Centre 5:
bridging the gap

Post-war Australian sculpture came of age in the 1960s with the advent of Centre 5. Sculptor Julius Kane instigated the group in Melbourne in 1952, formalising a collegial alliance that emerged in the mid-1950s with Inge King, Clifford Last, Vincas Jomantas, Teisutis Zikaras, and Melbourne-born Norma Redpath and Lenton Parr. Deriving their name from a five-point program, Centre 5 aimed to bridge the gap between artist and public through exhibitions, lectures, and media interviews; seek better representation in public collections; foster a closer relationship with architects; promote a percent-for-the-arts scheme for public buildings; and lobby for sculpture-specific scholarships and fellowships.

Download the artwork labels here.

Centre 5 has been integral to McClelland since the gallery’s inception in 1971. Clifford Last and Lenton Parr both served on the McClelland art advisory committee and their guidance, as well as personal friendships among the group with inaugural director Carl Andrew and lifetime benefactor Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, helped create an exhibiting environment uniquely sympathetic to sculpture. Centre 5: bridging the gap celebrates this connection, both inside and outside the gallery, showcasing key examples of their work made during the group’s most active years, from 1958 to 1974—when they last exhibited at McClelland.

Guest curator Dr Jane Eckett is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne and has written extensively on Centre 5 and modern sculpture. She is the editor of On Bunurong Country: art and design in Frankston (McClelland, 2022) and with Harriet Edquist co-editor of Melbourne Modern: European art and design at RMIT since 1945 (RMIT Gallery, 2019).

This exhibition is supported by major sponsor Plenary Group, the Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.