BARJAI, MIYA STUDIO AND YOUNG BRISBANE ARTISTS OF THE 1940S; TOWARDS A RADICAL PRACTICE by MICHELE ELIZABETH ANDERSON A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND JULY 1987 n To the late Laurence Collinson m We can no more allow the warped wills of old men to fashion for us the future. It is ours. Cast off the leaden weights that make the drab decrees. Climb the high heart's wall and cry out Action. Barrie Reid, "These Leaden Weights", Barjai, No. 13, March 1944, p. 3. w TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE Barjai and the Barjai Group, 1943-1947: Art and Literature / Youth, War and Politics 10 CHAPTER TWO Young Brisbane Artists at War's End and The Younger Artists' Group of 1945 61 CHAPTER THREE Miya Studio and The Artists' Group of the New Theatre Club: The Studio Base 1945-1950 110 CHAPTER FOUR Miya Studio and The Artists' Group of The New Theatre Club: Exhibitions 1945-1950 157 CONCLUSION 204 APPENDICES 206 ILLUSTRATIONS 214 BIBLIOGRAPHY ' 254 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Ian Gall, Cartoon, The Courier-Mail, 11 May 1942, p. 4 (Photograph courtesy of John Uxley Library). 2 Cover, Barjai, No. 5, 1943 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 3 Cover, Barjai, No. 8, 1943 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 4 Cover, Barjai, No. 12, January 1944 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 5 Cover, Barjai, No. 14, May 1944 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 6 Cover, Barjai, No. 18, 1945 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 7 Cover, Barjai, No. 19, 1945 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 8 Cover, Barjai, No. 20, 1946 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 9 Cover, Barjai, No. 21, 1946 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 10 Cover, Barjai, No. 22, 1946 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 11 Cover, Barjai, No. 23, 1947 (Photographic access courtesy of John Oxley Library). 12 L. Hope, Literary Circle, 1945, gouache, 25 x 40 cm. Private Collection. 13 Ian Gall, Cartoon, The Courier-Mail, 17 August 1945, p. 2 (Photograph courtesy of John Oxley Library). 14 "Sunday Popular for Art Visits", The Courier-Mai 1, 26 March 1945, p. 3 (Photograph courtesy or John Ox I ey Library). 15 "Soldier-artists sketching from life at a Royal Queensland Art Society class". Press clipping, [c. 1943-1944], Pamela Crawford Papers. 16 Exterior of Hotel Canberra, looking down Ann Street towards School of Arts, 27 November 1941 (Photograph courtesy of John Oxley Library). 17 Cover, Younger Artists' Group: First Exhibition, ex. cat., Brisbane, YAG (RQAS), Banquet Hall, Hotel Canberra, 1945. 18 Peter Abraham, Federal Territory, 1945, watercolour on paper, 36.5 x 42 cm. Private Collection. VI 19 P. Seeman, untitled (Red Horse), 1945, oil on canvasboard, 30.5 X 20.5 cm. Private Collection; P. Seeman, untitled (Purple Horse) 1945, oil on canvasboard, 30.5 x 20.5 cm. Private Collection. 20 L. Collinson, Landscape with Nudes, 1945, watercolour on paper, 25 x 33 cm. Private Collection. 21 "The Members of Barjai Literary Group and Miya Artist' Studio invite you to attend a SERIES OF LECTURES", Hand-out, [1946], Pamela Crawford Papers. 22 W. Bryson Robertson, Scene of Springhill as it was in 1920, oil on cardboard, 37.7 x bb.2 cm. Collection or HFTnTersity Art Museum (Reproduced courtesy of University Art Museum). 23 W. Bryson Robertson, Backyard Scene in Springhill, 1933, oil on cardboard, 15.3 x 26.8, Collection of University Art Museum (Reproduced courtesy of University Art Museum). 24 Exterior of Brisbane School of Arts, Ann Street, 1937 (Photograph courtesy of John Oxley Library). 25 L. Collinson, Interior School of Arts, c. 1948, watercolour on paperl 30 x 39.5 cm, Private Collection. 26 Miya Studio, Candida, poster, Brisbane, Guild Cafe Theatre, June 1947, Pamela Crawford Papers. 27 Miya Studio, "arty party", invit., Brisbane, School of Arts, [1948], Pamela Crawford Papers. 28 P. Seeman, War Relic, 1948, oil on cardboard, 23 x 38.5 cm. Private Collection. 29 R. Glass, Owl,' 1945, oil, 21.5 x 29 cm. Private Collection. 30 Cover, Miya Studio Second Annual Exhibition of Paintings ex. cat.i Brisbane, Miya Studio, Banquet Hall, Hotel Canberra, 1946. 31 Title page, ibid., p. 3. 32 L. Collinson, War, oil on canvas on board, 39.5 x 27 cm. Private Collection. 33 S. Keene, Waiting for the Train, oil on canvas, 34.5 x 47.2 cm. Private Col lection. 34 L. Hope, South Brisbane, 1945, watercolour on paper, 31 x 25 cm. Private Collection. 35 L. Hope, The Old Chinaman, oil, 53 x 55.5 cm. Private Collection. 36 P. Seeman, Ivory Tower, 1946, oil on canvas, 56 x 41 cm. Private Col lection. 37 P. Seeman, Shadow Partners, 1946, oil on canvas, 49 x 40.5 cm. Private Collection. Vll 38 F. Jeffery, Cocktail, watercolour on paper, 51 x 41.5 cm. Private Collection. 39 L. Collinson, Quest, reproduced in Miya Studio Second Annual Exhibition, op.cit., p. 2. 40 L. Hope, Danae, 1946, gouache on paper, 20 x 19 cm. Private Collection. 41 L. Hope, untitled, watercolour on paper, 13.5 x 17 cm. Private Collection. 42 L. Hope, untitled, 1946, watercolour on paper, 29.5 x 23 cm. Private Collection. 43 Cover, "The Third Annual Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Members of Miya Studio", invit., Brisbane, Miya Studio, Finney's Art Gallery, 1947. 44 L. Hope, Children of War, c. 1947, u.l.: oil on paper, 25 X 12 cm, u.r.: oTT on paper, 25.5 x 22.5 cm. I.e.: watercolour on paper, 13 x 25.5 cm. Private Collection. 45 J. Roggenkamp, Frenzy, c. 1947, watercolour and ink, 32.5 X 45 cm. Private Collection. 46 p. Horsfall, Woman Ironing, oil, 55 x 37 cm, Private Collection. 47 C. Knopke, Black Diamond, c. 1947, oil on canvasboard, 30 X 40.5 cm. Private Collection. 48 C. Knopke, Russian Village, c. 1947, oil on masonite, 29.5 X 24.5 cm. Private Collection. 49 F. Jeffery, The School, c. 1947, ink and watercolour on paper, 26 x 39 cm. Private Collection. 50 L. James, Office Cleaners Waiting, 1947, oil on canvasboard, 30.5 x 25 cm. Private Collection. 51 D. Savage, Penelope, c. 1947, oil and pencil on board, 22.5 X 17.5 cm. Private Collection. 52 L. Hope, Victoria Bridge, watercolour on paper, 37 x 52.5 cm. Private Collection. 53 P. Seeman, Lola Sewell, 1948, oil on canvas paper, 46.3 X 30 cm. Private Collection. 54 S. Nolan, Portrait of Barrett Reid, 1947, ripolin enamel on pulpboard, 74.5 x 62.5 cm. Collection of Queensland Art Gallery (Reproduced courtesy of Queensland Art Gallery). 55 S. Nolan, L.H, c. 1947, synthetic polymer paint on cardboard, "5175 x 76.2 cm. Collection of Art Gallery of South Australia (Reproduced courtesy of Art Gallery of South Australia). 56 P. Seeman, Mrs. O'Dowd and Mai a, c. 1948, oil on canvas 75 x 53.5 cm. Private Col lection. ' vm 57 A.J. Halls, Boxer, oil on canvasboard, 38.2 x 28.8 cm. Private Col lection. 58 Miya Studio, Miya Studio Fourth Annual Exhibition, Roneoed statement, Brisbane, Finney's Gallery, 1948. 59 Photograph of Pamela Seeman holding R.G. Paice's Aello, standing by her portrait of George Hume at Miya Studio Fourth Annual Exhibition (Telegraph photograph). 60 P. Seeman, Portrait of Laurence Collinson, oil on canvas, 61.5 X 45.7 cm. Private Collection. 61 L. Collinson, title unknown [Equality of Opportunity ?], 1948, watercolour and gouacheT"^^ x 36.5 cnT; Private Collection. 62 J. Roggenkamp, Mangrove Swamp, c. 1948, watercolour, 37.5 X 55 cm, Private Col lection. 63 D. Bews, The White Hat, oil on canvasboard, 40 x 30 cm. Private Col lection. 64 E. Smith, Music Composition, 1947, oil on card, 24 x 30.5 cm. Private Collection. 65 Cover, Laurence Hope Exhibition, ex. cat., Brisbane, The Moreton Galleries, 1949. 66 Pamela Seeman standing by a panel of her portraits at the 1949 Joint Exhibition at the Albert Gallery (Telegraph photograph). 67 J. Roggenkamp, Autumn Afternoon, watercolour on paper on cardboard, 36.5 x 45 cm. Collection of University Art Museum (Reproduced courtesy of University Art Museum). 68 P. Seeman, Woman Washing, otherwise known as Washing Day, 1949, oil on cardboard, 35 x 46 cm. Private Collection. §9 P. Seeman, Clowns, otherwise known as Petrouchka in the Circus, 1949, oil, 44.5 x 34 cm. Private Collection. 70 D. Savage, Portrait of Barrie Reid, gouache and watercolour on board, 30.b x 38 cm. Private Collection. 71 P. Seeman, Overtime, 1950, oil on masonite, 65 x 78 cm. Private Col lection. 72 P. Seeman, Metal Polisher, 1950, oil on cardboard, 74 X 44 cm. Private Col lection. 73 L. Collinson, Building a 'Flat', 1949, watercolour and ink on paper, 25 x 31.5 cm. Private Collection. 74 W. Sewell, Night Rider, 1950, oil on paper, 25 x 27.2 cm Private Col lection. * ' 75 L. Sewell, Study of Complex Emotions, 1950, watercolour on paper, 37.5 x 27.5 cm. Private Collection. IX ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Firstly, my thanks are due to my supervisor, Nancy Underhill, for her warm support, assistance and criticism throughout this project. My special thanks also are due to Barrett Reid and Pamela Crawford, who encouraged and considerably assisted my investigations, and who provided pertinent insights into the period studied. Pamela Crawford unstintingly offered her time, memories and access to a vast range of material in relation to young Brisbane artists of the 1940s, without which this work would have been decidedly flimsy.