The arrival of Jackson Pollock’s 1952 painting Blue Poles represented a significant shift in Australian society. The Whitlam Government had come to power in 1972 with a big agenda for change after 23 years in opposition. Its bold decision to buy a giant, abstract artwork for an eye-watering 1.3 million dollars would come to symbolise a journey from the conservative values of the Menzies era and beyond to radical social and cultural reform.
The physical journey of the artwork from an apartment in New York was also quite a story.
In a discussion of how such a valuable, 7ft by 16ft canvas should be transported, Canberra Times columnist ‘Gang Gang’ wrote a humorous piece suggesting it could be put aboard the air craft carrier Melbourne, since the ship was due to visit the US.
I did love the final paragraph, which included a dig at the aging carrier, and the suggestion of another use for Blue Poles; ‘If the Melbourne’s old engines pack up they could spread the masterpiece out on the superstructure and use it as a sail. ‘ (Canberra Times Feb 7 1974) That way the painting could pay its own way, so to speak.
It’s impossible for me not to have a little fun with the suggestion, especially as my older brother once served aboard The Melbourne;
Blue Poles working its way to Sydney.
I’m not sure whether the follow-up piece in the Canberra Times was legitimate or, particularly given the reference to April 1, a joke;
The controversial $1.3 million painting, ‘Blue Poles’ will be brought to Australia under extraordinary security.
The Jackson Pollock ‘masterpiece’, which has been purchased by the National Gallery, will be brought to Australia aboard the RAN’s flagship, HMAS Melbourne.
The aircraft carrier Melbourne is expected to arrive in San Francisco about the end of next week and there load the Pollock. It was then go to Long Beach, California, to pick up its major cargo, Chinook helicopters for the R.A.A.F. …It is understood that there were official objections to attempting to bring Blue Poles back by air because of the problems of its size (it is 7ft by 16ft, which would have entailed enormously expensive freight charges. Nor could the controversial abstract be brought back by ordinary freight ship for similar reasons. The Melbourne is due in Sydney on April 1. (Canberra Times, Feb. 23 1974)
The Melbourne actually arrived with the Chinooks (but without Blue Poles) in March 1974.
Meanwhile the painting had been put on another vessel, an American freighter. The name of the ship and the time of arrival were not revealed to the public. All these years later I still haven’t been able to discover the details.
STEADY AS SHE GOES BLUE POLES!
Blue Poles was purchased from art collector Ben Heller, who had owned the work since 1957. The following three photos are from the National Gallery’s collection.
Removing the enormous canvas from Heller’s 10th floor apartment involved removing a specially installed plate glass window behind it. It had been in and out this way several times before, for exhibitions.
Because the National Gallery in Canberra did not open until 1982, Blue Poles was unveiled at the Art Gallery of NSW. It’s confusing, but this gallery was referred to as the National Gallery until the Canberra institution opened. Initially, the painting was put on public display in Sydney, with an armed guard standing by.
Subsequently it was taken on a national tour. It would be interesting to know the mileage ticked up after the painting’s exit through that apartment window in New York.
1974 POSTER ADVERTING THE PAINTING’S APPEARANCE IN BRISBANE (National Gallery of Australia)
Of course long before the National Gallery opened and the painting was hung in our nation’s capital, the progressive Whitlam government had been controversially dismissed. Amid the global recession of 1974 it was accused of fiscal irresponsibility, which led to the infamous Loans Affair. Nevertheless, some of the reforms of its hectic three year incumbency remain, including no-fault divorce, and equal pay for women. For female Baby Boomers like myself in particular, Blue Poles represents those social changes and indeed our own life journey.
TO LISTEN TO AN ABC PODCAST ON THE STORY OF THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENT AND THE PURCHASE OF BLUE POLES, CLICK HERE.
