The Martin Gallery was a beloved art gallery that began its life in 1972 in a room at the rear of Ralph Martin’s chemist shop in Flinders Street, Townsville. Ralph believed he had a knack for presenting artworks in a way that didn’t feel too cluttered, which he thought may have contributed to his success. But perhaps Ralph’s greatest talent lay in his ability to build good relationships with the artists he exhibited.
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| Display case of materials from the Martin Gallery Archive. Photo: JCU Library Special Collections. |
One such artist was Hungarian-born Desiderius Orban (1884-1986). A painter, printmaker and art educator, Orban had mixed with artists Picasso and Matisse at Gertrude Stein’s studio in Paris in 1906. In 1939 he emigrated to Australia and three years later established an art school in Sydney. Over the years, Orban’s pupils included the artists John Olsen, John Coburn and Judy Cassab.
‘An Exhibition of Ten Works’ by Desiderius Orban was the Martin Gallery’s first exhibition of 1978. Ralph described it as ‘the most prestigious exhibition ever to be held’ in his Flinders Street gallery. This exhibition was quite the triumph for a small regional Queensland art gallery that was still, at least at that stage, just a back room behind a pharmacy. Ralph was a genuine fan of Orban's work and purchased the painting 'Separation of the Waters' from Orban for his private collection.
The two men corresponded regularly for many years and became friends. The Martin Gallery Archive contains 32 letters from Desiderius Orban to Ralph Martin, spanning the timeframe November 1977 – May 1984. The letters not only indicate Ralph’s rapport with Orban, but a close reading of the correspondence reveals his generosity towards the artist.
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| Ralph Martin contemplating artworks hanging in Martin Gallery, no date. Photographer: unknown. Source: Martin Gallery Archive MGA/PHO/339, JCU Library Special Collections. |
In December 1978, Ralph sent a case of mangoes to Orban at his home in Sydney. This became an annual summer tradition, one that Orban and those around him appreciated very much. In a letter to Ralph in December 1981, Orban wrote of his delight and surprise in receiving a case of mangoes despite having been forewarned that it had been a bad season for the fruit. Orban wrote:
Here is the festive season of 1981 and to my greatest surprise here are my beloved mangoes too. Didn’t you say that you had a very bad mango season? I can assure you there is nothing wrong with these, everybody including me are enjoying them immensely.*
Other correspondence in the Martin Gallery Archive reveals that when it came to gifting mangoes, other artists were also the beneficiary of Ralph’s generosity. In an undated Christmas card sent to Ralph and family, Brisbane-based artist Irene Amos (1927-2012) wrote:
Well, the mangoes have caused the annual ‘sensation’. My mother is ecstatic with her ‘quota’… We actually live on them – they are a meal in themselves. Thankyou – doesn’t seem in any way adequate.**
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| Detail of items from the Martin Gallery Archive pertaining to the artist Irene Amos. Photo: JCU Library Special Collections. |
Ralph had met Irene Amos through marine zoologist and artist Ron Kenny (1925-1987). Kenny was Honorary Curator of the JCU Art Collection and his own work had been featured at Martin Gallery’s opening exhibition in 1972. Irene Amos, in turn, had facilitated an introduction between Ralph Martin and Desiderius Orban. These insights, and other fascinating inter-connections, are waiting to be found in the Martin Gallery Archive.
Trisha Fielding, Special Collections Library Officer
Did you miss our first blog post about this archive? Catch up here: Where Art and Archives Collide - the Martin Gallery Archive
To view the Archive, book a visit to the Helen Mays Reading Room (in Townsville); or check out the displays showcasing items from this archive – now showing on Level 1 of the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, JCU Townsville campus (Bebegu Yumba).
* Desiderius Orban to Ralph Martin, letter dated 7.12.81; Martin Gallery Archive MGA/GRA/133
** Undated Christmas card to Ralph Martin, signed Irene & Aub; Martin Gallery Archive MGA/GRA/2
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