A singular vision: ‘COVENTRY’ at the New England Regional Art Museum

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The Coventry Collection was recently on show again at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale. The new iteration, ably curated by Belinda Hungerford, revealed the great strength of the collection that Chandler Coventry (1924–1999) gave to the people of the region where he was born. As a gallerist and philanthropist, Channy collected paintings he liked and supported the artists he believed in. Thus, it was an exciting exhibition that combined some of Australia’s best-known names and some now almost unknown, but they all sat comfortably together and jostled for attention. 

The hang could have been described as ‘Salon Plus’, the complete opposite to how the works first appeared in the opening exhibition at NERAM in 1983. I helped hang that well-spaced show, but the new iteration was hardly a surprise: this was how Channy often displayed works in his homes, side-by-side, one atop another, leaning against the walls; he lived surrounded by the art he loved.

Albert Irvin’s giant Discoverer (1972) stood sentinel at the entrance to the show, and in quick succession major works by Peter Booth, Janet Dawson, Gunter Christmann and Dick Watkins came into view. Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Gene Davis and Charlotte Moorman played their part in the ensuing story, as did Max Miller, Robert Owen and Joe Szabo. The roll call of an era went on: Howard Arkley, Martin Sharp, Michael Taylor and Brett Whiteley, to name but a few. These were paintings all acquired not long after they were made, from solo shows and studios. Indeed, Channy supported many artists with astute early picks from their latest exhibition, often to the annoyance of his clients.

Coventry was undoubtedly eclectic in his taste – he wasn’t afraid to collect bold abstraction, figurative and narrative works simultaneously – but he had an eye, and it was this element that gave the show its real sense of energy and style. Hungerford gathered together a broad selection of works, passionately collected, and with a singular vision that bound it together.

Cannily included by Hungerford were a group of portraits of Channy: Nigel Thomson’s 1983 Archibald Prize-winning work of him alone in the middle of his gallery cuts close to the bone, but it is Angus Nivison’s 1990s series that digs deepest. These haunting works left the 1987 Judy Cassab portrait in the cold.

As a young country boy first touched by art, Channy’s appreciation never stopped growing, and this collection was his way of giving back to the region. How good to see Hungerford and NERAM’s dynamic Director Rachael Parsons celebrate this gift by encouraging a new generation of art lovers.

Christopher Hodges, Armidale

‘COVENTRY’ was on display at Armidale’s New England Regional Art Museum from 1 August until 18 October 2020.