SINCE THE INVENTION OF THE "NATIONAL ART GALLERIES" IN THE WESTERN WORLD, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY ABOUT WHICH ARTISTS SHOULD BE EXHIBITED IN THERE (SAY RODIN WAS IGNORED MOST OF HIS LIFE) AND WHO SHOULD PAY FOR IT. FREE ENTRY USUALLY MEANS SPONSORSHIP. SPONSORSHIP CAN MEAN CONTROVERSY.

WE KNOW THAT SOME ARTISTS BECAME POPULAR BECAUSE THEY WERE EXHIBITED IN SMALL PRIVATE GALLERIES THAT CASHED IN A HEFTY PERCENT COMMISSION. WE ALREADY HAVE MENTIONED UTRILLO (RED WINE! Underlined three times…) AND OTHER ARTISTS WHO SHOOK THE PURPOSE OF ART. AND TO TELL THE TRUTH, WE (I MEAN GUS, BECAUSE MANY EDUCATED PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT IS) STILL DON'T KNOW THE PURPOSE OF THE CAPER.... BUT WE NEED THE GALLERIES TO SHOW US THE CONTROVERSIAL ARTISTS — COMPREHENSIBLE OR NOT.

THE ARTICLE BELOW FROM 2014....

The Australian-born and American-educated Dr Michael Brand became director of the Art Gallery of NSW in mid-2012 after a sometimes tumultuous ride running the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from 2006  to 2010, a job he quit to be consulting director of the new Aga Khan Museum under construction in Toronto. He then moved to Sydney to take on the AGNSW directorship after the retirement of Edmund Capon, who had run the gallery for 33 years. We asked Dr Brand some of the same questions we have asked his counterparts at the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of South Australia,  but began with asking him about the art controversy closest to home – the Transfield and Biennale of Sydney saga and its association with the AGNSW.

What do you think of the recent artists’ boycott of the Biennale of Sydney because of its Transfield sponsorship? Given the AGNSW’s long association with the Belgiorno-Nettis family (Transfield’s founders), how do you view such action,  and does the gallery have its own ethical guidelines for the financial support it will – or will not – accept? 
This is a complex and evolving issue. Artists, art museums and sponsors all work in a complex environment that requires nuanced strategies. Personally, I do not believe boycotting art is in anyone’s interest. Institutionally, the Art Gallery of New South Wales will continue to review all sponsorship opportunities on a case by case basis. We do not currently receive any direct funding from either the Transfield Foundation, Transfield Holdings or Transfield Services. We have, however, received an extraordinary level of personal support from the Belgiorno-Nettis family, most notably a $4 million gift in 2007 to establish a suite of four galleries for the display of contemporary art. Franco Belgiorno-Nettis served as a trustee of the Gallery from 1974 to 1980. Guido Belgiorno-Nettis has been a trustee of the Gallery since 2007 and was appointed to the role of president of the board of trustees by the State government in January this year. The Gallery has been a proud host venue for the Biennale of Sydney since 1976.
You have more hands on experience of the global museum scene and art market than any other director of a major museum in Australia, so where do you think major public institutions, including the AGNSW, are heading in the digital era?  
I know our team at the AGNSW is doing some really innovative work that is right up there with anything else being produced internationally, but none of us in Australia have all the answers yet.
What is the major difference between running a very wealthy privately owned gallery and running a large public gallery reliant on limited government funding?
Perhaps surprisingly, both situations seem to bring an equal amount of complexity. A wealthier private institution offers a degree of creative freedom in terms of funding but a publicly funded institution can have a more dynamic relationship with its audience, and be seen as even more relevant to its community.
Is art – particularly contemporary art – received in the same way in Australia as in other centres you have worked?
In general, yes. The big difference here is the scale of engagement with work by indigenous artists.
Is it sobering coming from the US where philanthropy is a given to Australia where it’s not?
Our cultural and educational institutions do face a more challenging fundraising environment but then again we receive way more government funding than our American colleagues. What I find heartening is the increasing number of major donations that have been made in Australia very recently. The bottom line is that fundraising is always hard work and you won’t have any success with out  a compelling vision for your institution.
There has been a worldwide trend for big arts organisations to make a greater effort to reach more people. If this trend continues what direction do you see galleries including the AGNSW going? How populist can you become?
We want to reach as broad and diverse an audience as possible, but through quality programming rather than populist gimmicks. I am convinced that the general audience will embrace new art and new ideas as long as we communicate with them in the right voice, without condescension or jargon.
Do you think there is an expectation now that art has to be entertaining?
There is a danger in that, so art museums have to be careful what expectations with raise with our audience. There is a good quote to the effect that “entertainment is not art but art can be entertaining” (I can’t remember who said it).
Is the emphasis on marketing and audience numbers at the detriment to smaller, more ‘difficult’ or more obscure shows and to scholarship within the museum (including AGNSW)?
It can be. Here at the AGNSW we have been very clear that we will not judge our success by numbers alone. We want to be relevant as well as popular. In other words, we must remain true to our mission, which includes an educational role. For this reason we will continue to stage some more challenging exhibitions along side those we know will appeal to a broader audience.
What have you been especially happy with since you arrived mid -2012 and what do you want to build on this year?
I have really appreciated the passion our audience has for our institution, and how much they care about what we do. Apart from the positive reception  of our “Sydney Modern” vision and masterplan launch last year what perhaps makes me most happy is the quality of new staff we are attracting. Together with the staff already here, I have a fantastic team to work with. I’m also very excited by the quality of art acquisitions we have made for the collection.
Do reviews of your shows in major media outlets – good or bad – affect how many people come to a show?
Diverse perspectives are always good but I think they have less effect than they used to. What is also interesting is the increasing diversity of media providing reviews.
What do you think of the standard of art criticism in this country?
You know I can’t answer that question!
What’s the most surprising comment you’ve overhead from a visitor to the AGNSW?
What always makes us especially happy are comments on some of the smaller details, such as when we move an individual work of art and change the context in which it is viewed.
What would you like most to initiate and or change at the AGNSW?
The completion of the Sydney Modern project.
Do you think Australia’s art reputation was damaged by the Royal Academy Australia show last year?
Some of the reviews will have caused some damage but good art can always survive a bad review. In a weird way, it might also encourage the London audience to see what else we have.
It’s sobering that so private galleries are closing. Do you have any thoughts about the career path a young artist might now expect?
Being a serious artist is always going to be hard work (like most other life callings) but if you believe in it you’ve got to give it a try. Like in any other areas, I’d recommend trying hard to analyse why exactly you want to be an artist. If you understand what drives you it can be easier to make big decisions.
Why is there an art boom in many overseas centres and not here?
There are a number of reasons, including money, geography and familiarity (either too much or too little).
Despite its remoteness a country like Brazil still has huge cachet in the international art scene. Why is there no international buzz for Australian art?
Buzz travels in waves and is never permanent. What always puzzles me is that there has been more international buzz for Australian film and music than for our visual arts.
Is Australian art understood outside Australia? 
Not as much as it could be. And that is something I will be working very hard to change. We mustn’t only be an importer of art and culture. We need to make sure our artists can participate as art is created and consumed globally.

READ MORE:

https://dailyreview.com.au/michael-brand-boycotting-art-isnt-in-anyones-interest/

BY THE 18TH CENTURY THE "LIBERALISATION" OF THE ARTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HAIRY PROPOSITION....

The history behind the emergence of the coiffeur holds key elements to understanding how art played a role in bringing about significant economic changes. By framing themselves not as artisans but as artistic (and often literary) figures of equal merit and distinction to painters and sculptors, coiffeurs believed it their right to practice their profession liberally, outside the remit of the barber-wigmakers' guild. The artistic pretext they used reflected a larger economic trend in the eighteenth century: the arts were no longer just a means to liberate the mind but were a conduit for liberalising trade.

UP TO THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY IN EUROPE, ART WAS THE PROVINCE OF THE RICH — MAINLY KINGS AND THE NOBILITY, AND A FEW BOURGEOIS. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE CATHOLIC CHURCH — THAT SOME NASTY PEOPLE CALL "THE GAY CLUB", PLEASE!.... ART WAS USED AS A PROMOTION OF GRANDEUR AND POSTERITY.

THEN CAME A FEW REBELLIOUS DUDES WHO CREATED "MOVEMENTS". SOON THESE MOVEMENTS WERE SEEN AS PROFITABLE BY AGENTS AND GALLERIES. MEANWHILE THE STREETS ARE NOW FULL OF REBELLIOUS ART — IF ONE CAN CALL ART SOME OF THE AWFUL SPRAY "GRAFFITI" DISPLAYS OF POOR PIMPLY KIDS WHO CAN'T SPELL, OR KNOW ONLY ONE WORD: F%$K. SOMETIMES TWO: F&#K YOU....

THIS PROTEST IS LIMP, BECAUSE IT IS ANNOYING AND LOWERS THE TONE OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, A BIT LIKE THE PENTAGON AND ITS WAR MENTALITY.

BUT WE RE GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME. IN back on the streets.... WE SEE THE ART OF THE PROTEST WITH A WINK.

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW....