The South Australian Society of Arts (1856)

Introduction

Oceania is the vast region of the world that includes Australia, New Guinea and the many islands that stretch across the vast South Pacific Ocean (‘Oceania’). In particular, it includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. While in most of the English-speaking world Oceania is described as a geographical region, outside the English-speaking world Oceania is described as one of the continents. In this model of the world, Australia is seen only as an island nation contained in the continent of Oceania and not as a continent in its own right. Compared to other continents, Oceania is the smallest in area and the second least populous after Antarctica. Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Caledonia and New Zealand, which rank high on quality of life and Human Development Index, to the much less developed economies of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, and the much less developed economies of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu.  of Vanuatu and Western New Guinea, and also includes medium-sized economies of Pacific islands such as Fiji, Palau and Tonga. The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, and the largest city is Sydney. Puncak Jaya in Highland Papua, Indonesia is the highest peak in Oceania at 4,884 m. (‘Oceania’).

The Art Society of South Australia was a company for artists in South Australia (‘South Australian Society of Arts’). South Australia's most famous and longest-running Art Society and the established Art Gallery in Adelaide (est. 1856). It is a voluntary organisation, and mostly self-funded, and is now recognised as a charity in South Australia (‘Royal South Australian Society of Arts Inc.’).

Historic Overview

The Royal Society of Arts of South Australia was founded in 1856, to participate in the great cultural developments of the state. Having provided art training and art exhibitions by foreign and local artists. In more than 150 years well-known artists are members, e.g. Hans Heysen, Nora Heysen, John Dowie, Jeffrey Smart, Mervyn Smith, Ruth Tuck to the artists of today, offering a legacy of a wide range of exhibitions and research. The Association currently runs a full program of exhibitions, artists' talks, demonstrations, outdoor and painting groups. A member-based organization with a rich heritage of library and art collection (‘Royal South Australian Society of Arts Inc’). A meeting of those interested in setting up a society to promote the fine arts was held on the evening of Monday 13 October 1856 at the Adelaide School of Arts, Pulteney Street. Due to the bad weather there were very few attendees. President Mr. James McGeorge took over. Letters were read by Messrs. Fisher, M.L.C., Tomkinson, J. Howard Clark, C. A. Wilson, expressing regret that they were unable to attend, but expressing approval of the objectives sought to be achieved by that meeting. The Society met for the first time in early 1857 and became known to the general public from an exhibition held in March of the same year, when the members had reached about 60 and about 300 objects were presented, of which about 200 were paintings, although few would have been works of the exhibitor and made in the Colony. Thomas Wilson, in his inaugural address, envisioned the creation of a School of Design and an Art Association, through which lucky investors would become owners of local art at little cost and artists would provide for a living. [3] A competition was held in conjunction with this exhibition, won by J. H. Adamson, with his painting The First Steamship in Murray and The Native Surprise. [4] Adamson later worked in New Zealand. [5] (‘South Australian Society of Arts’).

Politics

The Art Society of South Australia ("Royal" added to its name in 1935) consolidated its influence in the early 20th century. The company was legally incorporated around 1894, a long-standing wish of Walter secretary Kelvington Gold, who died in office aged just 47. Gold bequeathed some important works of art to the company's collection that grew significantly from there. The most important work in Gold's legacy was the 1884 Onkaparinga River landscape by Edmund Gouldsmith, who lived in South Australia for only a few years. This was first exhibited at the company's annual exhibition in 1902, after it merged with the Easel Club, which had fragmented before being reformed in 1892, bringing with it artists such as Hans Heysen, Hayley Lever, James Ashton and Rose McPherson. Hambidge sisters Helen and Milly (another sister, Alice was also a well-known artist, and Brother Bert a cartoonist with The Bulletin) were elected members of the society in 1902. The company's impressive list of fellows will also include Haley Lever, Bessie Davidson, John and Doren Goodschild, Horace Treneri, Ivor Hale and Nora Heysen. and mid-century Dorit Black, Rex Batarby, Ivor Francis, Jeffrey Smart, Jacqueline Hick, Ruth Tuck, Lisette Colhagen, John Dowie, Jeff Wilson, and Gordon Samstag. Often, the company's president was curator (director) of the South Australian Art Gallery and sometimes head of the Adelaide School of Design – or both in the case of Harry P. Gill. Society of Arts presidents Laurence Howie and Leslie Wilkie were also curators at the National Gallery of South Australia, and another, Henri van Raalte, was on the company's board and founded the Sketch Club in 1923 when he was gallery curator. Howie, John Godschild, Frederick Millward Gray, Paul Biddle and Max Lyle headed the Art School of South Australia in its various incarnations. Society fellows were pioneering forces in laying the foundations of South Australia's visual arts culture. The company worked to showcase Aboriginal artists and saw desert painters collaborate with the organization, as well as exhibit the work of Albert Namatjira. The association was a key influence in shaping the University of South Australia's School of Arts, Architecture and Design and continued to work alongside the faculty through the Friends of the Art School of South Australia Now (AdelaideAZ).

Arts

Ocean art art includes the creative works made by the natives of the Pacific Islands and Australia, including areas as far away as Hawaii and Easter Island. In particular, it includes the works of two groups of people who settled in the area, albeit in two different periods. Over time, however, they will come to interact and reach even more remote islands together. The region is often divided into four distinct regions: Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia. Australia, along with inner Melanesia (Papua), is inhabited by descendants of the first waves of human migrations to the region by Australian-Melanesians. Micronesia, insular Melanesia, and Polynesia, on the other hand, are descendants of later Austronesian travelers who mixed with native Australian-Melanesians. mainly through the Neolithic Lapita culture. All areas in later times would be greatly affected by western influence and colonization. In more recent times, the inhabitants of Oceania have found a greater appreciation of their region's artistic heritage (‘Oceanian Art’). Oceanian art includes objects created by the indigenous peoples of a geographical area that spans nearly a third of the world's surface, from Tonga and Tahiti in Polynesia to the scattered islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. Consisting of some 20,000 Pacific islands and nearly 1,800 cultures and languages, Oceania is one of the most diverse regions on the planet. The art of Oceania falls into two major categories, corresponding to the years before and after Western contact. Australian Aboriginal rock paintings and engravings, believed to be more than 40,000 years old, are the oldest surviving works of ocean art. The sheer scale of Oceania makes the stylistic categorization of its art a complex undertaking: objects vary in size and form according to the islands from which they originate, and their materiality, texture and grandeur differ according to function, whether ritual or otherwise. Made for ceremonial purposes, a large percentage of ocean art is associated with spiritual qualities and is made from both hardwood and softwood, depending on its geographical origin. It can also be elaborately decorated with detailed carving, feathers, beads or shells. Clay, ivory and stone are among the other most commonly used materials in Ocean Art (The Art of Oceania — a Guide for New Collectors | Christie’s). Australia has an art history that is completely unique anywhere else in the world. With a deep indigenous history and a strong colonial past, the country's inhabitants have had to embrace their isolation from the rest of the world and adopt their own identity. This journey of national self-discovery is reflected in Australia's art history (‘Australian Art’). Visual arts have a long history in Australia, with evidence of Aboriginal art dating back at least 30,000 years. Australia has produced many notable artists of both Western and Indigenous Australian schools, including painters of the late 19th-century Heidelberg School, the Antipodes, the watercolors of Central Australia's Hermannsburg School, the Western Desert Art Movement, and fateful examples of well-known high modernism and postmodern art (‘Australian Art’).

The Art Gallery of South Australia is known for its Australian (indigenous and colonial) images, British paintings, including the pre-Raphaelite works of Edward Byrne-Jones, William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Morris & Co. and Japanese images (‘South Australian Society of Arts’). The Association organizes regular exhibitions for its members. Each exhibition has a detailed catalogue and in recent years has highlighted different artists from different stages of their careers. For example, "Youthscape" 22 June - 13 July 2014 was an award-winning art exhibition for artists aged 15-26 (‘South Australian Society of Arts’). The Museum of South Australia's ethnographic collections, like Aboriginal collections, reflect colonial history. They reflect nearly a century and a half of Adelaide's relationship with the Pacific since the founding of its Museum in 1856 (Jones).

Music

Indigenous music refers to music owned, composed and/or performed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It includes musical styles that originated before the European settlement and musical styles that have been adopted by indigenous musicians since then. Music plays an important social and spiritual role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and is closely associated with dance, ceremony and storytelling (Foundation). Music and dance are important to Aboriginal culture. They are used as part of everyday life and to mark special occasions. The songs tell stories about creation and Dreamtime as Aboriginal people made their journeys through the desert, while other sacred music is used in ceremonies. By singing the songs in the proper order, Indigenous Australians could navigate vast distances in the hostile desert environment. Music is an integral part of Aboriginal ceremonies, also known as corroborees. Through pantomime and song they tell the mythical story of their tribe. There are sacred and non-sacred ceremonies. During sacred ceremonies, the presence of people outside the community is not allowed. Non-sacred ceremonies are usually performed at night in front of the men, women and children of the tribe. A group of adult men, sitting around a small fire, chant one of their ancient songs. Others, through dancing and singing, interpret different elements of the myth they narrate. Each Tribe can have leaders in both singing and dancing. "Songman" composed songs to describe everyday events as well as sing ancient songs passed down from generation to generation. The dancers were also very important - the best dancers are highly regarded. Traditional dancing involves arm, body and leg movements and a lot of foot sealing. Dances were often imitations of the movements of animals or birds (‘Music, Dance and Art’). Traditionally Aboriginal music is mainly vocal. Singers are often accompanied by percussionists and several other singers of the same sex. The tribes accompany it with various instruments, such as boomerangs, clubs, sticks, hollow logs, drums, seed rattles, and of course the didgeridoo. Clapping and lap/thigh slapping are also common. Most instruments fall into the category of idiophone, where instruments consist of two separate parts that are glued together to give a percussion sound. In the manufacture of their organs, Aboriginal people use available resources, including hollow trunks, animal skins, and shells. Music often accompanies the performance and ceremony, which are traditionally performed without written prompts. These performances often involve dance: intense and energetic male performances and more limited but still virtuosic female performances. Other ritual practices include body painting, rock painting, costumes, and the use of props (Foundation).

The first Western musical influences in Australia can be traced to two separate sources: the first settlements, the large contingent of convicts, soldiers and sailors who brought the traditional folk music of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. [1] and the first free settlers, some of whom had been exposed to the European classical music tradition in their upbringing. An example of original music by a convict would be an 1861 melody dedicated to colonist James Gordon by violinist Constable Alexander Laing. [2] [3] Very little music has survived from this early period, although there are samples of music originating in Sydney and Hobart dating from the early 19th century. [4] Surviving musical editions of this period in Australian libraries include works by Charles Edward Horsley, William Stanley, Isaac Nathan, Charles Sandis Packer, Frederick August Packer, Carl Linger, Francis Hartwell Henslow, Frederick Elard, Raymond Petsots and Julius Siente (‘Australian Classical Music’). Adelaide music includes music related to the city of Adelaide in South Australia. It includes all genres of both live and recorded music by artists born or living in the city, live music events happening in the city, and other aspects of the music industry related to Adelaide. Adelaide is a UNESCO City of Music. It enjoys many annual music festivals and awards and probably has more live music venues per capita than any other capital city in the southern hemisphere. Organizations such as Music SA and the Office of Music Development, with support from the state government, help nurture the live music industry and the careers of emerging artists. Artists of some fame such as Sia, Paul Kelly, Redgum, The Cold Chisel, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, The Hoods of Hiltop, The Landless Conductor and Guy Sebastian hail from the city (‘Music of Adelaide’)

Notable Compositions

String Quartet No. 2 – Hill (1907-1911)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBSAmzo5wQ 

Alfred Francis Hill CMG OBE (16 December 1869 – 30 October 1960) was an Australian-New Zealand composer, conductor and teacher (‘Alfred Hill (Composer)’). The String Quartet No. 2 in G minor "A Māori legend in four scenes", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ2, is often called the "Maori Quartet. The first two quartets were published together in 1913. Second is one of Hill's most notable quartets. Its approximate duration is 19-22 minutes. The quartet is arranged in four movements corresponding to the four scenes of its program. I. The forest. Allegro taautoto (G minor) a) The battle of the Crane and the Beast b) Rata enters the wood II. The dream. Adagio (A-flat major) III. Karakia (Scherzo). The karakia and the coming of birds. Adagio — Presto (G minor) IV. The dedication (finale). The dedication and launching of the canoe. Poco Adagio — Allegro (G major) (‘String Quartet No. 2 (Hill)’).

Symphony No. 2 - Douglas Lilburn (1951)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McgDGk4agzo 

Douglas Gordon Lilburn (2 November 1915 – 6 June 2001) was a New Zealand composer ('Douglas Lilburn'). Douglas Lilburn's Symphony No.2. The work is divided into four movements: Prelude: Moderato (half note=betw. 52-56 (rhythm in rhythms per minute)) Scherzo: Allegro vivace (fourth note=about 152) Introduction: Poco lento (fourth note=about 69) - without pause - Finale: Allegro. A typical performance of the track takes about 30 minutes (‘Symphony No. 2 (Lilburn)’).

Isa Nei Rau - Bata Teinamati

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_PiXmIhws 

Forever Marshall Islands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_29B-cYJeM 

"Forever Marshall Islands" (Marsalese: "Indeeo Ṃajeḷ"), also known by its principle, "Aelōn̄ Eo Ao" ("Our Islands"),[1] is the national anthem of the Marshall Islands. The lyrics were written by former President Amata Kabua and the music was written by Korean composer Gil ok-yun (also known by his Japanese name, Jun Yoshiya, Jun Yoshiya) at the request of President Kabua. The song was completed and recorded at Oasis Records in Seoul. [a] [3] Kabua and Gil became known after Jiyong (Ike Yong),[b] an economic adviser to President Amata Kabua introduced Gil Ok Yoon to Kabua. [3] The anthem was adopted in 1991. It replaced an earlier national anthem, "Ij Io̧kwe Ļo̧k Aelōn̄ Eo Aō". [4] (‘Forever Marshall Islands’).

Concierto folklorico for piano and String orchestra - John Carmichael (1965)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOgMGHjl_lI 

John Carmichael OAM (born 5 October 1930) is an Australian pianist, composer and music therapist who has long resided in the United Kingdom. One of his best-known works is the Concierto folklorico for piano and string orchestra. His piano works form a large part of his musical output, although he composes for many other instruments. His work is characterized as expressive and lyrical (‘John Carmichael (Composer)’).

Toccatina in G minor - Guglielmo Enrico Lardell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayRlRDMrnMM 

Guglielmo Enrico Lardelli (12 May 1857 – 7 July 1910) was an Italian-Australian who emigrated from Britain as a teenager and composed hundreds of works. He is best remembered for his Baroque Toccatina style and contemporary works Dolce Plainte (Sweet Complaint) ('Guglielmo Enrico Lardelli').

Clouds - Jenny McLeod

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2009755705851072 

Jennifer Helen McLeod ONZM (12 November 1941 – 28 November 2022) was a New Zealand composer and professor of music at Victoria University, Wellington. He composed many important works for large groups, including Under the Sun for four orchestras and 450 children, and the opera Hōhepa (‘Jenny McLeod’).

Corroboree (ballet) - John Antill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62eN2sthuWk  

John Henry Antill (8 April 1904 – 29 December 1986) was an Australian composer, best known for his ballet corroboree ('John Antill'). The Corroboree is a ballet written by Australian composer John Antill in the early 1940s. The first complete version of the score was completed in 1944 and was first presented as a concert suite in 1946. [1] On 3 July 1950 it was performed as a ballet at the Empire Theatre in Sydney, choreographed by Rex Reed, with dancers from the Melbourne-based National Theatre Ballet (‘Corroboree (Ballet)’).

Symphony « Arnhem Land » -  Mirrie Hill (1954)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsMHl0Zk4ws 

Mirrie Irma Hill (1 December 1889 – 1 May 1986) was an Australian composer (‘Mirrie Hill’).

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'---'. Wikipedia, 3 Mar. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oceania&oldid=1142620186.

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