s AGNIANZ JOURNAL 16 :2“ ‘. Any, 4» V,» N, m} ! f u .j {7/5 ‘EL f' ”WV-V» ‘ , __ _ ’ ‘ :3 mumvm w ‘Qém , g «Wax 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 Art Gallery. a AGMANZ JOURNAL Contents Anne Kirker Aspects of Collection Rationalisation John McCormack The Arts and QEll Peter Entwistle Thoughts Towards a National Co—ordinated Collecting Policy Darcy Nicholas Contemporary Maori Art Bill Milbank A Provincial Response to Art Museum 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 Public Art Gallery 19 Luit Bieringa Collecting and Collection Policies at The 2O Agmanz Journal is the quarterly National Art Gallery magazine of the Art Galleries and Anne Kirker Museums Association of New An Aspect of Collecting: Contemporary 22 Zealand. international Prints Correspondence concerning Marion Minson The Drawings and Prints editorial matters should be Collecting, 24 addressed to the Editor, Ms J, AlexanderTurnbull Library Bieringa, at 13 Hataitai Road, Hataitai, Wellington Copy Richard Cassells Maori ‘Taonga' and the Art Gallery/Museum 25 deadlines are 20th of February, Dichotomy May, August and November. Notes Published texts and extracts may 27 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 curators 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 collections management 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 ‘deaccessioning‘ 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 artists 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 visual arts, 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.