Eternal present: the still life paintings of William Robinson, 14 July 2017 to 25 June 2018

Foreword

The William Robinson Gallery was established as part of the major restoration of Old Government House that was completed to coincide with Queensland’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2009. The restoration has seen the building returned to its 19th-century splendour, and all of us at QUT are incredibly proud of the beautiful space that has been created in one of Queensland’s most significant historic buildings. It is an excellent example of the state’s living heritage, and a tribute to one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists and a brilliant QUT alumnus. The idea for a gallery dedicated to the permanent display of William Robinson’s work first came about in a conversation I had with the former Managing Director of the ABC, the late Brian Johns (1936–2016). Brian asked about our intentions for the use of Old Government House once it was restored. We did have a plan for the ground floor, which would operate as a public and functions space, but not for the upper level. He responded straightforwardly: “It’s simple, create a major gallery, a gallery for a major artist, and the artist should be William Robinson.” Brian’s advice, which we followed, was appropriate given that he was a great art lover and supporter of the arts, and a firm advocate of QUT’s efforts in the creative sector. He also played an instrumental role in a number of transformative developments in Australia’s cultural life; for example, the Creative Nation policy of the early 1990s. He and his wife Sarah acquired a wonderful private collection of Australian art, including a key early work by Robinson—Interior with black dog 1970—which they generously loaned to QUT for the major survey exhibition William Robinson: The transfigured landscape in 2011. We later acquired the painting, which is on display in the current exhibition, Eternal present. The QUT Art Collection currently holds over 180 works by William Robinson. Developing a collection of Robinson’s artwork that is cohesive, focussed, and of national and international significance has been a parallel focus to the exhibitions program of the William Robinson Gallery. Managed by QUT Precincts, the QUT Art Collection contributes to the University’s key priority to further develop QUT’s sense of community. Establishing the William Robinson Advisory Group in 2012 (comprising Philip Bacon AM, Professor Sue Street AO, Vanessa Van Ooyen, William and Shirley Robinson, and their children Kate Liddy and Dominic Robinson) has been important in managing the Gallery and the Art Collection, and in ensuring its sustainability. Although Robinson is perhaps best known for his large-scale landscape paintings portraying the magnificence of nature, many of his early works depict humble still life and interior scenes. These works are equally beautiful. Robinson has a unique ability to engage the viewer in the experience of the painting whether the subject is a vertiginous mountain range or an assortment of domestic objects laid out on a table. In some of Robinson’s work from the 1970s, as well as in more recent work from the last few years, he depicts charming still life subjects laid out on his veranda or on a windowsill, with his sprawling suburban garden as the lush backdrop. Nature is never far away. I am incredibly fortunate to have been involved in the establishment of such a wonderful cultural space as the William Robinson Gallery. We are all humbled by the support we have received over the years and by the generosity of a number of major benefactors. I am particularly grateful for the wise counsel and generous support of Philip Bacon AM and the Robinson family—most importantly, Bill and Shirley. The William Robinson Gallery will ensure that the work of this important Australian artist is marvelled at and appreciated for generations to come.

Professor Peter Coaldrake AO Vice-Chancellor