He may look like Bob Dylan but Brett Whiteley is one of Australia’s most talented multi-disciplinary artist. Once dominated the Archibald Prize, hanging out with music legends including Bob Dylan (Janis Joplin babysat his daughter, Arkie!) but above all, he painted, made sculpture and created striking drawings.
A number of years ago, I joined 8 weeks drawing class in his studio and being surrounded by his work and his creative energy added a new layer to an art class which was invigorating.
For that, Brett Whiteley’s work has been quite close to my heart so I was dying to go to Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything exhibition at
I was lucky enough to go to the opening (more than a month ago now!) and his muse and wife, Wendy Whiteley gave a few words. She mentioned that this is the first exhibition that she didn’t curate and she loves it. She dainty in stature but such a powerful woman to have represented her late husband’s work all these years since his passing in 1992.
Here are some of my
Brett Whiteley painted and drawn many self-portraits (this Archibald Prize-winning artwork,
Brett Whiteley was heavily inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking (especially Katsushika Hokusai) and Vincent van Gogh and this drawing showcases these influences through the strong and repetitive swirling lines.
I love how he captured Kata Tjuta (Olgas) as a feature and incorporated Uluru and Fooluru in one shot. Love the detail of the Olgas and the simple sky.
“Drawing is a completely un-
rehearsable and un-repeatable visual truth. The purpose ofdrawing is to make freshness permanent…Some drawings are made in order for me to see something, some are made in order for me to show something, some are made to show off…
It is better to have drawn and lost than never to have drawn at all. “
Brett Whiteley, 1985.
Not in Sydney but interested in his work?
The gallery has created a
Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything is a ticketed exhibition on now until 31st March 2019 at Art Gallery of NSW.
