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Ray Crooke

Ray Crooke was one of The Johnstone Gallery's most popular and fashionable artists. Their success with his immensely appealing paintings of island peoples in the north of Australia and the Pacific meant that it became almost de rigeur for Brisbane houses to have a Ray Crooke landscape on display. Gill Elliott, a gallery client and friend of the Johnstones relates:

It became so fashionable, amongst the most conservative friends we had, to have a Ray Crooke above the fireplace. So I said to Brian, "I don't want a Ray Crooke". Next thing he'd invited Ray Crooke to dinner and sat me beside him and Ray Crooke was so lovely that you couldn't help but like him and we bought a Ray Crooke!

(Elliott Interview with Louise Martin-Chew, 1995)

Morning catch

M Johnstone and R Crooke

Island Song

For Crooke, the Johnstone Gallery was pivotal to his success, beginning with his first solo exhibition there in 1960, and continuing, largely unabated, ever since. His Island Journal (Bede Publishing, 2000) is dedicated "to the memory of Brian and Marjorie Johnstone", an indication of their influence on his life as an artist.

Crooke's 1960 solo exhibition (September 20 to October 7) was the largest of his career to that time, and he showed almost annually with them until the gallery closed in 1972. He told Rosemary Dodson that

My association with this gallery fortunately coincided with a period of settled calm during eight years at Yorkey's Knob which allowed me to sustain a long period of creative activity. Brian Johnstone responded to this situation and organised exhibitions of my work that would not have been possible in any other gallery in Australia. Living at Yorkey's Knob I was almost indifferent to the success of these shows, except that financial success gave me time and security to continue painting. This was the culmination and fruition of a struggle towards expression.

(quoted in Dobson, R. (1971). Focus on Ray Crooke. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. p. 22)

By 1961 the partnership was solid, and Crooke was one of a number of artists who gave Brian first access to their best work. He wrote:

To me the [1961] show seems a great success and the pattern exactly right for work ahead, as we agreed, the next show at a wider interval of time and more selective still. (eventually at this pattern one would end up showing one picture!!!) but I will endeavour to keep aside or send you what I consider the choicest efforts of the year.

(Letter from Ray Crooke to Brian Johnstone, 13 October 1961: The Johnstone Gallery Archive: Ray Crooke Correspondence File: RBHARC 7/3/20)

Crooke also entrusted Brian with significant administrative matters relating to his work. While he showed with interstate galleries - Macquarie in Sydney, Australian Galleries in Melbourne - he corresponded extensively with Brian and allowed him to handle matters relating to paintings for other galleries, competitions, and other matters. Advances on sales were routine, and financial arrangements flexible; for example, by agreement, Brian settled accounts for plumbing when the Crookes moved to Mosman in Sydney in 1969.

An indication of Crooke's importance within The Johnstone Gallery Archive is that, while records of artists' statements (financial records showing monies owing to artists once commission, framing and other costs had been deducted) are all in general files, Crooke's is in a separate bound volume.

Crooke's wife June corresponded extensively with Marjorie, keeping the family connection alive, and the Crookes sent a Christmas card incorporating an original print or tiny painting nearly every year.

Christmas card 1970

Christmas card 1968

Ray Crooke Exhibition

Dawn, Papua

Ray Crooke Exhibition

Unidentified painting

The relationship sometimes had its tensions, however. Johnstone had unfulfilled sales and there was pressure on Crooke to produce paintings to meet demand. On one such occasion he wrote to Brian:

Went to bed and slept on the idea of a show next year, woke this morning realising that it would be unwise for me to commit myself to anything next year until I have settled in at Mosman and sorted out my new studio. I have no idea yet how I will react to painting in Sydney? I definitely do not want to be included in any advertisement in Australian Art or such. (I want to settle into Mosman quietly! And be a loner!)

(Letter from Ray Crooke to Brian Johnstone, 24 September 1968: The Johnstone Gallery Archive: Ray Crooke Correspondence File: RBHARC 7/3/22)

Crooke's desire to be left alone to paint was unlikely to be fulfilled. His Archibald Prize win in 1969 brought increased attention, the spotlight of fame and the inevitable pressure to produce more paintings.

The sale of Crooke's work had been intensely competitive since the early 1960s, as Brian indicated to Elaine Haxton in April 1963:

Going like blazes at the present moment getting a big (71 pictures) and very lovely show of Ray Crooke's work sold. It opens in a fortnight's time and already I have made enemies. Ah me! Would that I had King Solomon's wisdom or could cut these dang pictures in half ???

(Letter from Brian Johnstone to Elaine Haxton, 29 April 1963: The Johnstone Gallery Archive: General Correspondence File: RBHARC 7/4/6)

This exhibition led to a new sales record for a Queensland artist, with sales reported to a value of �4,985.

Crooke completed a prestigious commission from Sidney Baillieu Myer that came his way under Brian's auspices. Baillieu Myer paid Crooke's expenses to travel to Papua New Guinea in exchange for his choice of work from the show. This resulted in Crooke's 1964 solo exhibition, "New Guinea paintings".

Crooke's exhibition of "Palmer River Paintings" (10 July to 1 August, 1970) described his foray into a different type of landscape. Following his trip to the area the year before, Crooke wrote animatedly to Brian:

The trip was very successful, one of the best trips I have had, as far as reference is concerned, and I am very excited now about the whole show (though I have yet to paint it). I am going to give myself all of the first half of next year to paint this as I feel it will be a very important one for me. All sorts of things will gel? This is in effect just a line to prepare you for next year. I anticipate a series of paintings somewhat unique!

(Letter from Ray Crooke to Brian Johnstone, 5 September 1969: The Johnstone Gallery Archive: Ray Crooke Correspondence File: RBHARC 7/3/22)

Another popular exhibition was Crooke's "Tahiti Paintings and Drawings", shown from 19 July to 4 August, 1972. "Art Notes" referred to him at this time as "the 'boom' artist of Australia". (The Johnstone Gallery Archive: Scrapbook 1972: RBHARC 7/1/15, p.111).

Ray Crooke's status as one of the Johnstone Gallery's most successful artists is borne out by his inclusion in "A Time Remembered", the second last exhibition at the gallery (12-30 November 1972) and the Johnstones' own summing up of the era in which they operated.