In 1956 the Olympics came to Melbourne, and the city underwent an extraordinary makeover. One of the many projects undertaken was the refurbishing of the Museum of Victoria, and in particular, its galleries of Aboriginal life and culture.
Thake appointed to design panels
The Museum approached the University of Melbourne in its search for an artist who could design the decorative panels. At around the same time, Thake had written to the University seeking work as a graphic designer. He told the story as follows:
On receipt of my letter the head of the Department who received it skimmed through it, screwed it up and tossed it into the rubbish basket and by the greatest of good fortune his secretary Miss Kathleen Hay, who at that time I did not know, but who had bought a drawing of mine, took it out of the basket and said 'If Eric Thake wants a job, you should give him one'. He replied: 'Tell him to come in NOW and see me'. By the time I arrived there it was 5pm, and he put me on half time.
Creating the panels
And so Thake set to work on the panels. Executed in the silhouette and white-line technique familiar from his linocuts, he fully expected the first one to be rejected, and himself to be replaced by someone more 'chocolate box-y'. To his surprise, the design was accepted.
The Museum's optimistic plan was for 20 designs within a few months, but working half-time, Thake was only able to produce 'three or four' before the initial deadline. Another five were produced in 1957, and then the series lapsed.
Where are the panels now?
By the early 1970s the galleries had been remodelled, and Thake's panels went into storage, where they remain today. As design, they have lost none of their impact, but certain aspects, such as the extreme stylisation of facial features, bordering on caricature, might be considered problematic today. The representation of Aboriginal life by non-indigenous artists has become highly contentious, and the freedom with which Thake was able to treat the subject is now almost inconceivable.
Panel 1, Young Warrior
Panel 2, Decorative Art
Panel 3, Bark Paintings
Panel 4, Games
Panel 5, Mummified Figure |
