Issuu

the arty wild

oat, April, 1962.

Spoilt child of God A Paradise Lost

It is amazing that no one ever questions the truth of the story of a lost Paradise. How beautiful, after all, was the Garden of Eden, and how ugly, after all, is the present physical universe? Have flowers ceased to bloom since Eve and Adam sinned?

Has God cursed the apple tree and forbidden it to bear fruit because one man sinned, or has He decided that its blossoms should be made of duller or paler colours? Have orioles and nightin - God pointed out the blue hills sadasked him gales and skylarks ceased to jn the distance if m'bet'd were ea : ere e7eato 'm' oi; sing? Is there no snow upon the mountain tops and are and ordinary. there no reflections in the Next God showed him else lakes? Are there no rosy p ew, of the orchid and the sunsets today and no rain- pansy, and asked him to put bows and no haze nesting out ha targets and touch goody over villages, and are there they velvety lining and asked was not, no falling cateracts and a the colour scheme sod the gurgling streams and shady exquisite, r trees? Who,therefore, in- 'No .In no infinite pua.cince,

Himalayas, and the cliffs of the Yangtse Gorges. and the granite peaks of the Yellow Mountains, and the sweeping cataract of Niagara Falls, and an asksd him it He had not done everything possible to make this planet beautiful to delight his eyes and his ears and his stomach, and the man still clamoured for aHeaven with Pearly Gates.

"This planet," the man said, "is not good enough for me." "You presumptuous, ungrateful ratl" said God. "So this planet is not good enough for you. I will therefore send you to Hell where you shall not see the sailing clouds and the flowering trees, nor bear the gurgling brooks and live there for ever till the end of your days." And God sent him to live in boo to a mountain lake and a city apartment. By LIN YUTANG 1 Chinese writer and phlke .! showed him the light of the His name was Christian rambo, awls i o ads onset, seater, the sothd of winds whuili98 through a Pm. forest. i aphilosophy of quietude, the serenity ot the rocks and tolerance andpagan good the beautoul reflection in the !humour. : lake, and the mancaulthat

hint yth that the Dodd d Te'q vented them gorgeoM ',7,ion,. %°;:i shape of Hawauan "Paradise" was "lost"and r. that today we are living in hams,andthe man said he was an ugly universe? We are not eotereseed. (sod then took indeed ungrateful spoiled bun under ashady treeand children of God. commanded a cool breeze to parable has to be written blow and asked him if he couldn't enjoy that, and the of this_spoiled child. unto replied again that hc was ----

The Bulletin—fold-up

•

You may have noticed the considerable drop in the number of cartoons published in the "Bulletin", or perhaps you haven't? I suppose very few of you have ever heard of the "Bulletin". In case you haven't, it is a rather ineffectual weakly weekly journal with a policy that changes as often as the weather. Nevertheless the "Bulletin" was the only publitation which paid a "decent" amount for Australian cartoons, (S gns., 10 gns. for a full page). The weekly allowance for cartoons was £140, this has just been cut to £50, (thank you

Sir Frank!). would late 'to thole world famous cartoonist _bTiid-row who-started his caraa od the "Bulletin" io the "good old days". He says_ "the answer to the question: 'Why did.73ustialig produce so many caricaturists and comic artists?' was the Sydney 'Bulletin', the red covered weekly known throughout Australia as the 'Bushman's Bible'." 'The men behind the Bulletin', notably 'Jules Francoise' Archibald, a master journalist, and Witham Mauleod, an artist with solid business ability, had made it a major policy of they paper to encourage native Australian talent. The supply of poets and writers began to flow almost immediately. That of comic artists and caricaturists had to be primed at first by a couple of importations. Livingstone Hopkins (Hop)

from America and Phil May from Britain. "With thew first class masters setting the example in the 1880's and 90's the local talent was not long in appearing and at the beginning of the century the 'Bulletin' had grown a team of social and political artists it would have been hard to beat anywhere in the world. "No more imported governors nor doggerel oational anthems, no more pompous borrowed generals. foreign titles, foreign capitalists, cheap labour, diseased immigrants. "The Crimson Bonds of the Empire be damned/ Its caricaturists found in this spirit the perfect inspiration for caustic satire." "It was the dearest wish of every black and white artist to get into the SuIle-

tin'. If. Australia, said the 'Bulletin', were to become a nation, she must have her own manufacturing industries. Britain in the character of dumper of cheap goods, that would hinder the growth of these industries, was asunwelcome as any other foreign dumper. 'Australia for the Australiansl'. 'Australia a nationP, Advance Australiar, 'Give 'em air born" The "Bulletin" became the most influential rice in Australian politics, inspiring the Labor Party with ideals and ideas to an extent rare in political journalism. The "Bulletin" is apparently bowing-out as the long-standing home of the Australian cartoonist, are its days numbered altogether? It seems a shame that when people become wealthy they tend to turn ablind eye to any sense of duty.

The Saga of the Gretel "Give it a good hard w hack Dame Pattie," came the furtive voice. "I name this yacht Gretel," Dame Pattie Menzies said, and so saying, whacked a bottle of champagne stems the bows with considerable gusto, spraying herself with the fizzing liquid. Watching benignly challenge to America, but through a huge pair ' ofFrankPackers. The design and .nstruction dark-rimmed sun glasses, ed by a of theyacht was financed Sir Frank Packer smiled headed by Sir Frank his approval. Packer (of Consolidated Press, etc.) with Mr. W. G. Walkley In appreciation of Dame (managing director of Ampoll Pattie's efforts, SO then r. I: I. Foley (chairman of 0 Frank ? sa cnd ri 3o doM mo . e g,ly poi: ilat er nmen hoac r in W. D. and H. 0. Wills). Con with a diamond brooch, and the entire project was about eats. tried Either because he was pushing Few will dispute the admirher over or because he win able sense of dotyand sportssticking th shown by these men. DaePa ttfe m bralecha into her, no boon of contention howgrab gra m b c. frow r btah: ansearoestgro suuPpPoor: epoaecrk..rij.es us the uamjn, at the — which happened to be the yacht, and the capital made out microphone, and clung on to it, of it (in publicity) by Sr Frank distinguished guests watched, a The yacht was. of course, rather ridiculous naval band earned of,SirFrank's I., played what they thought to wif e.

Once upon a time there was over it, a man whose name we will not Thinking that this creature yet mention. He came to God and complained that this planet was tot good enough for him, and said he wanted aHeaven of Pearly Gates. And God first pointed out to the moon in the sky and asked him if it was not a good toy, and he shook his head. He stud he didn't want to look at it. Then

• And THAT Yacht

of His was not mild-tempered and waired more exciting views, God took him then to the top of the Rocky Moantams, the Grand Canyon, and caves with stalactites and sadaging., and geysers, and sand dunes, and the fairy-lingershaped cacao plants oa a desert and the snow on the

w b*ackag:rpomumenliaw:h.d b ilm e.' .DC 'i:hialynin oTel:9: jo foirH gh. *tw olse7:d rd:th:at vt'ic.,, itmw:o:ub be teeiii h graph" reporters and photo- a Southern Cross" - as was graphers worked busily away Si first rumoured. A name berecording the enure proceed. fitting the ,haileobet., „moil., ie gs. would have made the crew feel Watching all these antics and, that they were 944' 99 4 ' '49 for that matter, the whole busi- for Australia inan Australian new associated with the yacht yacht. Conversely, the Amentab.,. atDame patbe yelled cans would have felt they were it, mu. to Sr Frank's horror struggling , .r.-,.. ,—thing no doubt) one could not help .999.9994 ''''''''''''' feeling a sense of disgust at ing.Thin dhow.namt; thi rs:tyk he wholeproceedings. th yacht, Even tothose not even she P itu a tvei t. fin c isYer remotely interuted in the Am. the start that it was arept. etka's Cup or yachting. it must sentative of Australia — not have been obvious that this the Packer empire. vessel was not Australia's (Continued bottom P.I, Col,7)

Douglas Stewart is a quiet, unassuming man, but terribly strong- looking— like the strength you would imagine when seeing Ned Kelly helmeted. He is middle-aged with middle-aged sardonic qualities, smiling at youth but not laughing. He Ls a poet but does not always speak poetry. Do you see a close sardarity [We feel that this last betwear paintingandparley at statement holds little logic, A9,a'-)97 IAs Pitinters and but it is arithmetically true poets influence each other? at least—Ed.] Y". very 14 The harsher aspects Of the the 494' at 499 Vi9.499994' Australian landscape call for endears school, Pugh, Percival, a f correpondme „ae,t jte. o Boyd and in Nolth you get an language sea jaggedness of 99. 94 ' 9' 9:49' ‘ d -4994" form. You have done this in Daard C999994 ) Fd9- Ned Kelly. Did you have to gerald and myself, all of which jnyeat new kind o f form nova been working '998 to d'9' for your play "Shipwreck-? Id an image of Use Australian ..s„jpeo, eka it a atrajot countryside and Australian his- „age play. It u written tory• speub. The only It pleases me to know that urigiord timag is the me lei the painter discovered it twenty verse very closely tied up with years atter the poet. The paint- oaturar speech rhythms. Each err today who are making such character is based on hang a splash overseas Alethong models, spearing an individual exactly what the poets have language with an individual done years belore. rhythm. Is thisto anythetw Are there any close personal relauomhips between the paint- rhythmic b.. .9 people's 51- speech? er and poet in Australia 510 Yes, people do naturally talk lar to mow tound m Iran.. Where such movements At Dada poetry, when they are nee.y moved, particularly 4999 they and bmrearom were loaned, thew aren't any close asare talking about thew cardsomations between poets andhood. For example, when a partners in Amtralm. "Matra- amok is MO-mgI cavv Ilan Letters" in Sown Austria. his speech up into Imes of Isencouraging this war gang blank verse. Poetty is the comhang the for a bit ot sucevws. Here we nod PletelY Drysdale allustraung Campbell, the stage. IS loomnecessary inpoetry? Yogis illustrating Wright, and Poetry without form 11 noth. Boyd Alustratmg my work. Do you thing it is signiti.ot log. What about e. e.cumrnings then that there is no cross and T. S. Eliot? terumauon betweeo gam., Lee's not talk about cumand parts in Sydney smog- u dominated by the abstract ea- Ormgs, Elm, has a serY defsoie pressen:oars — the so-called '949, You encourage experiment, international style. laid t abide by certain is could be significtht by traditional oetry. Why do Palate. 89, mush All true poets stand cknellY reco&niticia whereas poste are on the strong beats of the hoe. cognised only s wk. earl.. But he so-called The painter gets more re- poets veer agreat deal from cognition because you've only the basic forms. A. D. Hope not to see a paintoag, you have mid, "You must know your set to read a poem. People prefer pattern, but you must balance to see thou to think. this with natural heart beat of It is said that creative purple speech rhytbeus." Could we say that all poets each maturity at forty, did you bad this to be the case make a commenton the tonwrits don't think 111 answer that errant situation ohmthey ,przny, b. 11 one. It's not very significant apiece 9 rat anyway. partitions beyond its immediate But what about Nolan and subject. Ao historical subject West where this applies? is not just every day life, but Well, at the age of forty, everyday life from 5. sentar obviously, you will be twice as where you can not g more mature as you were at twenty.clearly.

BACH TO BRUBECK Interviewing a promising young composer, and being fairly ignorant of music's aims and terminology is difficult work. At the end of the conversation they had both clarified their ideas about music. The composer began to understand its meaning, the author began to see the similarities between music and the other arts. In this article, David Reeves, a studeru of the Conseevatarium, is involved in a discovery of

JOHN COBURN AND THE ABSTRACT In interviewing John Coburn 1was not interested in Coburn the man, only Coburn the artist and his attitude towards his own and abstract painting.

Firstly I asked why he had decided to become essentially an abstract painter, and secondly could he still remember the switching from realistic still life to abstraction Not only Manesier, but oho "Yes, I can remember. I started painting abstract, greatly by Andre Marchand, isyli gf4d spr gitlig not after the French Ex- gg g„ me colour " hibition of 1953, as most k fft t.ns particular Pmt people think, but actually o two years later. Every yen feel that the morning on the way to major part of your paintings? Not major —form is major. work I passed a fence, and looking through this fence However, colour plays a very I saw a mysterious under- great part, and it is difficult growth of tropical dense to separate thec two.

meaning with Gary Shead.

Have you any ideas as to In recent yearsthere appears to be a revival ofwhat thls style should be? The style should not conflict interest inthearts, especth Tally byyoung people. This shio uldthfeam en" ;ro r'm Ted.great revived interest is perhaps composers. This in itself doe: even Yes, indeed. I like to work was a thing of beauty in itself, more true of music as not produce an Australian style an individual art. my forms in texture which I needing nothing else. but what the classics teach us

build up by putting sand in True, abstract for the sake Young people all over Aus- is Invaluable if one is to create the paint mid building up tex- of abstract I feel will not be tralia are takingup amusical his but. ture by putting colour over accepted. Doesn't this modern trend instrument. Something inside colour over a period of time. You yourself are sow get- them produce a desire to play you speak of come naturally because youlive in this modern Doing specifically religious ting away from pure abstrac- music — to create. age? tion and entering another paintings, foe the Blake Price, field withare this idea, then? This is true of "Rock and for example, and being busy Roll" also. Many young people in Yes, the it does. Because it is with church murals in mosaic, Yes, my first such painting have purchased a musical inrecognised style of the 20th century, because it's part would you consider yourart a in this direction was ray 1962 strument so that they can gather of your musical environment. religious artist? Blake entry. together and form a band. Therefore style can't conflict A concluding question not would say that their aim isThey to with No, mainly a the modem envIronmeot. secular artist. directly connected with yourearn pocket money but THAT Therefore it Is Impossible tar However, I believe the artist self: do you think Australian creative desire is present. a modern composer not to pro. has aorder job toin reflect the beauty and the world and art will get recognition abroad dove a modern eetteeayiatt. If we want to create snme. as a school having atypically the universe and that all was Australian flavour, as did the thing, what could be better No, not at all, the 010.11 Do you arrive at subjects created by God, is not then new Spanish school and before than actually composing apiece cot„..,,,„ isinfluenced byhis shrubs and black horizonof music. What could be better coroe 7ocioteei,,,y. emotionally or does this develop all art religious? that the Italian school? " an creating you to whilst executing the palatial,. You Wrote once that abstract I sm.rely hope and think .4,This then, inspired Are you I start olio inal,expressingour trueemo.Rae, or byInfluenced itia.b? mere by with an urgeto in the future especially, will be 6 paiht fro; The alc,ttsti tythaf what Aus- tions in music. As na.raciL7, put down clour and shapes judged on its power to convey definai' fact, no, I arn influenced more by li out from a meaning. Can you see this was sufficiently inspired to paint and the subject grows IThe musical language is a Bach, by the classics. I like to te school and trirectness a typical of ayoung country, and difficult one to learn. We are listen to the classics. a realistic canvas, and later the form and colour, then I taking shape?" all taught to read and write photograph what I had painted. try to distil the subject during we could compete David The meaning will,of course, is already very strong now. 1 ntian t gth . ptu,rne theyopuro:ceesssaoyfinpgaith oo latcecem literature, but few of usknow Reeves to the young Sydney mould p Hoew,esv,e.r.I of th not have to be literary, yet feel this school is as important there will have to be a "plas- as any other existing. Signs how to read sad write mono art student who is influenced more by the moderns]I tic" meaning that will com- show that Australians are — Ed.] ltie0" nfiddrremo tahrerethein p esf i'ngsciaotueslyeiaghpt- mg somew we'n.d"undclo hisIess Has Australia astyle of its municate to the onlooker. When "growing up" and becoming art How do Me classics and the the job. geared. moderns differ? own? abstract serves purely a decora- conscious, Yes from thissI arrive a From this then you began 11 °:t' a i'srr consumed as very debatable quesR' 4all, 4' they hsemeoic This is a at e spirit sad. taking abstract shapes? tive purpose, there is no it was in theand 1890's, the year meaning, andthen in the future I of Streeton Roberts. tion. However, if it has not. construction. Such devices This and the influence of painting. otoakiana chromaticism, isteev can see that it must be more changes of key, why don't young Do you pay much importthe French Exhibition of '53. then decorative. develop a style typicalof the In this exhibition you were ance to the quality of apaint. By Van WIERINGEN Australian way of life? (Continued on P. 3) You felt at one time abstract ing? intluen.d by Manesier?