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Hosting the Olympic Games in 1956 proved to be a significant turning point in
how Melburnians viewed themselves in relation to the rest of the world. No
longer was Melbourne to be considered a colonial outpost, but rather a
thriving modern city in both its architecture and cultural aspirations.
Melbourne had already become a safe haven for many post-war refugees and
migrants who brought with them creativity, experience and an energetic
optimism. It became a city in which to realise dreams of both fortune and
family, and in many ways this echoed again the spirit and ethos of Marvellous
Melbourne in the nineteenth century. Television brought world affairs, live
footage and sporting events into many people's lounge rooms for the first
time. History was made when the Olympic Games were televised across the world
to millions of viewers. Suddenly, Melbourne featured prominently on the world
stage.
The transformation and developments within the city inspired Melbourne's artistic community. Melbourne 1956 brings together almost forty works from the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Victoria made in or about 1956–including paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, fashion and textiles. The exhibition explores all those diverse notions of cultural identity that continue to define the multi-cultural society of our city. Artists include Edwin Adamson, Richard Beck, Bruno Benini, Charles Blackman, David Boyd, John Brack, Barbara Brash, Noel Counihan, Thomas de Kessler, Karl Duldig, Leonard French, Joy Hester, Donald Laycock, Andor Meszaros, Klytie Pate, John Perceval, Michael Shannon, Gray Smith, Eric Thake, Danila Vassilieff and Jeffrey Wilkinson. The fact that not all of these names are today equally well–known, forms one of the strengths of the show. Melbourne 1956 also celebrates the recent acquisition of two seminal works by Charles Blackman. A centrepiece of the exhibition, indeed one of the inspirations for it, is Georges Mora, purchased with special funds subscribed by members of The Art Foundation of Victoria, with an additional generous grant from the National Gallery Women's Association. Our warm thanks to all those donors who have enabled this outstanding record of Melbourne's cultural history in the 1950s to come to the NGV. In addition, last year we acquired Goodbye feet, from Blackman's Alice in Wonderland series. Additional highlights include examples from John Brack's racecourse series, Joy Hester's tender works of girls holding flowers and abstract images by Barbara Brash, Leonard French and Donald Laycock. Edwin Adamson's photographic documentation of the construction of the Olympic Stadium and specific Olympic events, not only reveal the sporting significance of the year, but bring home to us the centrality of photography as a powerful visual medium. The exhibition has been curated by Geoffrey Smith, Curator, 20th Century Australian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. Special thanks are also due to Dr Eric Westbrook (surely the NGV's greatest acquisition of 1956) and Dr Christopher Heathcote for their contributions to the room brochure.
Gerard Vaughan © copyright 2000, The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Australia Email: enquiries@ngv.vic.gov.au http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/1956/ |
Director's Foreword
Eric Westbrook