidently send interests of posterity a rotate our collec- works on paper for restoration. tions more frequently and thus over-expose Fundamental to our long—term obligations our collection to the depredations of light lie the issues of care and concern for our (albeit filtered), of handling and of the collections. if local bodies are to be per- prodding digits of the lumpenproletariat. suaded to take a more positive approach to The recently announced Goodman Suter funding in these areas, the full frontal Biennale will enable the Suter to purchase approach is not likely to be the most an additional sixteen thousand dollars effective. worth of paintings every alternate year, thus Techniques vary. intentionally enlarging allowing a fairly rapid expansion in the size the collection to beyond saturation point of the collection w with a consequent exten- while at the same time circulating disaster— sion to the rotation cycle The continuing photographs i.e, enlargements of borer availability of the touring exhibitions at rates Julian Bowron and Ero/I Shaw, exhibition holes, silverfish and foxing, might be con— within the grasp of the smaller galleries organiser, unpacking ‘Anxious Image’ works. sidered a trifle Machiavellian, but with hangs in the balance. The bigger the collec- councillors with real-estate proclivities (not tion, the less handling and exposure it gets New Zealand paintings in the South lsland‘, by any means a rare species) there is — and provided the storage space is cli— even the vulgarians, with whom quantity is nothing like pointing to a depreciating asset matically stable and reasonably dark and the only criterion, have to be impressed. to arouse supportive indignation. clean, posterity gets a better deal. And of Restoration course the bigger the collection the more Austen Davies Director, Bishop Suter Art Gallery important your asset. Where it can be Although the rotation factor is of major described with a modicum of conviction as, concern it is by no means the only concern. Photo: Michael McArthur. for instance, the ‘third largest collection of Restoration, storage and presentation, are Aigantighe Art Gallery

Aigantighe is essentially a provincial Zealand art in the widest sense. This lection so that we have a selected number gallery. This is not intended, in any includes historical and contemporary works of artists who will be represented in some way, to be a denigration but rather an with an emphasis on any works relating to detail rather than a random selection with acceptance of our situation, our collection, South Canterbury. We hope to build up a little continuity or depth. There are many and our public. Timaru is a conservative good regional collection and history of risks involved in this scheme All artists who area with a large proportion of retired historical and contemporary works of local show promise do not necessarily achieve people. There is an active Arts Society but a artists. anything more, or even continue their work. small number of professional artists. We We are, at present, trying out an idea The Aigantighe collection has about 900 aim to be a provincial gallery in the best whereby a portion of the purchasing funds items, most of which would be on display at sense and consider education and is directed towards a collection of paint- some time over a two year period. Should appreciation to be our main aims. ings, prints and sculpture by young artists anyone want to see something which is not Our acquisition policy is limited by pur— in their final year at an or in the on display, all works are readily accessible. chasing finance which is solely interest early stages of their career. Some If other smaller galleries are like ours and from bequests, plus a QEll subsidy. As the emphasis in this area is to be placed on the find when making exhibitions from their total amount is about $5000 annually our acquisition of prints to tie in with the earlier permanent collections that the gaps are new acquisitions are modest, to say the idea of being a Print Repository. This would possibly more significant than the actual least. mean that we would become a Print Reposi— works, then perhaps having established The primary collecting category of tory of selected artists rather than an overall aims and accession policies, some thought Aigantighe is directed towards developing coverage. To give relevance to this idea, should be given to deaccession policies a collection of paintings, drawings, prints, those artists chosen must be followed and with a view to swapping within galleries? sculpture and crafts by artists who have works bought throughout their careers. contributed to the development of New it is hoped that this will refine our col- ll/Ieg Park/n Director

13 The Hamilton Centre Gallery of Contemporary Art

he Hamilton Centre Gallery of Contemporary Art is a component of the Hamilton Arts Centre — a project of the Chartwell Trust. The Gallery opened in August 1982. The building occupied by the Arts Centre was formerly the Hamilton Hotel and has been redeveloped to include spaces for the Centre Gallery of Contemporary Art, a gallery for the Waikato Society of Arts, a tavern, 2 restaurants and an arts supply shop. ln addition a theatre has been developed from a separate building in the garden at the rear of the site and there remains approximately 8,000 square feet for development on the first floor. A garden at the rear of the building enhances the Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Left Bank Cafe Restaurant. The Centre is sited on 11/4 acres adjoining the Waikato river, Marlborough Place and Victoria Street — the main shopping street of Hamilton. The Centre Gallery occupies Hamilton Art Centre — rear exterior with left Bank Cafe/Restaurant on terrace. about 7,500 square feet inclusive of exhi— bition space of 4,000 square feet and storage 2,500 square feet. The Gallery has there is a direct and active interest in ment services enable an active and flexible been planned to provide a frontage to integrating the ultimate potential of the two programme to operate passing casual pedestrian traffic at the collections. We plan to continue to collect Consulting curatorial services for the Victoria street level and an entrance at the paintings by contemporary living artists Collection will be required and to date rear on the lower level from the Terrace including a representative collection of assistance when requested has been given access off Marlborough Place. The Gallery New Zealand works and expressionist by the staff of the Waikato Museum. provides an alternative access to the Cafe works from countries around the Pacific. The future policy of Gallery operation is ‘and this was planned to provide exposure To date a number of Australian paintings likely to increasingly emphasise the of exhibitions to a generated traffic of have been purchased and future acqui— Collection and it is hoped that its acqui- potential viewers. The concept behind the sitions are likely to reflect the sitions will give a unique character to the redevelopment has been to integrate a con— expressionistic character and policy of the facility and the exhibitions which are temporary art space into the commercial Collection. The Collection is stored on presented therein. Access to the Collection central business area of Hamilton and to sliding steel mesh racks within an aircond— store on an appointment basis is likely to be include components immediately adjacent itioned and secured store space. encouraged under suitable supervision to the Gallery which would attract visitors to Works from the Collection are exhibited and the exhibition programme will continue the facility, for 2 months of the year in the Gallery to provide opportunity for artists to be The Waikato Museum of Art and History is (December and January) and in the future it creative in the exhibition situation. There is under construction about 50 yards up river is expected that an increasing proportion of a perception of an opportunity for public from the Arts Centre site. The decision to exhibition time/space will be taken up by education in New Zealand contemporary establish the Centre Gallery of Contem~ works from the Collection. The exhibitions art and for each exhibition the Gallery porary Art was directly influenced by the programme for the balance of the year has prepares and issues a simple information potential of this physical relationship, The been on a calendar monthly cycle and to statement for visitors’ use. This is the basis site for the future museum was known when date some emphasis has been possible on of a release of exhibition information to the Art Centre development was planned shows by mid—career artists usually with a media and schools which is supported by but at that stage the Hamilton City Council guest organiser or the artist carrying out distribution of Gallery posters as part of a had not made the decision to commence planning and design functions. The Gallery regular publicity and promotion effort construction. is not a selling Gallery and is not equipped including advertising in newspapers and The Centre Gallery has been established staff-wise to develop heavily curated shows art magazines. Generally there is no formal primarily as a safe and orderly storage for in the manner of public galleries in New exhibition opening. the growing Chartwell Art Collection and to Zealand. The use of guest organisers has The Gallery currently opens from f0~4.30 enable its active use in a Gallery exhibition enabled the Gallery to keep permanent on weekdays but currently consideration is programme. The policy for the Collection is staff to a minimum and this policy will being given to a reduction of hours of to complement the painting collection of the continue. Two permanent staff and 3 part— opening during the week to 12 midday to Waikato Museum of Art and History and timers with supporting office and manage- 4 pm with 2 hours of opening on Saturday

14 morning. The Gallery has examined the potential for establishment of an in-residence artist facility within the Centre and there is space available for such a development. Planning will continue on this proposal. The Gallery is being seen as an alter- native exhibition space to the traditional public gallery and dealer gallery facilities in New Zealand but shares with them similar concerns to increase standards, education and communication in the visual arts. The Gallery looks forward to continuing to operate and further develop a quality exhibition space and Collection of contemporary paintings which will increase the interest in and potential for con- temporary art in New Zealand.

Rob Gardiner Director Hamilton Centre Gallery. Main gallery showing Chartwe/l Art Collection

Southland Museum & Art Gallery

quisition policies are necessary and guidelines: The artist may have been born Of equal importance to the policy itself is often evolve based on the past achieve— or lived for some period of time in the region; to make it publicly known, especially in the ments of the institution and a desire to the works may depict some aspect of the gallery, where the works immediately mean expand them. Each region in New Zealand area, be constructed of materials from the more to the visitor. served by galleries has its own unique region or executed there. The art collection at Southland Museum conditions caused through population, Taken to the extreme, one could argue and Art Gallery had its beginning in 1961 distribution, geographical position and that this policy could include almost when the art gallery section was added and other factors which give rise to different anything. However, the key words are — only in recent years has there been an community or visitor needs Collection “relevance to Southland". active purchasing programme. it is still policies should incorporate these points Like all policies there are likely to be grey small and by no means representative of also. areas and like all institutions there are small what it could be. Gaps have been filled with My own institution, for example, is a pockets in collections which have on face loaned works from the Anderson Park Art combined Museum and Art Gallery and the value little relationship to the policy. These Gallery and Dunedin Public Art Gallery collections are mainly concerned with are inevitable and many were probably collection and we are particularly fortunate Southland‘s art, natural and cultural history. inherited before policies were in existence. in this respect. it galleries knew each It serves a population of approximately A few years - ago I visited several other’s policies and holdings more use 100,000 with about half that number living in American museums, most of which could be made of collections in this way, it lnvercargill. It is geographically at the covered the whole field but I was parti— also offers to solve any dispos'al problems. bottom end with little through traffic from the cularly impressed with the Oakland Not all contemporary art survives as travelling public. With considerable input Museum whose policy was only concerned lasting works, yet may have served a useful and support from the local people, it is very with the State of California. The permanent purpose at the time. much a community museum. art collection featured California and its Disposal is still difficult ground but art The region has also several smaller artists from the early period to the present. galleries who have always purchased their museums and two public art galleries. One A small separate section on Asian art at first collections can possibly justify selling their in Gore and the other, Anderson Park Art appeared out of place until one was made unwanted works with little public comment. Gallery, on the outskirts of lnvercargill. We aware of the strong Chinese community in However, the situation is much different for all work closely together sharing our collect- California and their contribution. museums and combined museum/art gal— ions and expertise. A combined committee Similarly, we have a small and important leries, who largely rely on gifts. Much of our known as the Southland Art Galleries collection of etchings by foreign artists but art collection has been purchased but the Liaison Committee co-ordinates activities. these works represent collections made by other collections are all given. This practice With consideration for these factors, the Southland people who were prominent in continues and is the basis of most com- following policy for the acquisition of art has the community. When these are shown, munity musuems. De—accession in this been in operation for several years __ “To together with the details of the collector and case is much more sensitive and public acquire New Zealand works of art and craft his or her contribution to Southland, the pride in a museum is hard won but easily with the emphasis on contemporary works works probably have a place. lost. having relevance to Southland or Southern Where does it all end? The purists will say Regional policies such as ours have New Zealand”. there is no room for grey areas but we will all some advantages in that the opportunity is As Southland does not have a large have inherited or created grey areas which there for the justification of particular artists population the addition of southern New are not easily disposed of. The solution is to to be represented in depth, complete with Zealand gives a little latitude to the north. make sure they stay just grey and do not major and development works, drawings, The policy is interpreted by the following deviate the main policy objective. biographical details, etc. If policies were

15 better known valuable background material could be offered to the appropriate gallery by artists, individuals and collectors, who often have little regard for this important facet. Our policy appearsto work well at the moment but naturally will not be acceptable to other regions. We all live in a changing world and policies will change too. Art collections are assembled according to the resources and ability of the staff of each institution. Biased collections, master— pieces and rubbish will automatically result as time sorts them out, but averaged throughout the country the total New Zealand collection finally becomes a valuable resource which should be easily accessible to another “art form” the concept and presentation of specialised exhibitions. W Russell J. Beck One of two galleries at SMAG showing permanent collection which concentrates on local work. Director South/and Museum and Art Gallery Photo L, C. Hazley. Collecting for a New Regional Museum

O ne of the exciting prospects that faces the works of both regionally and nationally part of the collection of larger neighbouring a new regional museum is its potential known architects is also envisaged. institutions. it is nothing less than exhilar— to build a collection based on a well formu- As expressed in the policy the purpose of ating if it can participate in medium scale, lated collecting policy that seeks to apply the collection is to preserve a record of the affordable cost exhibitions, that are curated modern collecting principles This means cultural activity, ideas and values of the on regional themes to which the option of that from the outset the institution can North Otago community. Also inherent in future reciprocation with an exhibition, choose what it will collect within a specified the policy is an obligation to interpret the drawn from its own collection, is not an field of interest with the result that the insti— collections by providing a service to the impossible reality. tution develops its own regional identity community that presents the collections as Somehow it is moral-boosting not only to within the network of National Museums a meaningful resource with which the visitor know exactly what neighbouring or further— In the case of the Forrester Gallery, which can interact. flung institutions have in their collections — has adopted a strongly regional collecting Obviously, such a collection should be the institutions have either given or sold its philosophy, a range of collecting interests accessible to the widest possible neighbour a copy of the catalogue of its of both historical and contemporary signifi- audience: under current policy, anyone can collections —— but also to actually be invited cance have been clearly defined. These visit the Gallery free of charge. Taken a step to use thematic components of that collec— interests encompass historical art and further, a collection ought to serve its local tion. Such institutional interaction can only architecture such as material relating to community by being a usable cultural be applauded, not simply because it is Maori daylight shelter drawings, art that resource of local relevance. in this respect good to build lively modes of communi- depicts European colonial settlement in it would equally serve as a resource that is cation between institutions, but perhaps North Otago and architectural material interesting (both in the educational and more importantly because it offers such relating to colonial buildings and houses. entertaining senses) to visitors from outside great opportunities to extend the resource As it is considered that the great artistic the region. For both categories of audience base of a museum so that, with appropriate achievement of North Otago is its architecv the collection would also function as a management, the museum can cast a wider ture, the collection of architectural regional cultural data centre, assisting the and closer-meshed net across the cultur- drawings, specifications, photographs and diligent research of the scholar. ally lethargic parts of its community. other documents is given priority. Once a local museum has succeeded in Museums that set out to operate along In the modern field the Gallery collects art defining regionally appropriate collecting these sorts of guidelines — that is, works and crafts by its best contemporary guidelines and established the means of museums that have defined and limited artists and crafts people with the aim of implementing them, the question of region“ their collecting policies and then embarked establishing a representational body of ally complimentary collections emerges as on a policy of mutual interaction with other work that reflects the arts and crafts of the a dynamic factor promoting interaction museums — are museums endeared with region. between institutions. There is a growing with an extravert vigour that may hopefully A further aim of the collecting policy is to body of evidence, in the form of loan and succeed in commanding wide community create a selective and representational exhibition proposals, that suggests that this respect. This has got to be a welcome collection of art works relating to the is becoming acceptable practice among a contrast to the old insular policies that national community. In this area the aim is number of South island art galleries. seemed to be based on intraverted and to avoid duplicating other collections but at Looked at from the viewpoint of smaller decadent competitiveness that effectively the same time to provide works of nationally local or regional museums it is very reassur— resulted in static collections enshrined in significant artists and crafts persons. Within ing to such a museum if it is granted loan dull institutions. this category a representative collection of access on a selective (thematic) basis to Tony Martin Forrester Art Gallery

16 Hocken Library

As a hedge against the unlikely event of my placing a vase at a certain spot on the according to the context of its acquisition being taken as an official spokesman of the mantlepiece (classical) or contriving a and growth. And art too is validated by the Hocken Library, it has to be said at the divinely inspired dishevelment of coiffure morality of its operational contexts. Admit— outset that what follows is a personal view of (romantic). The Hocken Library was fortu~ tedly except for perhaps during. one or two the predicament of art — one, I might add hate that its librarians and committees were of the more cock-sure eras of the soiree for which there is plenty of precedent in the sufficiently aware of these functional when ”certainty” was a fashionable thing, current literature; and the approach is changes in art to make the appropriate staff “art" and “culture" have proved pretty perforce a philosophical one and deliber- adjustments. lt will be interesting to see if well immune to definition. But ”art” in the ately perverse to the extent that more the present generation of curators in the sense that it is commonly used by us is after problemsare spawned than it cares to municipal galleries will have similar fore— all only 250 or so years old and there is no answer. I do not believe that any of these sight when the time comes to read the early reason why it should not vanish again. questions abdut the raison d’etre of the writing on the wall hinting of further erosion Even now it is beginning to look very much gallery particularly with respect to its inces- of “art’s” existential status within society, as though “art” is virtually a costly anach- tuous relationship with its art offspring, can and act accordingly, or will they be the last ronistic Romantic left—over which we have be answered without a complete perhaps to know and on full salary beach their been landed with by default of history, with painful and incommodious unravelling of whales regardless of the-sea’s depth and the artists as a sort of Lost Tribe of self our base assumptions about “art” gener— state of tide. Broadly speaking the styled professional bleeding hearts ally, for in these troubled times it is by no Hocken’s present aim would be to collect demanding a place in the Promised Land of means obvious that ”art” has any solid New Zealand related art along the whole Gailerydom. A tennis game that continued claim to ontological authenticity as a length of its ZOO—year—long time frontier, long after the ball was lost became in the special entity separable from that equal augmenting the clusters of work by parti- fullness of time a slow and elegant pas de absurdity, a “non—art” world. cular artists already held and whenever deux in memory of one Tenys Baule of (a) Without a doubt the thing uppermost possible plugging the gaps. But the unknown origin. This dance is usually in Dr Hocken‘s mind was the documen— existing strengths of the historic sections performed in the summer months on green tation of an historical process; and though it coupled with a finite financial resource has mats with a mysterious background of nets is perhaps questionable whether he resulted in a sort of de facto policy of and occasionally the dancers hold thought of all the pictorial items he collected collecting mainly the work of living artists or strangely looped wands, Gallery genre as “art" ~ a word which at the time was as near to living as possible; and by and “art” is such a dance. The art collection of possibly more synonymous with the finer large this policy is one which accords well the Hocken is subsumed under the public things of life and high-minded fantasy than with that of the library‘s founder for whom reference and research functions of the anything else __ he most certainly had an watercolourists such as William Fox were library as a whole which broadly speaking eye for the attractive image, so that the fine contemporaries. Because for some it is a collects so that people, anyone at all and for wide-ranging collection of media he eventu— faintly perjorative term synonymous with a whatever can among other things research, ally gave to the University of Otago for the Siren‘s kiss of death, “established" is used investigate, contribute to, participate in and benefit of the people of New Zealand in here advisedly in the sense that in the as a result find themselves a part of an 19l0 as, in his own intriguingly 20th Century choice of artists work for inclusion in the ongoing historical process, lt is a matter of sounding words, a ‘museum of information’, collection, precedent tends to be followed providing the wherewithall for a people to contained a vast amount of what today we and not set, for it is debatable whether a find out about itself and perhaps even would call “art”. But since Hocken’s death public historical collection should know- research the possibility of a future for itself the increasing value that has been placed ingly contribute to the “establishment” of on the basis of the knowns of the present. on that brand of veracity peculiar to the an artist thereby short—circuiting and so Supposing the inherited knowledge of a photograph - itselt a recent victim of being forging the history‘s outcome. The socio— people is transmitted from one generation dubbed as “art" — together with a logy of “getting established" is a bizarre to the next by means of delicate cultural tendency on the part of artists to retreat one likely to provide the software visitable structures in a way similar to that by which from the objective reality rumoured of by upon a second and third generation of art our biological characteristics are trans— philosophers to a wholely subjective one of history students to come. mitted genetically, then our museums could the Self, has resulted in a shift in collecting (b) To be asked the reasons for collec- be said to be culturally gonadic —— the policy from an original emphasis on docu- tion contemporary art, let alone for building cultural sperm and ovary banks as it were of mentation to one on pure aesthetics. Art the galleries to house it at the public’s a people who show the unmistakeable had, as it were, come of age and had expense, implies that one has a clear idea signs of a growing lack of interest in the become as socially autistic and self— of the alleged culture and the social needs orthodoxy of reproduction of any kind. As a historicising as the rose was said to have thereof in relation to which the collection nation susceptible to sporadic crises of self- been by the venerable Gertrude, so that takes place, for clearly it does not happen identification one would expect its cultural from a ouratorial point of view, art, like the in a vacuum or merely as an expression of institutions to provide solid ground on lady whose beauty was her dowry, no the whimsical tastes of curatordom. That which to build the lean—to of the spirit, and longer needed any justification for its exist— such questions are asked at all is perhaps not cater for the effete tastes of a Culture of ence beyond its aesthetic quality which at indicative of a crisis in art as deep as any of Surpluses which is virtually what the the profoundest and therefore most easily those currently besetting this country. galleries are doing. understood domestic level would be These days art can never be just “art” any Contemporary art appears to be very demonstrable by perhaps nothing more more than sport can be just “sport” as the much a purely gallery—generated genre the or less complicated than say the knack of ”Tour” showed. Likewise money is judged forms of which apart from a few notable

i7 exceptions would be considered by most like monstrosities of the spirit as the Sydney related [to it]” — Marsh, Live Art l984. The as being merely decorative, iconographi- Biennale. We have produced something art that is filling our galleries is a publically cally frivolous or introspectively morbid and unique in the annals of the planet: an art funded anachronism ~ the reverberating therefore meaningless; and to claim by way without a culture. after whimper of the big bang of the 19th of explanation that the unrequited voyeuris— (c) Unlike the municipal galleries who Century German Romanticism. And as a tic exercise of viewing gallery art is need to put the case for contemporary art at result it has become a social problem with edifying, good for one, encuituring or any of every stage and justify the relevance of its society, an economic problem for insti— the things usually claimed for it, is to beg the operation to the ratepayer the Hocken‘s tutions and a personal problem for the question and patronise people who already interests in art are entirely phenomeno— “artist” for whom token feelings of alien— have a pretty good idea of what life is all logical; being an historical collection its ation are still mandatory. One wonders at about. It is difficult to demonstrate qualities staff are not called upon to justify the what other times in history there has been attributable to “art” which are not also artscene but only to take good samples. such a concerted effort to foist private inherent in the ordinary events and objects (d) The degree of public accessibility to iconic forms onto the public by means of its of daily living. The reason for these diffi— gallery culture hinges as often as not on own money in the name of concepts with culties lies perhaps in the fact that “art" cost—free factors such as staff attitudes: such scant ontological presence. has no context of its own to which it can be whether or not for instance curators (e) it may well be that in the face of a meaningfully related except for the absurd welcome the public behind the scenes and wholly commercialised runaway dealer and artificial zoo-like white walled clinical are willing to explain the purpose of what generated “art scene" over supplied by milieu of the gallery where even now people they are doing. it hinges too on whether or the mass production lines of a Romantically still go around whispering as if they were in not large publically funded and indemnified inspired studio based cottage industry, that church. Why, we might well ask, go on exhibitions are sent to more than one or two the municipal gallery hard pressed to justify building and stocking grandiose hot— of our more heavily built—up areas. And it’s its high costs will be forced to revert to an houses for orchids when people on the got to do with whether or not we ditch the earlier position at which time it was some— whole prefer the lilies of the fields. Would it socially disgusting paraphernalia of official thing of a sensation to find the work of a not be better to sink our funds into event-art: openings and replace them with festive living artist on its walls and resume the time— music, drama, children’s theatre, play— occasions for all comers, dignitaries honoured truly museum function of pro- grounds etc etc, and leave the private inner included. Without any intrinsic meaning or . viding shelter for private iconic forms of world of the “artist" where it belongs and context of its own “art" has become a front household objects and pictures etc which stop pretending that it has any cultural signi— for social games. The meaning of a painting through social upheaval have been dis- ficance whatever in this day and age does not lie in anything inherent in it, but in possessed of their natural habitat and beyond the family and home, and a circle of the circumstances of its success or failure context. The gallery which in its previous life friends. as social currency. "Art" which in hallowed was the palace of the bankrupt aristocrat Any big city in the world would probably and historical perspective we have been should now quietly slip into the form of its sport as many if not more collections than encuitured to think of as one of man’s next avatar, a venue for communal event. it the whole of New Zealand put together, so unifying principles, has become socially may well be that apart from the private let us hope therefore that for the time being divisive. The philosophy which has iconic object in context on the one hand at any rate we will continue to enjoy a multi- developed is a romantic one that says: and the public performance-event such as plicity of independent collections, for to ”solitariness is the essential human con— drama, concerts, playgrounds, festivals, coordinate their management would dition. The human being's alienation from circuses, parks etc etc on the other, there is concentrate power in the hands of the few. others and from society is all part of being no such thing as art per se, and what we call The burial of art administrators at the an individual ... artists are encouraged to “art” is in fact nothing more than an histori- centres of the bureaucratic labyrinth is consider the inner reality of the self as the cal freak, a recently emerged icon/circus inimical to the natural ecology and free flow true reality. This is the way the world is, We hybrid with no natural functional habitat of of cultural forces. Anyone who has seen exist as solitary beings; the world revolves its own outside the contrived life-support high school art exhibitions particularly at around us as a system of unrelated and systems of the gallery for whose walls the the school certificate level will know what a disconnected events over which we have ”art" is being expressly manufactured. frightful thing centralised art education is, in no control. This concern with the isolated And certainly in some of its more extreme its clone—like conformity. Centralism in the individual, the inner reality does nothing to forms “art” would seem to be trying to will arts is disastrous for a small place like help the understanding or development of itself out of existence. New Zealand with its tiny population, people and society . . . The story of the art Tim Garrity because there is not enough background world is familiar. A network of galleries and Hoe/ten Library noise in the market place to drown the voice a high maintain the status quo. of the career expert art administrator. Art objects are generally considered more We appear to have succumbed to the significant as art since their commodity hubristic belief that ”art” and “culture" value is easily recognised. Artists are are the same thing. But “art" is only a by— supposed to aspire to the established product of a culture or an indicator that one gallery system, to seek recognition and exists. Art implies the presence of culture acceptance within the artworld. The work perhaps as the visible one-tenth part of an which will become successful under this iceberg implies the vastness of the nine- system is that which is socially meaningless tenths submerged. Our iceberg has a , art cannot be socially or politically convincing shape, but it is flat bottomed meaningful, since this infringes on its and floats on a raft. We build our costly ‘unlversal’ value. if a work is socially galleries in the hope that a culture will ensue relevant, it does not support the essential like the tails of Ms Peep’s sheep. And it is nature of human beings which is solitary. In this weird and wonderful trick of switching fact it decelves people enormously by the effects for causes that enables suggesting that outer reality exists and that Australians to mount such Cecil B. de Mille— the inner reality is socially and historically

18 Dunedin Public Art Gallery

e are collecting to exemplify excel— Comment material together. A specialised collection lence. We aim to augment and can be more efficiently run and is of greater One characteristic of institutional collecting improve the existing strengths of the interest to both visitors and sister in New Zealand is the involvement of art Gallery’s holdings, detailed in our official institutions. museums with the contemporary avant— policy. The scope of the collection is Giving ground here and there might bring garde. in Europe and America major insti- national rather than regional. Particular appreciable gains. emphasis is placed on the work of Frances tutions usually keep a respectful distance Hodgkins in the collection. from innovative new work as exhibition or Acquisitions Policy preferring to leave the acquisition material, The following are the principal collections to The collections are vested in the City of the excitement of discovery, to risk, and be augmented:— Dunedin, the Gallery’s funding authority, dealer galleries. though purchased with D.P.A.G. Society There is much to be said for allowing the New Zealand: paintings, water—colours, funds. The Gallery serves the region creative dust to settle, letting an artist’s drawings, prints from 1840 to the present day. Contemporary photographs and culturally in the same way as the City serves work to recede into perspective, so to it in trade, transport, communications, edu- speak, before committing public funds. sculpture. British: Paintings, water—colours, cation, medical care, etc. Even for the best of us, buying contem— Purpose porary work will undoubtedly yield a 50% drawings and prints from the 16th to the wastage after the passage of forty years. 20th century. We have to be able to conserve, display However, our small, close-knit society Australian: Paintings, water-colours, and explain examples of the styles of expects public art museums to be involved drawings and prints, 19th and 20th century. painting and graphic art from the late as pioneering patrons. We are not per— Old Masters: Italian, French, Dutch, Gothic to the present day. Flemish, German and Spanish paintings, forming unless we stick our necks out! Our audience consists of Art Gallery drawings, and engravings; Russian lkons. Society members, University, Polytechnic Complementary Collections 19th Century, impressionist and Modern and Art School Students and staff, school A National Collection in Wellington, though European paintings, drawings and prints. children of all ages as well as the citizens of geographically central, is less accessible Japanese Prints: 18th and 19th century. Dunedin, out of town visitors and tourists. to the South Islanders than to the North, The The best way to make works of art intel- separation of the main centres is bound to Ancillary Collections of Some ligible to visitors, ranging from the cogno- harden the wilful independence of Importance scenti to the visually illiterate, is to have a Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin with Funds are seldom available for active wide range of reference. their individual strengths. The question of collecting in these fields:- Use of Collections Government funding for an exclusively British pottery, porcelain and glass. Wellington—based National Collection will no Costume and accessories: New Zealand a small proportion of our Because only doubt be challenged by the other centres. 19th century. paintings are on show at any given time we Perhaps the best thing we can do is to move Furniture & Woodwork: British. have to be prepared to show works in store towards building complementary collec- Netsuke: Complimentary to Japanese on racks to visitors at short notice: this falls tions, pooling catalogue information and Prints. short of the ideal of visible storage. photographs, at least on collections of New Oriental Rugs: Currently augmented by We accept some responsibility for com- Zealand paintings, as though the sum of de Beer gifts. piling compact exhibitions for smaller insti— our holdings were a National Collection. tutions in the region as well as forming, or Disposals and transfers might be used to F. H. Dickinson contributing to, national touring shows, refine, improve quality and bring cognate ' Director, Dunedin Public Art Ga/lery

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19 cting and Collection Policies at the < ational Art Gallery

he idea of a National Collection for singleminded goals underpinning all its Every institution has a limit relative to its New Zealand predates by some thirty collecting modes. constitutional functions and the existing years the physical establishment of a Given the fact that few New Zealand art financial and staff resources which con— National Art Gallery in 1936. The opening museums had a ‘clean’ beginning, most ditions the ability to manage a soundly exhibition staged by the New Zealand having been occasioned by interested based approach to collecting. Academy of Fine Arts in 1906—7, titled the groups such as art societies, most collec— In the case of the National Art Gallery the New Zealand International Exhibition, tions bear the evidence of a passive acqui- limitless and totally unspecified collecting “presented works which were to be the sition approach. function included in the new Act of 1972 did basis of the future Nationai Collection; As such many collections will naturally nothing to sharpen the approach to an ad paintings purchased (a) in England reflect the character of those who put them hoc legacy: “To acquire, preserve, act as a 1906—1 .. . and (b) in Christchurch at the together “in the case of a public collection national repository for, . collections of New Zealand international Exhibition this does not depend exclusively on the works representing the whole range of the 19064 to New Zealand, Britain was task and knowledge of those placed visual arts;" still the homeland and British art the desir- successively in charge of it, but also on that Having had the curatorial responsibility able area for appraisal and collection“: of the private benefactors over the years for a highly restricted and finely tuned This predilection for ‘contemporary‘ who have made generous contributions collection policy at the lVlanawatu Art British art as opposed to contemporary either from their own collections or with Gallery as Director, including a highly developments within New Zeaiand has funds or advice. Such a collector may give restricted budget, it has taken some time to fortunately altered dramatically during the a whole new direction to the acquisition match the theoretical freedom without last ten years and any British purchases policy of an art museum",2 The results can bounds with the realities of a finite budget actioned or gifts accepted during recent in many richer environments be stunning and a curatorial staff of two at the National years have related either to a strengthening and in a less passive way often lead to the institution. Up until the late seventies, even of particular‘aspects of the early 20th creation of unique institutions such as the though there had already been a sharp shift century British collection (eg. Duncan Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. How- away from the “home is elsewhere’ atittude Grant and lvon Hitchens) or to the general ever, too often the legacy has been one to a New Zealand perspective for some context of international art (eg. John of irrelevance, uneven representation, time, there was a continued wallowing in the Walker and Howard Hodgkin). duplication, gaps and obvious biases. great freedom of a generous or non— lVlost institutions of some age have had As the process of evaluation and the existing collection policy. Pots, perhaps less than an orderly or specified start to drafting of collection policies take place in ceramics, were acquired from a variety of their collecting habits and have either con— the National Art Gallery at the present time instantaneous prime sources, mainly the tinued their historical ad—hocism or have the legacy of passive acquisition in the past NZ Academy of Fine Arts exhibitions, as started to rationalise and restructure their presents a major obstacle which of neces— were weavings of varied quality; initial collections and coliecting behaviour sity must be hurdled but should not delay attempts were made with a greater input of according to their public sensitivity and an immediate and fresh approach to expertise to commence a collection of accountability or lack of; their physical and present and future collecting modes. photography. All this was ‘achieved‘ hap— financial wealth or lack of. In addressing these policies the prime hazardly and in a well—meaning manner Few institutions, even though like the motivations should be (a) the reasons for without the relevant curatorial staff National Art Gallery they may be relatively collecting, and (b) the accountability for resources, young, have had the inspirationai character what is collected — whose interests are Realising that neither its financial nor staff and willpower, combined with wealth, that being served by what is collected and what resources enabled it to do justice to the characterises a MOMA with its unique and consciousness is being developed, infinite scope of the visual arts the Gallery

20 Thfinicrl “ROUGH THE :ItTCE

abruptly ceased its collecting activities in (a) a body of some 9,000 art works Colin McCahon. The Second Gate series. Oil the applied/decorative arts area, while demanding utilisation existed. on panels 7962. leaving its future attitudes open to more (b) exhibition and extension programmes specific and defined perspectives, At the cannot be divorced from collection policies interests‘ and ‘to what purpose’, same time the Gallery assessed the future since they are part of the temporary ‘collec— (9) the realisation that the collections and purpose of its photographic collection tion‘ or short—term loan collection. include at most a dozen works by contem~ and evolved an essential contemporary (0) these museums with tight, well thought— porary Maori artists in a collection of some collection policy of New Zealand and inter- through policies generate, perhaps, the 9000 works. national works. greatest sustained excitement in their (h) the need for a wide-ranging national Until an intensive debate about future programmes. input by artists, critics, consumers and collection policies commenced during (d) as a supposedly national institution its other commentators. 1984 as a result of planning policies for the obligations should be more New Zealand- No doubt as the policy—formulation new National Art Gallery the intervening centric and sympathetic to a nation-wide process progresses more impinging and years (1980—83) were largely conditioned perspective, not however at the expense of necessary considerations will be taken by a more debated attitude towards art international collecting. aboard, not the least of which will be the work purchases in an environment of ration— (e) even as a national institution the broader context of the collections co- alism within implied rather than stated National Art Gallery is unlikely to ever existing in the National Art Gallery and policies. As the staff of the National Art approach the ‘dizzying’ financial resources National Museum building under the Gallery“ commenced its internal debate on of some similar overseas counterparts. Board’s aegis. the future collection policies certain ‘givens’ (f) any collection policy/ies evolved must To date the demands placed on our and obligations were enumerated: address the questions of “in whose skeletal staff by the ill-fated Moiesworth Street exercise during 1984 has only enabled some of the comprehensive review processes to be tackled, eg. interviews with a wide range of artists. However, as the National Art Gallery shifts its site— perspectives the formulation of new policies will continue and see the creation of a detailed written statement that sets forth the purpose of this art museum and its goals and explains how these goals are interpreted in its collections activity. As such the collection policies must derive from a publicly acceptable statement of philosophy and objectives. This philosophy and the ensuring objectives should be New Zealand‘centric first and foremost in order to justify the existence of a truly National Art Museum of New Zealand. Luit H. Bieringa Director, National Art Gallery

REFERENCES 1. Kirker, Anne; Pinkham, Kate; Calhoun, Ann: Mack/e. Tony. The First Fifty Years: British Art of the 20th Century, National Art Gallery, 1981. 2. A Selection of the Paintings, Sculpture, Drawings, Watercolours and Prints, Leeds City Art Gallery.

Jerry Ue/sman, Equivalent 1984 b/W photograph.

21 An Aspect cf Collecté Contemporary International Prints

The following observations are made from a can reflect and keep abreast of art move— demystifying the notion of High Art and curatorial standpoint and moreover, with ments outside New Zealand in a way that it allows for greater integration with the the National Art Gallery in mind. Quite is not obliged to settle for the second-rate or community at large. Artist’s books and rightly, this institution has as its prime pale imitation. A coherent and vital indi— posters are close relations of prints, so too function, the preservation and exhibition of cation of work being produced in Australia, in a sense are photographs, video and film. indigenous works of art, A strong New Japan, Europe, Great Britain and the United in fact, the democratic ideal for an art Zealand component in the collection is States can be provided through the acqui— collection is perhaps best served by paramount for establishing a truly national sition of original prints. Print collecting was printed art forms. Study rooms and a repository for our visual history. At the same once considered the perogative of a rotating system of exhibitions enable the time, the acquisition of ‘off—shore’ material leisured class who considered prints to be public to have direct engagement with such allows for the realisation that there are not part of a gentleman’s library, closetted material and provide an opportunity to only fundamental differences but also away from the public gaze. in recent times repeat the viewing experience as often as points of resemblance between the art of has been seen as having equal wished. other cultures and our own. weight and validity as other visual art forms The comparatively low cost of good Given the regularly adjusted price tags and prints can no longer be seen as the examples of recent international prints on appropriate works at dealers and in- poor relatives. They are not simply the allows for an indepth collection. One artist’s creased returns expected from auction entrepreneurial solution to disseminate approach may be analysed through several houses, the monies allocated from the certain images by well-known artists, examples or otherwise, an overview of a public purse for art acquisitions barely although obviously such attempts are particular trend or style can be gauged by keeps pace with our aspirations. if it wasn‘t made. The history and nature of print- juxtaposing the work of several print- for a Lottery Board grant over the past few making is much more complex than that. makers. Compare this situation with the years, the national collection would have Printmaking can become another tool for acquisition of a single unique object, more virtually stagnated. With such budget limi- the artist, enabling him or her to create a especially a painting or piece of sculpture, tations, priorities are understandably work which could be expressed in no other which would probably cream off most of the directed more and more to works origi— way. art purchasing budget and stand as an nating from New Zealand. At the same time, Through collecting contemporary prints it isolated entity, referring only to itself. There if one acknowledges the usefulness of is possible to explore the most important is no need for panic buying either, in the reflecting particular modes of creative directions in twentieth century art and at the area of print collecting, for the heartening expression from elsewhere, how can this be same time, affirm the creative role of print- thing about prints is that if you miss out the achieved? One suggestion has been that making in the unfolding story of modern art. first time one can often get another at a later regular travelling exhibitions from abroad Furthermore, the multiple originality intrinsic stage. Most works aren’t unique so that it is would serve the inspirational and edu— to printmaking is a concept that assists in possible to have second chances. cational function expected of an inter- if we take national collection, Nevertheless, Richard Hamilton "I'm Dreaming ofa Black Christmas” 7971 mixed media with col/otype, Coll. as an example the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Art Gallery Collection of American and European Modern Masters, which toured New Zealand in 1980, can we assume that such ‘block-buster‘ shows would always be avail— able. More to the point, can we be sure that government indemnification would be provided as a matter of course as well as funds to meet other aspects of the hefty costs involved in transporting valuable paintings and other unique art objects. Even if small specialised exhibitions such as the Morris Louis project at the Auckland City Art Gallery in 1971, were organised on a continuing basis, are these fair substi- tutes for an international collection? Neither category of travelling show is a regular occurrence and is subject to any number of unforeseen problems which may stall or cancel their advent. The strong case for permanent collections, in light of this, is their very status of ‘permanency’, Material that can readily be made available to the public facilitates an immediate expectation or enquiry. There is an area, financial stringencies notwithstanding, whereby our institution

22 Paladino Nimmo Dada/us 1984. Linocut 800 X 1190 mm. Coll. National Art Gallery.

When it comes to organising travelling Sir John llott and Harold Wright. Now with 75) series of six folded paper works printed exhibitions from the collection, contem— private art largely a thing of the from etched and aquatinted plates and porary prints are less likely to require costly past (or rather, the donation of major collec- three examples of Richard Hamilton‘s budgets — moderate insurance fees, tions to public institutions is a rare occur complex images dated i971, 1979 and manageable crating requirements and the rence) it is largely left up to the curators 1982, As New Zealand‘s 'links with the fact that couriers are generally not neces— The holdings of contemporary prints at the Australian art community continue to sary, means that the smaller less well— National Art Gallery have been built up strengthen, it has been desirable and endowed galleries are able to participate in solely through purchases, on the basis of essential to regularly investigate develop- a tour. This is the rationale behind the an individual‘s curatorial expertise. A ments in printed art from this source. Bea National Art Gallery’s series of international curator’s choice is conditioned by a Maddock, John Dent and Bruce Latimer are print shows beginning with the ‘Prints of the number of factors, such as the aesthetic among the artists who have been collected 708 by Six British Artists’, in 198l. quality of a print, the way it fits into the to represent this particular school. In time, it But what of the present nature of the general matrix of the collection, the would be good to see emphasis given also national collection of international prints potential it has for describing a particular to prints from Japan, another close neigh— and how does it perceive future growth? aspect of as well as social bour but also a country that has an enviable Comprising some two thousand items, it history, the way it may relate to other works history of printmaking activity. Prints have spans the entire period in the history of in the collection by the artist, and so forth. the capacity to engage the imagination, to European printmaking (that is from the 15th Since the 19608, the upsurge in inno— reflect chief concerns of a large number of century) and continues through to recent vative print imagery from workshops in Los artists and through their multiple nature can developments on a world—wide basis In Angeles, San Francisco, New York and reach out further than other forms of the sheer numbers, it forms the strongest London has prompted the Gallery to visual arts. It is for this reason that I believe group of non—New Zealand works at the concentrate on purchasing examples indi— contemporary international prints perform a Gallery, DUrer, Rembrandt, Whistler, the cative of this phenomenon. In this respect, vital role in any national collection, French Impressionists and Post— acquisition has been made of among lmpressionists are particular highlights. We others the lithograph/screenprint by Roy Anne Kirker owe many of these works to bequests from Lichtenstein called Industry and the Arts Curator of Prints and Drawings private collectors namely, Bishop Monrad, (i969), Dorothea Rockburn’s Locus (1972— National Art Gallery

23 The Drawings and Prints Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

rarely a problem, since phone-calls before an readily establish who is bidding for what. From our standpoint, any rigid set of guidelines on acquisitions policies to cover the whole country would achieve little, since art museums are reasonably aware of each other’s specialised fields already and such a policy would be unlikely to encompass every small historical society or City Council. in our experience, the organisations that fail to check another institution‘s interest before bidding for a watercolour of local historical value are often one—off purchasers. The other flaw in the notion of guidelines to cover the whole country, is the problem of cash flow, Every institution experiences shortages of funds at certain times of the year and must therefore forego an im- portant item, even when it fits clearly into acquisitions policies. That same item is usually better off in another relevant institution than in private hands. Use of the Collection The Drawings and Prints Collection is quite ‘W t K‘W . Ag“ 4m!“ 33: .‘ heavily used, with between 700 and 800 itting the Turnbull’s collection into a View of a part of the town of Wellington .. . visitors a year, some 700 reference queries 1841. Charles Heaphy, 1820—1881. Collection by phone and discussion on museums may over 500 letters to be Alexander Turnbull Library. researched seem something of a contradiction, since and answered. As New the Turnbull is a research library and the Zealand art history becomes more widely under the Copyright Act, of two copies of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture taught, we observe an increasing number every art reproduction published in New of art within it are part of a research collection, history students among our users. The Zealand. Naturally, this includes published majority, however, rather than an art museum. The main visible are looking for illus- reproductions of modern paintings. We trations for books, articles, films, television, differences, however, are our lack of collect early architectural plans, the emphasis on exhibitions, coupled with a school publications, Lands and Survey majority of which date from 1880—1920; and park handbooks strong emphasis on the provision of illus— and audio-visual displays, we acquire current and earlier portraits of local trations. Otherwise we have much in and family histories, to choose just a notable New Zealanders, especially those few examples. common with art museums. As more of the collection is prominent in the arts. In addition we acquire photographed, less handling of originals Collection Policy items that relate to the wider acquisitions becomes necessary, and we are able to policy of the library as a whole and its supply either black and white or colour The Drawings and Prints Section of the specialised fields, such as Katherine photographs relatively quickly and cheaply. Library collects actively, adding between Mansfield, Milton and examples of fine We are often accused of paying insuf— 500 and 1000 new items a year to an printing which happen to fit better into our ficient attention to exhibiting our collection. already large collection of some 40,000 section than the book collection. However, we hold only a few hundred oils works. We aim to collect graphic records Because of our emphasis on the pro— and the bulk of the collection is in water— from the earliest period of European settle— vision of photographs suitable for illus- colour, pencil drawing or sketchbook form ment in New Zealand to about 1870 or tration we also do our best to record related and is displayable only in low lighting and 1880. Early Pacific material is also within public and private collections through a file for brief periods. We are due to move into our scope. Artistic merit carries less weight of photographs of works of art, including full the new National Library building by the with us than the information conveyed by a coverage of the New Zealand material in beginning of 1987 and a spacious and painting or drawing, so that a frequent such places as the Rex Nan Kivell properly lit gallery is planned to overcome question when we are considering some— Collection in Canberra, and the British the inadequacies of our present display thing for purchase is ”What does it tell us?" Library. area. The 18708 cut off date relates to the fact We are collecting in order to add to the that photography became the main research value of our collection and to build Accessibility medium for factual pictorial recording at on our existing strengths. The limits on us Our hours are a little restricted at present about this period. are the obvious ones of insufficient funds in (tO.3O am. to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday) The out off date does not apply to some an art market of steeply rising prices, and but we should revert to 9am. opening facets of our acquisitions policy: As part of competition from private buyers. Com— once we are in the new building, providing the National Library, we are the recipients, petition from other major institutions is our staffing is adequate. The exhibition

24 cational or historical publication. Final Thoughts A perennial cry, i know, but it does seem particularly important at present for art

Smith, museums and their like to have adequate

funding for purchase. Speculators are rife Nicholson,

Mein at the moment. Many attractive early water—

Port colours materialise at every auction and change hands every few months or so, with William constantly rising price tags. They are likely

Pip/tea, to be on continual display in unsuitable

1840. lighting. Yet the norm remains acid mat pan, board, since acid-free board is very much

the dearer and available only in a very limited range of colours. While the majority of such

799—1869.

December From 7 paintings fall outside our scope, we cannot even afford to buy those that are relevant, and “rescue” them from incorrect handling and storage. Banks and other large organis- gallery will probably be open in the restriction, since the majority of users are ations are also building up art collections, weekends, as well as during the week. content to handle photographs; it is quicker including early watercolours, some purely With only two professional staff and and more efficient and protects fragile for investments, others to adorn brightly—lit cramped conditions, appointments are originals. We are happy to send photo— offices and boardrooms, accessible only to necessary for researchers; and we are able copies of photographs or catalogue cards staff members. Our competitors in the to accommodate only one visitor or group of to enquirers in other parts of the country artmarket are well—heeled and we are visitors at a time, for both space and and overseas. We encourage reproduction increasingly dropping out of the race. security reasons. We also discourage of our pictorial material by keeping pro- Marian Minson handling of original material unless it is cessing fees as low as possible and Curator of Drawings & Prints absolutely necessary, but this is not really a waiving reproduction fees for any edu- Alexander Turnbul/ Library

Maori ‘Taonga’ and the Art Gallery/Museum Dichotomy

Introduction Rodney Wilson‘s article in the last issue of Therefore some centres will have to the scope of its philosophy and operations. the AGMANZ Journal raised the question rationalise the objectives of their museums This break from a monocultural definition of whether Maori taonga, traditionally col- and their art galleries. At present the ‘art’ is certainly a new deveopment for some lected by museums, should be housed in national institutions have a chance to set New Zealand art galleries. art galleries. While most art galleries in New some precedents. There are some practical elements of art Zealand clearly qualify as museums in the The ‘Te Maori’ Exhibition gallery operations which might justify an general sense of the word, they are often argument that they are the places to display contrasted with ‘museums’ — meaning This exhibition has acted as a catalyst for Te Maori (if not other Maori taonga), rather ‘general’ or ‘history’ or ‘natural history’ many issues. than the ‘museums’ which actually ‘house’ is a museums - with which they coexist in The exhibition, now touring the USA, the objects. These arguments are: many cities (eg. Auckland, New Plymouth popular one, and will be keenly sought 1) Art galleries are better organised to and Palmerston North). when it returns to New Zealand. receive a temporary exhibition like this, While I hesitate to make too much of the Among the general museums of New because they do not usually ‘lock up’ their gallery/museum dichotomy (many centres Zealand -"the exhibition seems to be display areas with ‘permanent’ displays already have unified institutions) the dicho— regarded as something they should be that are sometimes literally set in concrete. tomy still clearly exists in New Zealand. doing more of. it has potential to be more 2) Art gallery staff are more familiar with the My main argument is that as New exciting than most of the present ‘Maori’ procedures and techniques of travelling Zealand Art Galleries become bicultural, displays in New Zealand museums and exhibitions than museums usually are. they will inevitably be involved with generally represents a far greater degree of 3) Art gallery display standards are often societies that do not have a concept of ‘art’ cooperation and coordination than is higher than those in many museums. as it is defined in Western European normal for these museums, especially Generally exhibitions play a much greater society. Without ‘art’, ‘art museum‘ when dealing with the Maori taonga in their part in the activities of a ‘gallery’ than they becomes ‘museum’. Thus the aims and collections. do in ’museums’ (as the name gallery objectives of these museums become Meanwhile at least one art gallery in New implies). Art gallery displays are usually increasingly hard to separate from general Zealand seems increasingly to see an less crowded than museums, and they museums. exhibition such as Te Maori as being within achieve this by possessing fewer objects,

25 and perfecting simple, less person—costly rightly regard the exhibition as saying a lot tutions is given some urgency by the display techniques which allow them to more about New Guinea Highland society Government (present and past) expressing show a few objects well for a short time, than about New Zealand society. a willingness in principle to build a second rather than many objects poorly for 50 To some extent the inappropriateness of museum/gallery building, perhaps by the years. the New Guinea display was ameliorated Wellington waterfront. 4) Art gallery displays tend to give an by an informative catalogue. However not Assuming that the old (present) building object a better chance of being seen than everyone buys a catalogue and a display remains, we are then faced with the museum displays. This seems to me to be technique based on the philosophy that ‘the question of how to divide the National partly because art galleries have not object speaks for itself’ simply does not Museum/Gallery into two (possibly into felt themselves so obliged to be work for a different culture. l have always three or four sometime later, but one new EDUCATIONAL ——- a compulsion that forces found it hard to hear art objects speaking, building seems likely to be the limit for a museums to surround, if not overwhelm, but l think it is particularly hard to under- while). most of their objects with written words. stand when they are speaking another If forced to divide the national institutions However, while these purely practical language. into two, option One would be to follow factors might be used to support the art Once you are dealing with objects from a precedent, and carry on with the separation gallery case for exhibiting Te Maori, they different culture, where ‘art’ is not defined in into a National Museum and a National Art obscure the true nature of the change that the way we define it, with its special social Gallery. must occur if art galleries exhibit traditional and behavioural implications, you have to Practically, this makes it reasonably diffi— Maori taonga. come to terms with that other culture. The cult to decide where ‘Te Maori’ should be My argument is that art galleries, by curator must become anthropologist. The shown, and I believe the reason for this diffi— breaking out of the constraints of Western ‘gallery’ becomes ‘museum’. culty is the real philosophical one l have European Art History, are actually 80, l argue that, for art galleries to move been discussing that art galleries have becoming ‘museums’ in the strict sense of into the field of very different cultures, they become indistinguishable from ‘museums’ the word. necessarily adopt the philosophy of once they deal with societies that do not general museums. Museums have a philos- share the concept of ‘art’. ‘Art’ and multi-cultural museums ophy that demands that the historical, Option two might be to redraw the philos- To display an object that was created by social, cultural and spiritual significance, ophical dividing lines a bit by broadening another culture, especially an ancient or personal associations etc of the objects in the concept of an art gallery and thus non-Western one, demands that its signifi‘ its collections are paramount. Value judge- create (a) a museum of fine pieces to cance in the culture of its maker, be ments should have no place in museums; amaze us, drawn from all our cultural heri— acknowledged and explored. its history, their philosbphy should be multi—cultural. tages, in contrast to (b) a museum of social and spiritual significance must be They have not often managed to communi- ordinary objects that tell us very important comprehended. cate this through their displays, but this is to things we should know about — a sort of If you do not do this, and continue to some extent a practical failing rather than a museum of history, society, folk—culture and apply Western European aesthetic stan- philosophical one. nature. dards, the results can be bizarre. Easter As art galleries broaden their philosophy Thus (a) might display Porsches (NZ island could end up being called to incorporate the wider range of values that assembled of course), McCahon’s, Brickell ‘modernistic’, Papua New Guinea art could ‘museums’ hold, they will lose the single— pots, the Kaitaia lintel and chevroned be called ‘primitive’. The Kaitaia lintel might ness of purpose that has to date been a amulets, while (b) concerned itself with be described as ‘fine’, whereas a 19th major factor in the efficiency of their oper- Minis, landscape paintings, Woolworths Century Rotorua carving is judged as ations. Let us hope that they do not become material culture, digging sticks, bone ‘mediocre’. bogged down by the multiplicity of roles toggles and obsidian flakes. To display ancient or non-Western they now find themselves committed to However such a division where, for objects as ‘art‘ is potentially as bizarre as playing, as some ‘general‘ museums have. example, the National Maori Collection displaying a carved Maori human figure in a if the aims and objectives of galleries are would be divided into ‘fine’ and ‘ordinary‘ ‘gallery of psychology’. While there is no inseparable from those of general objects, would be embarrassingly Euro- reason why a Maori carving cannot be museums, the logical place of art galleries centric/Curator-centric — a politically judged as an example of human psy- becomes as art departments of a museum. unacceptable elitism. How and by whom chology, the object is in danger of being Now, in the cases of the many centres would the choice be made? debased by its transfer to a category that is that have both an art gallery and a museum, The third option, which l favour, is first to entirely inappropriate in its own society. I do not think this is politically practicable, unite the National Art Gallery and National One could only get away with it if there were nor necessarily desirable. A great deal of Museum into one National Museum oper~ indeed, somewhere nearby, excellent energy and vigour would be lost, and ation. This would allow more flexibility in the explanations of the real context of that diverted into beaurocratic infighting. What way the collections were used. Since we carving in its own culture. does evolve in the regional centres will be are now faced with the temporary or short- ’ very interesting to see and it will be exciting term problem of dividing the collection (or A recent touring exhibition of Papua New if a variety of solutions emerge. the exhibitions?) into two physically Guinea ‘art' fell into this trap. Basically the However, in the case of the national insti- separate buildings, l personally would objects were displayed with little indication tutions in Wellington, where there is cur— advocate a split into a National Museum of of their place in their own society. The exhi- rently a great philosophical soul searching the Human Heritage on one hand, and the bition was therefore as odd as a Highland about the future, the art department option National Musem of the Natural Heritage on New Guinea village mounting an exhibition seems worth considering. the other. of New Zealand teapot lids. A New Zealand In this new Museum of New Zealand’s visitor would find it very strange, and would The National Museum Human Heritage, the academic disciplines have an overwhelming urge to explain the Institutions of history, anthropology and art history (rather slight) significance that teapot lids would clash creatively with the reality of have in New Zealand society. He/she would The issue of the future of the national insti- New Zealand’s people today. i believe this

26 represents a suitably heroic ideal on which The publication of the Dictionary will names for inclusion in the early volumes will to base a new museum, begin in 1990. it is an official continue. Although writing will commence It might seem that this would lead to the Sesquicentennial project, financed by the shortly, a great deal of research work lies loss of another heroic ideal — the attempt to Lottery Fund Board and the Department of ahead. We will be very grateful for any help relate People to Nature (an aim of many of Internal Affairs, and serviced by that museums can give us — ideas, information, our present museums) or Nature to People Department. We plan to publish two and perhaps publicity. We are still search— (as in Orbell’s new book ‘The Natural World volumes in that year — both covering the ing for interesting 19th century women for of the Maori’). However i see no reason why period from the late 18th to the late 19th example. If museums wanted to appeal to both institutions could not incorporate this century. One will contain all entries for that the public, by mounting a display, we can aim among their objectives. period — between 500 and 600 of them, supply a small kit-set as the nucleus. i would hate to see the functions of the ranging in length from 500 to 5000 words. Please write to the Secretary, DNZB, two institutions remain rigid, and provision The other will contain only Maori entries in internal Affairs, Private Bag, Wellington for must be made in the political structure of the Maori language —these entries will also publicity material or further information. the new museum to allow for flexibility and appear in English in the larger volume. changing of roles in the near future. Volumes to be published subsequently will However, to get an institution off the cover the pre—contact period, and the ground, you need a clear guiding principle, period from the later 19th century to about and the concept of a Museum of the Human 1980. Heritage of New Zealand would be such a To get to the publication of these two concept. it would give a very positive lead volumes in six years will not be easy — in in the direction of eliminating the traditional both Australia and Canada it took longer to division of Art Gallery vs Museum, a polaris- make a start, with a larger staff. The scope ation that has now had its day, as the last and nature of the project is not always issue of AGMANZ Journal and the Te Maori appreciated; sometimes even well— exhibition showed so well. informed people assume that'six years is Acknowledgements plenty of time. Without a great deal of voluntary help the I would particularly like to thank Luit task would be quite impossible. As many as Bieringa, Ken Gorbey and Mina McKenzie twenty Working Parties are now in exist— for the lively discussions which have ence, most of them regional in scope, and prompted me to write this. others attending to special fields ~— Richard Casse/s religion, armed services and police, labour, Manawatu Museum science, the Pacific. This network is now in being, and has begun to work. We hope, through these groups, to give the Dictionary a broad social base. Close to 5000 forms have been distributed to Working Parties Notes through which they can make nominations and supply essential data. in this way people with specialised knowledge will help to form the database from which a Dictionary of New Zealand preliminary selection of names for suc— Biography cessive volumes will be made, and supply W. H. Oliver, Editor; DNZB information which will be checked and expanded by further research. Southland Museum and Art At least for the next six years, and probably At the same time, preliminary steps have for quite a few more, people associated been taken to set up a Maori network. We Gallery team with The Dictionary of New Zealand are coping, too, with another major his— relaxing “in the pot" in the new History Gallery Biography could be looking to museums for torical problem: how to secure an adequate after it was opened on December 4 1984, by assistance and support, Some museums representation of women. For though a the Governor General Sir David Beattle. The are, in fact, already involved with the biographical dictionary must have an elitist large gallery features many aspects of the project Many regional Working Parties character, we are determined not to be development of South/and from the 1790‘s to about 7940. The objects are displayed in include members from museum staffs, and overwhelmed by politicians and run- association with the prolific use of large some Working Parties are actually based at holders. The important people will be there; photographs and only a minimum of material is museums (Taranaki, Gisborne and Hawkes but so too will be a number of represen— behind glass. The total gallery has been Bay). tative figures, and as many as we can find designed to be flexible and easily changed to It is easy to see why this should be so — of the colourful and the unusual. emphasise a particular theme. So far it has museums are treasure houses of historical Of course, not all the nominations will find proved very popular, attracting large crowds. information, holding collections large and their way into the published volumes. But all Some of the items are working examples, such small, and museum staffs are well names and information will be stored, both as a Setonne lighthouse beacon. However, we 've nae got the genuine Hokonui still warmed acquainted with the nature of those on paper and on a computing system. Thus up yet! collections. the database should evolve into a perma- This brief note is a way of giving all nent biographical archive for research. This Photo: L. C. Hazley museums some background information, is one way in which we hope to make some and of thanking many for the help they have return for all the voluntary assistance we are already given and, it is hoped, will continue receiving. to give. Over the next two years the selection of

27 Union List of New Zealand Newspapers Published Before 1940 compiled by D. R Harvey This new publication lists New Zealand holdings of newspapers published in this country before 1940. It lists holdings of original newspapers and microfilm copies and locations of known indexes. Entries are arranged geographically according to place of publication, then‘alphabetically by the latest title used up to 1940. It includes a comprehensive title index. For each title the following bibliographic information is given: , 0 Dates of first and last issues. The lack of a final date indicates that the newspaper is still published, or, ceased after 1939. 0 Place of publication, it it differs from the place under which the title is entered. 0 Previous titles, with dates of title changes. 0 Frequency, with dates of alteration This 94 p. A4 format publication will be invaluable to librarians, museum curators and all others who wish to find out which newspapers have been preserved and where they are located. New Zealand Overseas Paper lSBN 0 477 06044 7 $20 $25 Microfiche lSBN 0 477 06045 5 $10 $12 Available March 1985 from: Publications Officer National Library of New Zealand Private Bag Wellington

AGMANZ Survey Results In 1983 AGMANZ Council circularised a survey to all member institutions which is approximately 100. The survey asked basic questions which Council felt would be helpful for various reasons. Data was received from 61 museums and art galleries and 20 house museums, giving an 81% return which does present figures lower than the actuals. The data refers to the “latest financial year”, which was 1982, when the survey was conducted. The results will always be about two years retrospective but as the survey is intended to be an annual one trends will be apparent as time goes on, which will be additional helpful information. The 1983 survey is being compiled now and incorporates extra data which should provide a more complete picture. The following brief details have been extracted for publication and any detailed enquiries may be directed through the secretary. Attendances The total for 1982 for all museums was approximately 3.8 million, which exceeds the population of New Zealand. This figure is conservative as some institutions do not keep attendance records and this survey only covers institutional members of AGMANZ. Some museums do not keep a breakdown of adults and children, but for the 16 with these records they range from 84% to 34% but most are consistent around 60% adults. Staff Numbers A total of 1 ,399 people worked last year in museums and art galleries, including house museums, etc. Again this figure is much lower than the actual, especially honorary staff. (See table below.) Opening Hours Hours open to the public for 51 institutions, other than house museums, etc, varied considerably from two to 63 hours per week, Figures from seventeen main provincial institutions vary from 31—48 hours but most are in the low 40‘s. Possibly some standardisation of hours could be of benefit to the travelling visitor. Museums & Art House Museums Galleries and others TOTAL ATTENDANCES 3,570,289 271 ,695. 3,841,984 Staff Numbers Permanent full time: 322 59 381 ‘Permanent part time: 111 55 . 166 Honorary full & part time: 421 36 457 Education Offlcer(s) full & part time: 32 32 PEP workers 328 35 363 TOTAL 1,214 185 1,399

Col/ator Russell J. Beck

Conservation/National Library extent for serials for conservators, curators, subfield. The Conservation Unit of the National researchers and librarians serving them. A Users of hard copy catalogues will also Library has produced a list of about 200 list of headings has become essential for find it a valuable aid. Library of Congress topical subject use where the NZ Bibliographic Network or Readers wanting copies of the list should headings relating to the conservation of microfiche from it is the main catalogue write to:— The Conservation Unit, National cultural property. The list is intended for because the conservation oriented com- Library of New Zealand, Private Bag, searching for monographs and to a lesser ponent of the heading is not part of the ‘a’ Wellington. Ref: LC. Subject Headings

28 Art Galleries and Museums Association of New Zealand (lnc.) PRESIDENT: SECRETARY-TREASURER: EDITOR AGMANZ JOURNAL: Mr G. S. Park Mrs Elaine Dewhirst Mrs J. Bieringa Auckland Institute and Museum 10 Military Road 13 Hataitai Road Private Bag PO. Box 45-067 Hataitai Auckland Epuni Wellington Lower Hutt

This number is published with the assistance of a grant from the Todd Foundation.