Nelson row erupts over art work

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 1

Nelson row erupts over art work

Nelson reporter An exhibition of works by a Christchurch artist, Barry Cleavin, has raised a storm in Nelson. One city councillor has been moved to use words such as “depraved,” “sick mind,” “lewdly and disgustingly,” and “disgraceful abuse of womanhood” in a letter to the “Nelson Evening Mail” newspaper. There has been a threat that the Suter Gallery could lose its $43,000 grant from the Nelson City Council because of the exhibition. The police, acting on a woman's complaint, have visited the gallery to inspect the exhibition. Threats that legal advice will be taken have also been made. In the face of all this, the director, Mr Austin Davies, has withdrawn the two pictures, the subject of all the fuss, from the exhibition. Stung by what he sees as attempted censorship by the council, the gallery’s curators, Mr Tony King, then resigned. In the short-term at least, the squabble has done the gallery little harm. On its first 14 days, the exhibition had 1710 visitors. With daily news media publicity, a further 1469 people paid admission in the last five days.

Messrs Davies and King are among many people who have written to the “Mail,” including 20 artists, to express deep concern at the pressure to have the pictures removed. Both Mr Davies and Mr King say that councillors have a right — an obligation even — to criticise the gallery at council meetings. iflowever, they feel that criticism should then be passed on to the Suter Trust Board through the board’s two council representatives, and not through the news media. The exhibition opened on June 8. At a council meeting 12 days later, Cr Kerry Neal condemned the work as a “grotesque,’ distorted attempt to display the female form.” He unsuccessfully sought to have the council’s $43,000 grant to the gallery deferred until the council investigated the matter further. Two days later, Cr Geoff Wood had a letter published in which he criticised the exhibition in the phrases above. Then the police were called in and were reported to be taking legal advice on two pictures.

The two pictures — entitled “Are you about to sneeze Rose Selevay?” and “The hare stripped bare by his bride, even” — were withdrawn by Mr Davies the same day. He said he had done so after requests from Nelson’s Mayor, Mr Peter Malone, and the police. He said the council’s funding, already controversial, could be further jeopardised if two councillors changed their support. “In the interest of survival, I have no alternative,” Mr Davies- said. Poli® Superintendent

Peter Goodyear said no action would be taken against the gallery. He said that in deciding what was indecent, he had to have regard to the fact that the exhibition had already been shown in Auckland, Christchurch, Timaru and Invercargill. (The exhibition will next go to Dunedin and then the other seven main galleries in New Zealand). Mr King tendered his resignation on Monday. It has yet to be accepted and he still could withdraw it. He said yesterday that he would only do this if the council gave a written guarantee that its future criticism would be made formally through the council representative. . “I certainly do not ®ject

to the subject being brought up and discussed in council business, but I don’t think it should be taken out of the council, to the media, to create a sensation,” he said. Mr Davies has described Mr King as irreplaceable in Nelson. He had prepared exhibitions for the last two years since joining the gallery, studied museum and gallery conservation, and did some restoration and conservation work with the gallery’s works. However, there is little fear that the gallery will not get its grant this year. The city manager, Mr Len Ardell, said yesterday that the council confirmed the payment last week and it would be made next month.