Making a mark

Over the last forty years the Reverend Ian Brown has collected a fascinating range of twentieth-century art, which the National Gallery of Victoria has either already received as gifts, or will receive through donation and bequest. In recognition of this, and to explore the development of a personal collection, Making a mark surveys highlights of this gift. The exhibition comprises watercolours, drawings and prints that range from his first acquisition, a George Baldessin drawing, to European and American prints by artists including Pablo Picasso and Jasper Johns. It also includes a number of works by important New Zealand artists, a highlight being the work of Colin McCahon. Collectors play a vital role in the development of galleries and museums, each collection reflecting the interests, passions, career, travel, religious or political beliefs of the individual. Ian Brown’s choices and motivations are explored, together with the benefits for individuals and institutions of collecting art.