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Letter to Donald Friend from Brian Johnstone, 27 April 1953.
From RBHARC 7/3/38 Donald Friend Early Correspondence file.

BRISBANE ARCADE
ADELAIDE STREET, BRISBANE
TELEPHONE: B9427
DIRECTOR: BRIAN JOHNSTONE

THE JOHNSTONE GALLERY

Copy Only

Dear [Donald]

      It was so good hearing from you and to know that all was well.  We do hope you get well and truly homesick soon because believe it or not we miss you and having been fed with the prospect of your coming to live here for awhile on your return we begrudge the months that pass.  True!  In the words of Mrs. Ross, "What's Donald doing?"

     We have been having a more than hectic time these past few months.  In February Marj had to undergo a major operation but is now well on the way to blooming health and dieting furiously the while.  The French Exhibition is with us and has brought out numberless new art critics who each and all tend to make our life miserable.  Took Marj to the Gallery the other night for her first outing and she could only bear the people for five minutes, poor dear.  I really have'nt (sic) had a chance to see it yet so can't offer any comments beyond the general impression of the most georgous colour.

     You will have heard about the 72 artists selected to represent our contemporary art at the Coronation Exhibition.  Yourself, Dobell, Drysdale, Nolan, Rees, O'Brien, Bellette, Stokes, Boyd, Godfrey Millar (sic), Hinder and Balson.  I have'nt (sic) run across Godfrey Millar's (sic) work.  Do you know it?

     Speaking of LLoyd (sic) Rees reminds me that he said some very nice things about you when he visited by Gallery en route to Europe.  As he was saying goodbye he looked over my shoulder at one of your Italian drawings and said "What a lovely drawing - I really could'nt (sic) have a nicer farewell from Australia than to look at that work of Donald's.  My God (or words to that effect) he can draw!  So you have at least one more admirer after Marjorie and Mrs. Ross.

     I shall look forward very much to viewing the 20 drawings, Donald and appreciate receiving them direct from you.  It might interest you to know that your less colourful drawings have, hardly without exception, not sold here so I will use their frames and mounts for the new work. I was most interested to read that you would be "doing" the Coronation procession. What are the chances of airmailing, if possible, two or three drawings of the procession to add to the others? Would this be asking too much?

Have just sold "Ponte Rialto" 17gns. to a Stanthorpe client and have another £4 in kitty for you from the Cruickshanks etc. all of which I shall pay into your bank in the next few days. "The Bodgie" is out on approval at the moment and should sell if there is any justice left.

Am having an interesting series of shows this year. Have recently shown Roy Dalgarno's work - quite outstanding. Bob bought a large oil for the Gallery. In two weeks' time I will be disposing (I hope) of about 30 of Bob's pictures including 7 Meldrums and one Frances Hodgkins and am following this with a retrospective show of Arthur Boyd's work followed by Elaine Haxton and (God help me) Moya Dyring. Women!

I have been most heartened by the way the Gallery is progressing. Slowly but surely the better work is beginning to sell although, after my Sydney trip at Xmas time, I was not a little saddened at the prospect of trying to maintain a standard. Such a lot of hum-drum stuff and even the bigger "names" seem to just go painting the same old things with very little object in view other than to turn out yet another painting. What is even more depressing is the almost complete lack of any new talent.

Enough of such miserableness! Marj send much love and do lets hear any news.

Rialto