1998: Yours Truly, Arthur Streeton.

Yours Truly, Arthur Streeton  The letters of Sir Arthur Streeton between 1890 and 1942 selected and compiled by Anne Gray from the book Letters from Smike, edited by Ann Galbally and Anne Gray.  Performed by Phil Roberts with music selected and performed by violinist Louise Hildyard as a tribute to Nora Clench (Mrs Arthur Streeton).  The Acting Company, directed by Peter Wilkins in the New Worlds From Old exhibition space at the National Gallery of Australia, April 22 - 23, 1998.

    Though there are some technical problems performing theatre in the Gallery, where acoustics are designed for people to stare, quietly, and spotlights spoil the art, the "salon" setting works wonders.  For Samantha Littley, NGA's Public Programs organiser, Peter Wilkins' aim to "reflect life through the art and art through the life" has given the New Worlds From Old exhibition new meaning.  This kind of cross-art experience should become a common feature of exhibitions in future.

    For me it was a minor weakness that Sir Arthur was surrounded, in the only gallery where the performance could be accommodated, by American art of his period while his own "Golden Summer, Eaglemont" and "The Purple Noon's Transparent Might" stood head and shoulders above the American work, in the next room. 

    These paintings set the scene for Streeton's letters covering his life in England during most of this century's first two decades; his return and life at 'Olinda'; and his death in 1942. It would have been a powerful focus if they could have been set behind him as we heard him recall those early days with such clarity, in the midst of a ten year courtship, living among the "inartistic" English, an awful five years of war which took him away from Nora who had "something rare in a woman - original ideas", the sale of "Golden Summer" for $1000 guineas in 1924, and his feelings when Nora died in 1938: "I find oblivion difficult".

    With simple costume changes, Phil Roberts transported us from the sometimes rather precious young Streeton, through love and war to the mature reflective artist in old age.  Nora is revealed as a person of great independence, an artist in her own right, represented musically for us by Louise Hildyard.  Art was made alive by the drama of Streeton's letters:  I hope we will see many more projects of this kind.

© Frank McKone, Canberra