QVMAG on the hunt for McWilliams paintings (1/11/24)

QVMAG is on the hunt for several paintings by Michael McWilliams ahead of an upcoming exhibition. Video by Aaron Smith (1/11/24)

Transcript

00:00The exhibition of Michael's work is part of our commitment at QVMAG to wanting to showcase

00:06and really celebrate those key established Tasmanian artists. Michael particularly because

00:14he is a Launceston local for all intents and purposes and at this point in time in his career

00:20there has been no public exhibition. He's been very successful as a commercial artist

00:25and no survey exhibition at all so this will herald both of those in one instance and it's

00:31been high on our objective to undertake this and quite an undertaking. From an artistic standpoint

00:37not only is Michael a Tasmanian treasure particularly with the work that he does but

00:42he's a nationally recognised and considered as one of the high regarded artists in the Australian

00:46canon so that's something we're particularly proud of being able to demonstrate and celebrate him

00:52in that regard and what better way to do that through a survey of his work over the last 30

00:56years. Well it is very flattering and I didn't ever think anything like this would happen I

01:01thought I'd just keep on painting until I got old and stopped painting and so to have something

01:08like this is pretty amazing for me. Usually it happens in a retrospective when someone's dead so

01:16to have it when I'm alive I can enjoy it at the same time just to see these two here today you

01:21know I know owns them but I haven't seen them since they left the exhibition

01:30quite a few years ago and that usually happens you know you see a work being sold

01:36and you never see it again so this would be great for me I love it. If you do have a Michael

01:42McMillian's work and we're not aware of it and there's a very chance we could be and if you'd

01:48like us to see it please come forward because there's a lot of treasures out there they are

01:53nationwide and we want to make sure that ultimately this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition

01:58particularly for us and for the artist has the best example of that survey throughout his entire career.