NOTES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER FOR THE OPENING
OF COLIN GARLAND'S EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, 1 MAY 1975
1. NUMEROUS ARTISTS HAVE SOUGHT INSPIRATION IN BEAUTIFUL
ISLAND SURROUNDINGS. ONE THINKS OF GAUGUIN IN TAHITI,
OF DONALD FRIEND IN BALI. IN THE SAME COMIPANY,,
I TRUST, WE SHALL THINK( OF COLIN GARLAND IN JAMAICA.
2. HE IS NOT THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST TO MhAKE HIS
NAMERAND ENHANCE HIS COUNTRY'IS NAME, ABROAD. NOLAN
AND BOYD ARE GOOD EXAMPLES. IT WAS WITH GUY MARTIN BOYD,
A MEMBER OF THAT CELEBRATED FAMILY, THAT GARLAND BEGAN
WORKING WITH CLAY AT THE AGE OF 14 IN SYDNEY.
THIS EXPERIENCE, AND HIS FORMAL TRAINING AT THE
EAST SYDNEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, LAID THE BASIS OF
HIS CRAFTSMANSHIP.
3. WHEN HE WAS 22 HE CREATED THE TINTOOKIES A CELEBRATED
PUPPET FAMILY BELOVED BY THOUSANDS OF AUS-[ ZALIANS.
FIRE DESTROYED THE PUPPETS AND THEIR THEATRE FOUR
YEARS AGO. THE TINTOOKIES TOURED WIDELY IN ASIA
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PETER SCRIVEN. THUS GARLAND'S
WORK IS FAMILIAR IN TWO REGIONS ASIA AND THE CARIBBEANREGIONS
OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND OF
GREAT IMPORTANCE To AUSTRALIA, No ONE HAS DONE MORE TO
DEVELOP THE CULTURAL TIES BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND HER
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS. 1 / 2
HE FIRST CAME TO JAMAICA IN 1962, STAYED THREE YEARS
AND WENT TO LONDON, WHERE HE HELD EXHIBITIONS IN
1964 AND 1965. HE HELD AN EXHIBITION AT THE MACQUARIE
GALLERY IN SYDNEY IN 1966. THE PULL OF JAMAICA WAS
TOO STRONG, HOWEVER. GARLAND RETURNED AND HAS NOW
LIVED HERE FOR NINE YEARS, PAINTING AND TEACHING AT
THE JAMAICAN SCHOOL OF ART. HE WAS AWARDED A GRANT
BY THE WEST GERMAN GOVERNMENT 10 TOUR GERMAN ART
CENTRES, INCLUDING WEST BERLIN, AND IS GRATEFUL TO
THE PRESENT GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO JAMAICA, HIS EXCELLENCY
MR KURT SCHMIDT, FOR HELPING HIM SECURE THIS
OPPORTUNITY,
COLIN GARLAND LIVES A ROUSSEAU-LIKE LIFE-STYLE IN A
HOUSE HIGH IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS WHERE THE
DISTANT SEA, FLOATING CLOUDS, BIRDS AND ANIMALS ARE
HIS CONSTANT COMPANIONS. HE HAS IMMERSED HIMSELF
IN JAMAICAN LIFE AND HISTORY, SEVERAL OF HIS PAINTINGS
BEING CONNECTED WITH THE MORANT BAY REBELLION OF
1865. I BELIEVE YOU HAVE LIVING HERE IN JAMAICA A
CONSIDERABLE 20TH CENTURY ARTIST. I AM PROUD OF
HIS AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE AND AM DELIGHTED TO DECLARE
HIS EXHIBITION OPEN,