An Inventive Magic: Donald Friend and his Diaries
23-24 Feburary 2001
Painter, draughtsman, printmaker, sculptor, illustrator, writer, genius, rascalDonald Friends life attracted as much comment as his work. Born in 1915, he was one of Australias leading modern artists, mentioned in the same breath as Russell Drysdale and William Dobell. Starting as a teenager, and until his death in 1989, Friend recorded his life and the lives of the people around him in over 40 diaries providing a revealing account of more than four decades of Australian life and culture.
This fascinating conference explored Donald Friends artistic and personal life. It examined his life in Bali and his interest in Balinese art. The conference also looked at Donald Friends writings, particularly those in his substantial diaries, which are held by the National Library of Australia.
About the Speakers
Papers
- Barry Pearce: Interrupted Genius: Donald Friend as Artist
- Lou Klepac: The Drawings of Donald Friend
- Christine France: Donald Friend: Merioola and Friends
- Sasha Grishin: John Olsen’s and John Wolseley’s Journals
- Gavin Wilson: Hill End
- Robin Wallace-Crabbe: Making Artist’s Books
- Adrian Vickers: Donald Friend and Balinese Art
- John Thompson: Donald Friend and his Artist’s Books
- John Moyle: Donald Friend in Bali
- Paul Hetherington: Artist as Writer: The Donald Friend Diaries as Literature
- Ian Stocks: The Making of ‘Tamu’ (The Guest)
Program
Day one
- 9.30 –10.00am REGISTRATION
- 10.00 –10.05am WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Jan Fullerton Director-General National Library of Australia
- 10.05 –10.55am SESSION 1: Keynote Address ‘Interrupted Genius: Donald Friend as Artist’ Barry Pearce Chair: Barbara Blackman
- 10.55 –11.30am MORNING TEA
- 11.30am –12.30pm SESSION 2: Panel Session ‘Donald Friend: People and Places’ Donald Friend: Merioola and Friends — Christine France Hill End — Gavin Wilson Chair: Margy Burn
- 12.30 –2.00pm LUNCH
- 2.00 –3.05pm SESSION 3: Panel Session ‘Donald Friend’s Life in Bali’ Donald Friend and Balinese Art — Adrian Vickers (Participating Chair) Donald Friend in Bali — John Moyle The Making of ‘Tamu’ (The Guest) — Ian Stocks
- 3.05 –3.30pm AFTERNOON TEA
- 3.30 –4.20pm SESSION 4 ‘The Drawings of Donald Friend’ Lou Klepac Chair: Deborah Hart
- 6.00pm RECEPTION AND CONFERENCE DINNER Speaker: Don Bennetts Venue: The Lobby Restaurant
Day two
- 10.00 –11.00am SESSION 5: Panel Session ‘Artist’s Journals and Diaries’ Jeffrey Smart’s Biography — John McDonald John Olsen’s and John Wolseley’s Journals — Sasha Grishin Chair: Robyn Holmes
- 11.00 –11.30am MORNING TEA
- 11.30am –12.20pm SESSION 6: Panel Session ‘Artist’s Books ’ Making Artist’s Books — Robin Wallace-Crabbe Donald Friend and his Artist’s Books — John Thompson Chair: Graeme Powell
- 12.20 –2.00pm LUNCH
- 2.00 –2.50pm SESSION 7 ‘Artist as Writer: The Donald Friend Diaries as Literature’ Paul Hetherington Chair: Pam Gatenby
- 2.50 –3.20pm AFTERNOON TEA
- 3.20 –4.10pm SESSION 8 ‘The Donald Friend Project: Editing the Diaries ’ Anna Gray Chair: Brian Kennedy
- 4.10 –4.15pm CLOSING REMARKS Jan Fullerton
