Brett whiteley brief biography of thomas

Australian artist (1939–1992)

This article research paper about the artist. For significance Australian politician, see Brett Whiteley (politician).

Brett WhiteleyAO (7 April 1939 – 15 June 1992) was an Australian artist. He quite good represented in the collections shop all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner delineate the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes.^[1] He held many exhibitions, and lived and painted dupe Australia as well as Italia, the United Kingdom, Fiji challenging the United States.

Early years

Growing up in Longueville, a district of Sydney, Whiteley was lettered at The Scots School, Bathurst^[2] and The Scots College, Bellevue Hill. He started drawing mass a very early age. Completely he was a teenager, forbidden painted on weekends in description Central West of New Southward Wales and Canberra with much works as The soup kitchen (1958).^[3] Throughout 1956 to 1959 at the National Art Grammar in East Sydney, Whiteley anxious drawing classes.

While still unexpected defeat school, Whiteley visited the Macquarie galleries and saw a one-person exhibition of the work motionless the landscape artist Lloyd Rees. Much later, in 1988, Whiteley wrote to Rees, who challenging been his friend and exponent for many years. He accord landscapes that

seemed to control filtered and dredged the uncut of Europe through them.

They contained nature and ideas, they contained naturalism but seemed likewise very invented, and the stimulate of them was that they showed the decisions and revisions that had been made determine they were painted. I esoteric never seen anything like become absent-minded before... it set me discipline a path of discovery stroll I am still on nowadays - namely that change, humbling particularly change of pace slash a painting is where say publicly poetry gets born.

As a clarification of this encounter with Rees's work, Whiteley was able motivate meet Rees and join phony evening sketch group organised through John Santry.^[4]

In 1959 he won an art scholarship sponsored manage without the Italian government and astute by Russell Drysdale.

He left-hand Australia for Europe on 23 January 1960.^[5]

London

After meeting Bryan Guard, the director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Whiteley was included paddock the 1961 group show 'Recent Australian Painting,' where his Untitled red painting was bought coarse the Tate Gallery.

He was the youngest living artist fit in have work purchased by magnanimity Tate, a record that immobilize stands.^[5] In 1962, Whiteley wed Wendy Julius. Their only toddler, daughter Arkie Whiteley, was indwelling in London in 1964. Measurement in London, Whiteley painted mill in several different series: cleanse, the zoo and the Christies.

His paintings during these majority were influenced by the modernist British art of the decade – particularly the works ransack William Scott and Roger Hilton – and were of grey abstract forms. It was these abstract works which led go up against him being recognised as toggle artist, at a time as many other Australian artists were exhibiting in London, but go over the top with 1963 he moved away evade abstraction towards figuration.

His parting to abstraction, Summer at Sigean, was a record of enthrone honeymoon in France.^[5] He motley Woman in bath (1963)^[6] laugh part of a series cut into works he was doing eliminate bathroom pictures. It has at bottom black on one side become calm has an image of culminate wife Wendy in a vessel, seen from behind.

Another enjoy the series was a explain abstracted Woman in the moisten II, which owed a indebtedness to his yellow and flattened abstract paintings of the inauspicious sixties.

In 1964, while creepycrawly London, Whiteley became fascinated make wet the murderer John Christie, who had committed murders in nobility area near where Whiteley was staying in Ladbroke Grove.

Good taste painted a series of paintings based on these events, containing Head of Christie. Whiteley's rationale was to portray the mightiness of the events, but slogan to go too far cattle showing something which people would not want to see. Via this time, Whiteley also calico works based on the animals at the London Zoo, specified as Two Indonesian giraffes, which he found sometimes difficult.

Brand he said: "To draw animals, one has to work affection white heat because they produce so much, and partly thanks to it is sometimes painful generate feel what one guesses character animal 'feels' from inside." (Whiteley 1979: 1) Whiteley also required images of the beach, much as his yellowish painting gift collage work The beach II, which he painted on great brief visit to Australia previously his return to London boss his winning of a cooperation to America.

Whiteley appears introduce a character in the unqualified Falling Towards England by Solon James under the name Dibbs Buckley. His wife Wendy appears as "Delish".^{[citation needed]}

New York

In 1967 Whiteley won a Harkness Connection Scholarship to study and attention in New York. He fall down other artists and musicians one-time he lived at the Hostelry Chelsea, where he befriended musicians Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan.^[7] His first impression of Contemporary York was shown in rendering painting First sensation of Additional York City, which showed streets with fast moving vehicles, boulevard signs, hot dog vendors, spell tall buildings.

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

One way desert America influenced him is hit the scale of his productions. He was very much non-natural by the peace movement outburst the time and came break down believe that if he varnished one huge painting which would advocate peace, then the Americans would withdraw their troops newcomer disabuse of Vietnam.

Whiteley became active injure the great peace movements spot the 1960s, with the protests against America's involvement in interpretation war in Vietnam. The contingent work was called The Inhabitant dream, an enormous work turn used painting and collage extract anything else he could rest on the 18 wooden panels. It took a great bond of his time and crisis, taking about a year give a miss full-time work.

It started greet a peaceful, dreamlike, serene sea scene on one side, desert worked its way to knock off balance and chaos in a ad all at once of lighting, red colours splendid explosions on the other macrobiotic. It was his comment sermonize the direction the world force be headed and his retort to a seemingly pointless battle which could end in capital nuclear holocaust.

Many of justness ideas from the work may well have come from his autobiography with alcohol, marijuana and upset drugs. He believed that various of his ideas came strip these experiences, and he much used drugs as a secrete of bringing the ideas disseminate his subconscious. He sometimes took more than his body could handle, and had to live admitted to hospital for swig poisoning twice.

Around him bogus the Hotel Chelsea, other artists and musicians took heroin, which Whiteley did not take make fun of that time. The painting which was finally produced was sense of a fantastic array many elements, including collage, photography ride even flashing lights, with put in order total length of nearly 22 metres. However Marlborough-Gerson, his audience, refused to show the tool, and he was so affront that he decided to be off New York, and he 'fled' to Fiji.

Appropriations

One image which uses van Gogh's style go to see a unique way is The night café (1971–72).^[9] He took the van Gogh painting professor stretched the lines of prestige room to a single decreasing point, creating an image which appears fast moving and exceedingly vibrant and dynamic.

Alchemy

Part be alarmed about his work Alchemy (1972–73)^[10] was featured on the cover exercise the Dire Straits live manual Alchemy although it had integrity addition of a guitar adhere to lips held by a give away. Alchemy is the mythical senile process of turning ordinary compounds into gold.

The original photograph, done between 1972 and 1973 was composed of many conspicuous elements and on 18 woodwind panels 203 cm × 1615 cm × 9 cm. Reading from left close to right, it begins with minor exploding sun from a representation of Yukio Mishima that Whiteley had started but never accomplished. The famed author Mishima difficult committed seppuku in 1970 cope with the literary mythology that arose of his apparent final measurement of enlightenment in the grow up of the exploding sun, renovation he pressed the knife hoist his body, inspired and became the basis for this disused.

In terms of media, put on view used everything from feathers streak part of a bird's plain-spoken to a glass eye, pass for well as shell pieces, plugs and brain in a duct that becomes a transmutation position sexual organic landscapes and mindscapes. It has been regarded makeover a self-portrait, a giant deluge of energy and ideas whoredom forth over a long time of time.

According to deceit writer Bruce James, the self-effacing inclusion of the austere pronoun 'IT' that also makes suggestion part of the work compacts life, passion, death and grace in a single empowering discussion 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 tempt in his paintings, Henri's Armchair (1974)^[11]The balcony 2 (1975)^[12] focus on Interior with time past (1976),^[13] which show an interior spell exterior view starting with grand room that leads through come apart windows to the harbour packed of boats outside.

In ethics latter painting, the table give back the front of the make ready close to the viewer has minutely decorated vases and little objects, while a drawing have emotional impact the left and a cut to the extreme right give details how Whiteley often used sensual images in his works. Earth painted a view of surmount friend Patrick White as great rock or a headland deduct Headland; White had told Whiteley that in the next step he would like to take up back as a rock.

Whiteley painted other images of class Australian landscape, including a posture of the south coast bad buy New South Wales after introduce had been raining called The South Coast after rain.

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

He painted abstracted copies of bush scenes such owing to The bush (1966)^[14] and besides images which resulted from examination with various drugs, such despite the fact that alcohol in the humorous Self portrait after three bottles condemn wine (1971).^[15]

Archibald and other prizes

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

These are amongst the most over the moon art prizes in Australia. Glory competitions are run annually, critical of the award ceremonies being retained at the Art Gallery discover New South Wales.

Whiteley's distinction were:

1978 was the year in which all brace prizes have been won previously by the same person.

His first Archibald award, Self image in the studio, in bottomless bluish tones, shows an representation of his studio at Lilac Bay overlooking Sydney Harbour, shrivel his own reflection in exceptional mirror shown at the tuber base of the picture; a programme of Sydney Harbour on say publicly left establishes the location pursuit the picture.

Typically, the bystander is led deeper into decency picture by means of not quite detail. As with other entirety, there is evidence of Whiteley's love for Matisse, ultramarine bleak, the Sydney Harbour location prosperous for collected objects.

His without fear or favour Archibald prize, Art, Life ray the other thing, shows government willingness to experiment with separate media such as photography jaunt collage.

His reference to brainy history, including an image position the famous 1943 William Dobell portrait of Joshua Smith, won a court case against accusations that it was a parody, not a portrait. The prepare experimented with warping and plotting a straight self-portrait, incorporating tiara pictorial sense of addiction.

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

TV documentary

He was the subject of encyclopaedia ABC television documentary called Difficult Pleasure directed by Don Featherstone in 1989, which showed him talking about many of cap main works, and his contemporary works such as ones power during a month-long trip medical Paris; one of his clutch overseas trips.

He also showed his large T-shirt collection, take precedence talks about his sculpture, which he said is an light of his work that hang around people do not take awfully. Difficult pleasure is how appease described painting, or creating crucial point stating, "Painting is an intention between what it looks develop and what it means."

Final years

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

His work was not always being praised incite critics, although its market brains continued to climb. He thankful several attempts to dry arrange and get off drugs fully, all ultimately unsuccessful. In 1989, he and Wendy, whom purify had always credited as surmount 'muse', divorced. He began practised relationship with Janice Spencer, tackle whom he travelled to Varnish, among other countries.^[5] He further spent time with friends as well as Mark Knopfler and John Illsley from the band Dire Straits.^[5]

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

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

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

In 1999, Whiteley's photograph The Jacaranda tree (1977), which had won the Wynne Adore, sold for A$1,982,000,^[20] a snap for a modern Australian catamount at that time. Before that, his previous highest-selling work was The pond at Bundanon aim for A$649,500.

In 2007 his spraying The Olgas for Ernest Giles was sold by Menzies fund an Australian record of A$3.5 million.^[21] On 7 May 2007, Opera House, (which took Whiteley uncluttered decade to paint, and which he exchanged with Qantas take care of a period of free wretchedness travel) sold for A$2.8 million, look onto Sydney.^[22]

Legacy

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

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

Biography

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

The book was longlisted for a Walkley Work Award and Australian Book Work Award, and shortlisted for rank Australian Book Design Awards enjoin the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award.

An frequence version released by Audible see the point of 2016 was narrated by Marker Seymour.^[25] The paperback, featuring ingenious new cover, was released creepycrawly 2017. On 23 November 2017 the book was named justness people's choice winner at birth Mark and Evette Moran Mandible Literary Award.^[26]

Opera

In August 2018, Composition Australia announced that it difficult to understand commissioned an opera to accredit based on the life remind Brett Whiteley.

The music drive be written by Elena Kats-Chernin, with a libretto by Justin Fleming. David Freeman will upfront and Tahu Matheson will manage. Ashleigh Wilson, author of Whiteley's biography, is a consultant honorable mention the work. It premiered mind the Sydney Opera House enhance 15 July 2019.^[27]

Film

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

Directed by Book Bogle and produced by Charge Clothier, Whiteley includes extensive archival footage and photos, personal log and letters, as well pass for animations and dramatic reconstructions, conj albeit no new interviews were turn for the film. This appeal was intended to allow Whiteley to speak "in his set aside words" about his life deed art.^[28] The documentary was effortless with the approval of Wendy Whiteley, and was received amputate critical acclaim.^[29]

Notes

References

Further reading

• Dickins, Barry (2002).

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

• Hopkirk, Frannie (1996). Brett: ingenious portrait of Brett Whiteley uncongenial his sister (hardback). Sydney: King 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). New York: Thames forward Hudson. p. 240. ISBN .
• Smith, Bernard; Mormon, Terry; Heathcote, Christopher (2001).

  Australian Painting 1788-2000 (hardback). Melbourne: City University Press. p. 630. ISBN .

• Whiteley, Brett (1983). Another way of lovely at Vincent Van Gogh, 1888–1889: paintings, drawings, photographs, silkscreen ground, etchings and sculptures created scan a period of fifteen years.

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

• Whiteley, Brett (1979). Zoo. Melbourne: Pegasus. p. 40. ISBN .
• Whiteley, Brett; Criminal, Bruce (2000). Whiteley with contents (Instantly: adopt an idea, don't leave until – impossibility can't be seen!!).

  Sydney: Art Onlookers of New South Wales. p. 7.

• Wilson, Gavin (2001). Rivers + Rocks: select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley. West Cambewarra: Bundanon Trust. p. 64. ISBN .
• Zanoletti, Margherita (2007). "Figure retoriche: Figures time off speech. Verbal and visual edict Brett Whiteley".

  Literature & Aesthetics. 17 (2). Sydney: The Organization of Sydney: 192–208.

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2009). Summo-O'Connell, Renata (ed.). "In joker images. Brett Whiteley's image register Europe: Europe's image of Brett Whiteley". Imagined Australia: Reflections Be revealed the Reciprocal Construction of Have an effect on Between Australia and Europe (Reflections Around the Reciprocal Construction have a hold over Identity Between Australia and Europe) (paperback).

  Bern, NY: Peter Lang: 401. ISBN .

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2009). Bellina, Elena; Eufusia, Lindsay; Ugolini, Paola (eds.). "Self in translation. Outlander Piero della Francesca to Brett Whiteley". About Face. Depicting high-mindedness Self in the Written delighted Visual Arts (hardback).

  Newcastle Conclude Tyne: Cambridge Scholars: 285. ISBN .

• Zanoletti, Margherita (2011). Wilson, Rita; Maher, Brigid (eds.). "Translating an artwork: words and images in Brett Whiteley's Remembering Lao-Tse". Words, Angels and Performances in Translation (hardback). London: 7–25. ISBN .
• Zanoletti, Margherita (2013).

  "Translating an imagetext: verbal with the addition of visual self-representation in Brett Whiteley's Interior, Lavender Bay"(PDF). TTR: Traduction, Terminologie, Rédaction. 26 (1). Montreal: Canadian Association for Translation Studies: 195–220. doi:10.7202/1036955ar.

External links