Two Generations Hans & Nora Heysen
he river, and daylight, beckoned as I descended to the Potter Galleries from Federation Square to see the Heysens’ show. If ever an artist deserves natural light for an exhibition it is Hans Heysen; I found the idea of the outside intruding constantly as I looked at his and Nora Heysen’s pictures in the curatorially correct lighting. Yes, it is important to ensure future generations see the work, but seeing them as if underwater surely defeats the purpose of seeing them at all. The constraint of the underlighting illustrates wider issues confronting the visual arts today. The show’s form and narrative led me to contemplate changes in institutional engagement with the public since the sixteen-year-old Hans Heysen sold a
