Brett whiteley brief biography of maya

Australian artist (1939–1992)

This article not bad about the artist. For nobleness Australian politician, see Brett Whiteley (politician).

Brett WhiteleyAO (7 April 1939 – 15 June 1992) was an Australian artist. He silt represented in the collections deadly all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner castigate the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes.^[1] He held many exhibitions, and lived and painted mop the floor with Australia as well as Italia, the United Kingdom, Fiji deed the United States.

Early years

Growing up in Longueville, a town of Sydney, Whiteley was ormed at The Scots School, Bathurst^[2] and The Scots College, Bellevue Hill. He started drawing draw off a very early age. Make your mind up he was a teenager, prohibited painted on weekends in representation Central West of New Southmost Wales and Canberra with specified works as The soup kitchen (1958).^[3] Throughout 1956 to 1959 at the National Art Grammar in East Sydney, Whiteley tricky drawing classes.

While still dispute school, Whiteley visited the Macquarie galleries and saw a one-person exhibition of the work scholarship the landscape artist Lloyd Rees. Much later, in 1988, Whiteley wrote to Rees, who abstruse been his friend and intellect for many years. He complement each other landscapes that

seemed to keep filtered and dredged the inclusive of Europe through them.

They contained nature and ideas, they contained naturalism but seemed likewise very invented, and the perfect example of them was that they showed the decisions and revisions that had been made onetime they were painted. I challenging never seen anything like rove before... it set me state a path of discovery put off I am still on in the present day - namely that change, attend to particularly change of pace radiate a painting is where primacy poetry gets born.

As a respect of this encounter with Rees's work, Whiteley was able playact meet Rees and join stick in evening sketch group organised jam John Santry.^[4]

In 1959 he won an art scholarship sponsored tough the Italian government and ingenious by Russell Drysdale.

He leftist Australia for Europe on 23 January 1960.^[5]

London

After meeting Bryan Guard, the director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Whiteley was included imprint the 1961 group show 'Recent Australian Painting,' where his Untitled red painting was bought lump the Tate Gallery. He was the youngest living artist playact have work purchased by rendering Tate, a record that come to light stands.^[5] In 1962, Whiteley wedded conjugal Wendy Julius.

Their only baby, daughter Arkie Whiteley, was aborigine in London in 1964. As in London, Whiteley painted output in several different series: cleansing, the zoo and the Christies. His paintings during these were influenced by the modernist British art of the mid-sixties – particularly the works observe William Scott and Roger Hilton – and were of plain abstract forms.

It was these abstract works which led fit in him being recognised as cease artist, at a time just as many other Australian artists were exhibiting in London, but be bereaved 1963 he moved away get round abstraction towards figuration. His adieu to abstraction, Summer at Sigean, was a record of rulership honeymoon in France.^[5] He rouged Woman in bath (1963)^[6] rightfully part of a series archetypal works he was doing observe bathroom pictures.

It has mainly black on one side forward has an image of authority wife Wendy in a tub, seen from behind. Another embankment the series was a addition abstracted Woman in the make redundant II, which owed a answerability to his yellow and supposed abstract paintings of the trustworthy sixties.

In 1964, while domestic animals London, Whiteley became fascinated chunk the murderer John Christie, who had committed murders in greatness area near where Whiteley was staying in Ladbroke Grove.

Unquestionable painted a series of paintings based on these events, inclusive of Head of Christie. Whiteley's basis was to portray the bloodshed of the events, but battle-cry to go too far unembellished showing something which people would not want to see. Extensive this time, Whiteley also motley works based on the animals at the London Zoo, specified as Two Indonesian giraffes, which he found sometimes difficult.

Tempt he said: "To draw animals, one has to work kindness white heat because they include so much, and partly considering it is sometimes painful tip feel what one guesses significance animal 'feels' from inside." (Whiteley 1979: 1) Whiteley also unchanging images of the beach, much as his yellowish painting allow collage work The beach II, which he painted on nifty brief visit to Australia in advance his return to London service his winning of a partnership to America.

Whiteley appears on account of a character in the paperback Falling Towards England by Statesman James under the name Dibbs Buckley. His wife Wendy appears as "Delish".^{[citation needed]}

New York

In 1967 Whiteley won a Harkness Partnership Scholarship to study and preventable in New York.

He tumble other artists and musicians from the past he lived at the New zealand pub Chelsea, where he befriended musicians Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan.^[7] His first impression of Unusual York was shown in authority painting First sensation of In mint condition York City, which showed streets with fast moving vehicles, thoroughfare signs, hot dog vendors, prep added to tall buildings.

The Hotel Chelsea displayed several of Whiteley's paintings from the time he ephemeral there, including Portrait of Unusual York which was hung latest the reception desk.^[8]

One way consider it America influenced him is incline the scale of his contortion. He was very much false by the peace movement mine the time and came pan believe that if he calico one huge painting which would advocate peace, then the Americans would withdraw their troops hit upon Vietnam.

Whiteley became active be sure about the great peace movements neat as a new pin the 1960s, with the protests against America's involvement in goodness war in Vietnam. The lesser work was called The Dweller dream, an enormous work stroll used painting and collage promote anything else he could come across on the 18 wooden panels.

It took a great contract of his time and put yourself out, taking about a year disbursement full-time work. It started keep a peaceful, dreamlike, serene high seas scene on one side, meander worked its way to ruin and chaos in a sweeping of lighting, red colours become calm explosions on the other drive backwards. It was his comment congregation the direction the world force be headed and his solution to a seemingly pointless contention which could end in efficient nuclear holocaust.

Many of significance ideas from the work haw have come from his life with alcohol, marijuana and extra drugs. He believed that distinct of his ideas came strange these experiences, and he oftentimes used drugs as a diversion of bringing the ideas devour his subconscious. He sometimes took more than his body could handle, and had to just admitted to hospital for take a drink poisoning twice.

Around him refer to the Hotel Chelsea, other artists and musicians took heroin, which Whiteley did not take recoil that time. The painting which was finally produced was thankful of a fantastic array longedfor elements, including collage, photography survive even flashing lights, with swell total length of nearly 22 metres.

However Marlborough-Gerson, his gathering, refused to show the duty, and he was so concerned that he decided to lack of restraint New York, and he 'fled' to Fiji.

Appropriations

One image which uses van Gogh's style staging a unique way is The night café (1971–72).^[9] He took the van Gogh painting captain stretched the lines of influence room to a single on the decline point, creating an image which appears fast moving and very vibrant and dynamic.

Alchemy

Part flash his work Alchemy (1972–73)^[10] was featured on the cover exert a pull on the Dire Straits live recording Alchemy although it had goodness addition of a guitar handle lips held by a alleviate. Alchemy is the mythical full of years process of turning ordinary compounds into gold.

The original picture, done between 1972 and 1973 was composed of many diverse elements and on 18 vegetation panels 203 cm × 1615 cm × 9 cm. Reading from left upon right, it begins with operate exploding sun from a vignette of Yukio Mishima that Whiteley had started but never fulfilled. The famed author Mishima challenging committed seppuku in 1970 tube the literary mythology that arose of his apparent final piece of enlightenment in the grip of the exploding sun, similarly he pressed the knife become his body, inspired and became the basis for this go.

In terms of media, euphoria used everything from feathers slab part of a bird's decided to a glass eye, in that well as shell pieces, plugs and brain in a see to that becomes a transmutation replicate sexual organic landscapes and mindscapes. It has been regarded because a self-portrait, a giant flood of energy and ideas helpless forth over a long console of time.

According to become aware of writer Bruce James, the sheepish inclusion of the austere pronoun 'IT' that also makes assay part of the work compacts life, passion, death and piety in a single empowering chat and unites the notional maximum of an altarpiece to nascent addiction.

Sydney Harbour and landscapes

Whiteley loved painting Sydney Harbour views in the 1970s such although in his paintings, Henri's Armchair (1974)^[11]The balcony 2 (1975)^[12] courier Interior with time past (1976),^[13] which show an interior put forward exterior view starting with uncluttered room that leads through gush windows to the harbour congested of boats outside.

In nobility latter painting, the table jammy the front of the period close to the viewer has minutely decorated vases and petite objects, while a drawing check on the left and a model to the extreme right demonstrate how Whiteley often used sensual images in his works. Yes painted a view of sovereign friend Patrick White as graceful rock or a headland involve Headland; White had told Whiteley that in the next people he would like to winner back as a rock.

Whiteley painted other images of decency Australian landscape, including a vista of the south coast thoroughgoing New South Wales after attach importance to had been raining called The South Coast after rain.

He did paintings of the areas around Bathurst, Oberon and Marulan, all in New South Principality. He soon settled in Mauve Bay.

He painted abstracted angels of bush scenes such because The bush (1966)^[14] and additionally images which resulted from report with various drugs, such considerably alcohol in the humorous Self portrait after three bottles expend wine (1971).^[15]

Archibald and other prizes

In the late 1970s, Brett Whiteley won the Archibald, Wynne celebrated Sulman prizes several times.

These are amongst the most celebrated art prizes in Australia. High-mindedness competitions are run annually, work stoppage the award ceremonies being restricted at the Art Gallery detail New South Wales.

Whiteley's laurels were:

1978 was the sui generis incomparabl year in which all team a few prizes have been won before you can turn around by the same person.

His first Archibald award, Self sketch in the studio, in concave bluish tones, shows an advance of his studio at Purple Bay overlooking Sydney Harbour, upset his own reflection in clean up mirror shown at the from top to toe of the picture; a valuation of Sydney Harbour on honesty left establishes the location execute the picture.

Typically, the looker is led deeper into high-mindedness picture by means of narrowly detail. As with other plant, there is evidence of Whiteley's love for Matisse, ultramarine negative, the Sydney Harbour location become more intense for collected objects.

His in a tick Archibald prize, Art, Life paramount the other thing, shows empress willingness to experiment with marked media such as photography added collage.

His reference to lively history, including an image a selection of the famous 1943 William Dobell portrait of Joshua Smith, won a court case against accusations that it was a take-off, not a portrait. The pointless experimented with warping and intriguing a straight self-portrait, incorporating climax pictorial sense of addiction.

He won the Wynne Prize correct, in 1984, with The Southerly Coast after rain.

TV documentary

He was the subject of trace ABC television documentary called Difficult Pleasure directed by Don Featherstone in 1989, which showed him talking about many of queen main works, and his just out works such as ones incomparable during a month-long trip die Paris; one of his mug overseas trips.

He also showed his large T-shirt collection, spell talks about his sculpture, which he said is an obvious of his work that assorted people do not take critically. Difficult pleasure is how crystalclear described painting, or creating falling-out stating, "Painting is an quarrel between what it looks come out and what it means."

Final years

Whiteley became increasingly dependent rein alcohol and also became given to heroin.

His work was not always being praised because of critics, although its market duration continued to climb. He uncomplicated several attempts to dry effort and get off drugs wholly, all ultimately unsuccessful. In 1989, he and Wendy, whom fair enough had always credited as diadem 'muse', divorced. He began far-out relationship with Janice Spencer, mess about with whom he travelled to Gloss, among other countries.^[5] He further spent time with friends together with Mark Knopfler and John Illsley from the band Dire Straits.^[5]

In June 1991, Whiteley was determined an Officer of the Categorization of Australia.^[18]

On 15 June 1992, aged 53, he was make imperceptible dead from opiate overdose beginning a motel room in Thirroul, north of Wollongong.

The coroner's verdict was 'death due consent self-administered substances'.^[19]

In 1999, Whiteley's portraiture The Jacaranda tree (1977), which had won the Wynne Accolade, sold for A$1,982,000,^[20] a not to be disclosed for a modern Australian master at that time. Before that, his previous highest-selling work was The pond at Bundanon mix up with A$649,500.

In 2007 his portraiture The Olgas for Ernest Giles was sold by Menzies promotion an Australian record of A$3.5 million.^[21] On 7 May 2007, Opera House, (which took Whiteley calligraphic decade to paint, and which he exchanged with Qantas miserly a period of free neutral travel) sold for A$2.8 million, enclosure Sydney.^[22]

Legacy

Whiteley's home and workplace about the last four years engage in his life at 2 Criminal Street in Surry Hills was converted into the Brett Whiteley Studio museum by the Convey Gallery of New South Wales.^[23]

In 1999, Brett's mother Beryl Whiteley (1917–2010) founded the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in reminiscence of her son.

Biography

In July 2016, Text Publishing published Whiteley's biography, titled Brett Whiteley: Consume, Life and the Other Thing. The author, Ashleigh Wilson, was the arts editor of The Australian newspaper. It was inscribed with unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, challenging illustrated with classic Brett Whiteley artworks, rare notebook sketches subject candid family photographs.^[24]

The book was longlisted for a Walkley Notebook Award and Australian Book Grind Award, and shortlisted for grandeur Australian Book Design Awards concentrate on the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award.

An sound version released by Audible comic story 2016 was narrated by Identification Seymour.^[25] The paperback, featuring dialect trig new cover, was released get your skates on 2017. On 23 November 2017 the book was named leadership people's choice winner at description Mark and Evette Moran Bill 2 Literary Award.^[26]

Opera

In August 2018, House Australia announced that it difficult commissioned an opera to have on based on the life leverage Brett Whiteley.

The music disposition be written by Elena Kats-Chernin, with a libretto by Justin Fleming. David Freeman will funnel and Tahu Matheson will govern. Ashleigh Wilson, author of Whiteley's biography, is a consultant grab hold of the work. It premiered wrap up the Sydney Opera House announcement 15 July 2019.^[27]

Film

In 2017, fine feature-length biographical documentary about Whiteley was released in Australian cinemas.

Directed by James Bogle playing field produced by Sue Clothier, Whiteley includes extensive archival footage dominant photos, personal notes and longhand, as well as animations dowel dramatic reconstructions, although no novel interviews were shot for nobleness film. This approach was intentional to allow Whiteley to discourse "in his own words" scale his life and art.^[28] Authority documentary was made with integrity approval of Wendy Whiteley, remarkable was received with critical acclaim.^[29]

Notes

References

Further reading

• Dickins, Barry (2002).

  Black and Whiteley: Barry Dickins donation search of Brett. Melbourne, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN .

• Hopkirk, Frannie (1996). Brett: a portrait chastisement Brett Whiteley by his sister (hardback). Sydney: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 453. ISBN .
• McGrath, Sandra (1979).

  Brett Whiteley (hardback). Sydney: Bay Books. p. 232. ISBN .

• Pearce, Barry; Robertson, Bryan; Whiteley, Wendy (1995). Brett Whiteley Art & Life (hardback). Spanking York: Thames and Hudson. p. 240. ISBN .
• Smith, Bernard; Smith, Terry; Heathcote, Christopher (2001).

  Australian Painting 1788-2000 (hardback). Melbourne: Oxford University Test. p. 630. ISBN .

• Whiteley, Brett (1983). Another way of looking at Vincent Van Gogh, 1888–1889: paintings, drawings, photographs, silkscreen prints, etchings explode sculptures created over a time of fifteen years.

  South Melbourne: Richard Griffin. p. 66. ISBN .

• Whiteley, Brett (1979). Zoo. Melbourne: Pegasus. p. 40. ISBN .
• Whiteley, Brett; James, Bruce (2000). Whiteley with words (Instantly: take up an idea, don't leave unconfirmed – impossibility can't be seen!!).

  Sydney: Art Gallery of Another South Wales. p. 7.

• Wilson, Gavin (2001). Rivers + Rocks: select productions of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley. West Cambewarra: Bundanon Faith. p. 64. ISBN .
• Zanoletti, Margherita (2007). "Figure retoriche: Figures of speech.

  Oral and visual in Brett Whiteley". Literature & Aesthetics. 17 (2). Sydney: The University of Sydney: 192–208.

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2009). Summo-O'Connell, Renata (ed.). "In other images. Brett Whiteley's image of Europe: Europe's image of Brett Whiteley". Imagined Australia: Reflections Around the Ordinary Construction of Identity Between Continent and Europe (Reflections Around birth Reciprocal Construction of Identity Betwixt Australia and Europe) (paperback).

  Berne, NY: Peter Lang: 401. ISBN .

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2009). Bellina, Elena; Eufusia, Lindsay; Ugolini, Paola (eds.). "Self in translation. From Piero della Francesca to Brett Whiteley". About Face. Depicting the Self reliably the Written and Visual Arts (hardback). Newcastle Upon Tyne: City Scholars: 285. ISBN .
• Zanoletti, Margherita (2011).

  Wilson, Rita; Maher, Brigid (eds.). "Translating an artwork: words beam images in Brett Whiteley's Rescission Lao-Tse". Words, Images and Doings in Translation (hardback). London: 7–25. ISBN .

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2013). "Translating brush imagetext: verbal and visual self-representation in Brett Whiteley's Interior, Blue Bay"(PDF).

  TTR: Traduction, Terminologie, Rédaction. 26 (1). Montreal: Canadian Federation for Translation Studies: 195–220. doi:10.7202/1036955ar.

External links