Brett Whiteley: Art and Life Free

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His mother was Beryl Whiteley. Brett Whiteley began painting and doing other forms of art while he was a child, as most children do. Unlike most children, he was especially passionate about his hobby and was determined from a young age to pursue art as a career. As a teenager, Brett Whiteley took art classes. This helped to Brett Whiteley: Art and Life his artwork. Inhe began attending the National Art School. It was while here that Whiteley produced his first professional piece of artwork incalled The Soup Kitchen. He finished his studies in It was during this time that Brett Whiteley lived in London. While here, he made some of his most famous art pieces, like Bathing. It was Brett Whiteley: Art and Life in this decade that Whitely became obsessed with the English serial killer, John Christie. He also made several paintings of Christie, which was also famous. Also around this time, he made several paintings of animals, like Two Indonesian Giraffes. InBrett Whiteley earned the Harkness Fellowship, which was a scholarship which allowed him to live and work in New York. While here, he made friends with other artists, which no doubt influenced his own art. Much of his Brett Whiteley: Art and Life during this time was also inspired by the American Civil Rights movements and the many protests around the country urging the government to stop the Vietnam War. Between andhe also worked on a painting called Alchemy. This would go on to be one of Brett Whiteley: Art and Life most famous works of art. It was even on the cover of the Dire Straits album with the same title. Here, he spent much of his time painting landscapes. Some of his most prestigious awards are listed below. InBrett Whiteley was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts. Brett Whiteley married Wendy Julius in This couple had one child together, Arkie. The couple later divorced in Near the end of his life, Brett Whiteley became increasingly dependent on alcohol. It was also in his later life that he became addicted to heroin. Both of these addictions lead to Brett Whiteley: Art and Life steep decline in his health. Brett Whiteley died on June 15, The cause of death was a drug overdose. He was 53 years old when he passed away. After Brett Whiteley died, his artwork became much more valuable. Many of his paintings sold for millions of dollars. Wednesday, 21st October Brett Whiteley Artist April 7 Education Brett Whiteley began painting and doing other forms of art while he was a child, as most children do. Australian Financial Review

From a very young age his drawing talent became noticeable and he won his first art prize at the age of seven. He was born into a middle class family and his parents appreciated the arts and encouraged Whiteley to continue his interest in drawing and painting. InWhiteley attended the prestigious Scots Collage boarding school in Bathurst. Whiteley spent a part of his teenage hood at the boarding school but dropped out in to work in advertising. He also attended a night drawing class at the Ashton Art school in Sydney. The immediate effect was a heightening of reality in that everything I looked at took on an intensity. The young Brett Whiteley felt a strong connection to the art world which was of a very serious nature and mature for his age. InWhiteley left advertising to concentrate on painting. Whitely had a deep interest in painting beauty which is expressed in his works. He had the ability to capture the emotions of the life experiences of himself and other people. He was fascinated in painting his perceptions of the world in a very surreal and abstract manner. The influence of drugs and alcohol heavily impacts his life and art making practice. Many of his Brett Whiteley: Art and Life encompass aspects of his addiction that took control of his mind. The combination of a passion for beauty and addiction led to the creation of some of his most famous masterpieces. These works intrigued the public and led Brett Whiteley: Art and Life Whiteley gaining a reputation as one of the most celebrated artists of Australia. Whiteley evidently has a strong use of the elements of design which is expressed through the technical composition of the works. The work is a self-portrait presented in the form of triptych; each panel reveals a different persona Brett Whiteley: Art and Life himself. The panel to the left represents Whiteley as a wolf that seems to be out of control. There are symbols of a cigarette and syringe which alludes to his drug addiction. The size and placement of this panel is representing the importance of painting as the centre of his life. The third panel is a physical self-portrait photograph of Whiteley himself looking quite normal. The work is initially very unbalanced as it is a form of asymmetrical triptych with each panel a different size. However, Whiteley cleverly disguises the balance within the work by rebalancing it through the warm colour palette and image repetition. The colour scheme is repeated with warm colours of an overall light orange with areas of darker tones. Each persona has been painted with similar colours which it represents a wholesome view of himself by binding each persona as one. Whiteley cleverly composed the work so the eyes would draw this image as it is an important idea addressed in the work. There is a use of negative space in the centre panel which plays a part in the directional flow of the work. If that space were to be filled it would seem claustrophobic and would lose the flow. There Brett Whiteley: Art and Life a faint outline of a head in the middle panel that faces this area of the work. There is a second, unnoticed area of negative space which is the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life above the panel of the wild beast. This space if not painted but left blank yet the eyes are still drawn to complete the square shape of the work. There is a section of newspaper in the bottom right of the work which is symbolic of the intrusion and role of the media. Whiteley has used fragmenting in the work which roughly divides the piece into eight outlined rectangles of different sizes that include Brett Whiteley: Art and Life subjects. The fragmenting is caused by the unpredictable vertical and horizontal lines which create barriers between the subjects. This can be seen through many of his works which incorporate the cultural framework. Visual communication through the form of painting was a way that Whiteley told the story of other people such as Christie whom was specific to a certain period of time through history. The displays of nude females draped across the work acts as a symbol of how women can be dominated by people such as Christie. The nude figures allude to the results of sexual desire and rape that was the fate of his victims. The way the women become captured by Christie is displayed through the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life work and fragmentation of the work. Whiteley comments on John Christies actions with negative connotations. Christie was an evil man and Whiteley captures this view as he paints Christie with dark, rough tones with charcoal and sketchy line work. In the bottom squares it seems as though the image fades as it moves to the left, Christie is placed at the bottom of the work, this is symbolic of how he was seen. This is a form of a direct link to the culture of the time as it has been drawn directly from the media. He does this through the portrait Brett Whiteley: Art and Life his wife as she poses for him in nude. Whiteley addresses the image of women by painting the subject, in this case Wendy, with elongated, exaggerated and obvious curves and he approaches the shape and figure of the nude women. Subjective Whiteley focussed on painting the image of beauty and was widely known for capturing the personal intimacies of his private life. This provided insights into his life through the personal experiences which he painted. Relationships between himself and his subjects were revealed to the audience through the way he painted which took viewing his work to a new level. Aspects of his life experiences, news on beauty and a range of feelings are touched upon within his Brett Whiteley: Art and Life and painting style. Whiteley paints an intimate emphasis of her beauty which reflects his emotional; connection with the subject. Whiteley presents a range of uncontrolled emotions of turbulent passion, graceful allure and desire. The work is Brett Whiteley: Art and Life visual expression of the female body. This emphasis shows the audience the love that Whiteley felt for his wife. The artwork is a tool used to draw the audience into his world. The work shows that wendy sat for him whilst he painted her which implies a strong emotional connection between Whiteley and his subject. This expression of feelings Brett Whiteley: Art and Life emotions of passion he had for her allowed that emotional connection between himself and his audience. Whiteley expresses his personal story and the stories of others through his paintings. His personal voice comes through the work as he paints with such passion and emotion that his Brett Whiteley: Art and Life are expressed within each layer of the work. Christie had committed murders in an area near where Whiteley was staying at Ladbroke Grove. The pairing of the identifiable portrait of Christie and his circular glasses with images of reclined female bodies over the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life sets an unnerving mood throughout the work. The bodies symbolise the eight victims of Christie whom were all women that were brutally raped and murdered. The bodies are placed unpleasantly over the canvas which gives an eerie impression of disturbance. This is evident in the comparison of the photograph of the victim that is sided by two images of washed out faces which comments on the unfortunate fate of the victims and sparks a solemn sense of sympathy for the audience. The idea of Dobell had been recontextualised and was reintroduced into the art world at a different time in art history. The world was experiencing the postmodern movement where artists were experimenting with pushing boundaries. Whiteley used drugs to intensify his works and represented this as symbols in the first panel of the work. Tradition is challenged by the varied use of technology in the work. This challenged tradition as previous to this time, drug use that influenced the artists and rt making practice was unheard of. Whiteley acknowledged this in his work by painting the objects themselves. Whiteley uses the advancement of photographic technology Brett Whiteley: Art and Life one of the panels which is juxtaposed with the two paintings that represent a more traditional style of Brett Whiteley: Art and Life making. Therefore, this broadened the range of mediums that artists could use and veered away from the original means of using only one style. He appropriated the theory of the murderer John Christie in his work. Whiteley challenged tradition of art as it was not deemed conventional to be obsessed with something such as Brett Whiteley: Art and Life brutal murderer. To revolve a series of works around a figure such Brett Whiteley: Art and Life Christie is not traditional. Whitely recontextualised the idea of Christie by taking relevant event in history and formed into a painting. The role of the audience is to interpret the reference of the subject in order to fully appreciate the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life behind the work. Brett Whiteley: Art and Life lack of knowledge behind the subject world resulting in confusion as the work is chaotic and completed through a number of disordered layers. Whiteley purposely placed a section of newspaper regarding the murder in order to educate unknowing viewers. World Whitley was greatly influenced by the world around him. Particular people and places had an obvious effect on his work through his concepts which ultimately impacts on his perceptions of the world that surrounded him. Whiteley was very observant and successfully portrayed his views in a range of different forms. Whiteley was very well travelled and lived in places such as New York, London and Fiji. He picked up on the culture and environment of these countries and painted these Brett Whiteley: Art and Life his common theme of beauty. Whiteley was constantly reflecting his persona; experiences within his works which Brett Whiteley: Art and Life insights into his world. This is a view of his own world that was shared with the audience. He pushed boundaries and challenged the values of traditionalism within the art world. Whiteley made the choice to represent himself as an enraged beast which symbolically portrayed this view of himself as a self portrait. Naked bodies of the women are subtlety included throughout the work that reference the rape and murder of the women. Whiteley presents the audience with his perceptions of the world by intentionally abstracting the subject. The inclusion of the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life known murderer impacted the audience as it was still a harsh topic within the society. Whiteley uses both traditional and advanced forms of materials in the artwork including charcoal, photography, oil paints and pencil. The use of the newspaper articles reference the role of the media and journalism. It shows that there is a story in relation to the figures within the work. The blocked out faces portray blunt expressions and the warped bodies suggest a negative story associated with the subjects. Audience Whiteley gained himself a reputation within the artworld. He had a vast audience that viewed his work both critically and Brett Whiteley: Art and Life appreciation. His popularity and ability to win awards and scholarships proves how celebrated he was as an artist. Whiteley achieved this through the portrayal of Christie in the series. Whiteley encapsulated the detailed and momentous actions of the senseless murderer John Christie and presents his belief that sex was the driving power for evil and destructive actions. Barry Pearce, 'Brett Whiteley: art & life', | Chris McAuliffe

In the coming months this site is going to be updated to improve security, accessibility and mobile experience. Older versions of Internet Brett Whiteley: Art and Life do not Brett Whiteley: Art and Life the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life required for these changes and as such your browser will no longer be supported as of September If you require continued access to this site then you will need to install a different browser such as Mozilla FirefoxMicrosoft Edge or Google Chrome. National Library of Australia, Brett grew up at Longueville, a quiet suburb on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour. Dobell often visited the Whiteley house. He wrote to his mother asking her to find him a second-hand easel, as well as books on the works of Augustus John and Jacob Epstein. He developed an insatiable appetite for discovering how certain artists, including Dobell, Rees, and van Gogh, had viewed their motifs and expressed them in paint, and for finding what made their talent shine above that of others. From Whiteley was employed in the layout and commercial art department at Lintas Pty Ltd, an advertising agency. With his friend Michael Johnson, he explored the art classes and sketch clubs of Sydney: up and down George Street between the Rocks—where he was enrolled at the Julian Ashton School—and Central Station; over to the National Art School; and across the harbour to the Northwood group. They conjured the palette and landscape forms of Sir Russell Drysdale in the old gold-mining towns Brett Whiteley: Art and Life Sofala and Hill End. Beckoned by the international art scene, they studied reproductions of modern and old masters. Awarded an Italian government travelling art scholarship, judged by Drysdale, Whiteley departed for Europe in early His harvesting of inspiration from museums, galleries, and churches gathered pace after his arrival in Italy in February. At the end of Whiteley moved to London with Wendy, who had joined him in Italy, and they rented a flat at Ladbroke Grove. He produced a Brett Whiteley: Art and Life of abstractions, one of the finest of which, Untitled Red Paintingwas bought by the Tate gallery. He married Wendy on 27 March at the Chelsea register office. After several months honeymooning in France, they moved to a flat near Notting Hill Gate; later, they lived at Holland Park, in a studio once occupied by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Holman Hunt. After his marriage, bedevilled by a fear of stagnation, Whiteley moved from his early abstractions into a bathroom series, reflecting an admiration for the French painter Pierre Bonnard. This desire had a dark side. Stirred by the death of his father, and moved to emulate his friend Francis Bacon, Whiteley developed another series based on the necrophile serial murderer John Christie, whose crimes had been committed near Ladbroke Grove. The dissonance with the mood of his most recent work became a conscious ploy, as he toyed with opposites in a way that disturbed art commentators. During this time he also completed a series based on the London Zoo. Whiteley briefly visited Australia in and He had won prizes, been included in national and international surveys, and was regarded as one of the best young painters working in England and Australia. Inevitably, he wanted to try his hand in the United States of America. Aided by a Harkness fellowship, he set sail for New York in October Brett Whiteley: Art and Life He and Wendy, with their young daughter, Arkie, moved into the notorious Chelsea Hotel, where they rubbed shoulders with an unconventional collective of painters, poets, musicians, prostitutes, and theatre people. Whiteley was already associated with the Marlborough galleries, within the creative pulse of New York, and it seemed his conquest of the international art world would be complete. However, it was not to be. The energy of New York intoxicated Whiteley, but he also felt its destructiveness, and his infatuation soon turned sour. His first response to the city had been to see it as a gargantuan piece of living sculpture, punctuated by flashes of yellow, the colour of optimism and madness. But he soon began to fear the United States, at a time of heightened social conflict, for its violence and potential to bruise the soul. It seemed, to his amazement, provincial. His American interlude came to an end with the creation of the vast multi-panelled The American Dream This work, which his dealer refused to exhibit, contained much anger and frustration, coming partly from a futile desire to change society—which he saw as sliding into insanity—and reflecting disintegration in his domestic life. Alcohol and drugs may have promised enhanced perception, but their influence was beginning to shadow his existence. He continued these after his return to Australia at the end offollowing a brief but calamitous stay in Fiji, from where he and his family were ejected after being found in possession of an illicit drug. Inspired by cultural figures from Europe and America—including Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Gauguin, Brendan Behan, and Brett Whiteley: Art and Life Dylan—he produced ambitious compositions around their mythologies. These works may be most valuable for the questions they raise about his view of himself. Why did he need to declare such an interest in other luminaries of the arts? Was there some sense of dissatisfaction hidden behind a veneer of self-belief? Whiteley can be seen to have explored his own ego through the charisma of famous personalities in whom he recognised a shared addictive nature. At the same time, while also descending into heroin addiction, he produced classic paintings and drawings of landscape and figures. His elegant seascapes and landscapes were inspired by views of Sydney Harbour from a house at Lavender Bay, which he and Wendy rented in and then eventually purchased, and by the plains, rivers, rises, and rocks of western New South Wales. In he won the Archibald and Sir John Sulman prizes, in the Wynne prize, and in all three. He won the Wynne again in In his works, Whiteley reached for the greatest ecstasy imaginable, and then yearned to go further. Yet he also sought to include pain and discordancy in his aesthetic agenda. He never wanted his vision to be regarded Brett Whiteley: Art and Life merely soft- centred lyricism. In attempting to jolt the minds of his viewers out of complacency, however, he laid himself open to accusations of gimmickry. It is difficult to reconcile such shocking, sometimes ill-conceived, projects with paintings like The River at Marulan and Summer at Carcoaror the best of the bird paintings, which Brett Whiteley: Art and Life an artist identifying joyously with nature and its seasons. A Brett Whiteley: Art and Life turning point for the Whiteleys came in That year Whiteley purchased a defunct t-shirt factory that he converted into a residence and studio. He and Wendy had both committed to cleansing themselves of drug addiction, and travelled to a clinic in London. Only Wendy followed it through successfully, leading to separation and eventually, indivorce. Whiteley later formed other relationships, including with Janice Spencer. In he was appointed AO. He died from the effect of drugs and alcohol on 11 or 12 June in a motel room at Thirroul on the south coast of New South Wales. Underneath the hype that had Brett Whiteley: Art and Life him was a hard-working painter of tenacious research and keen sensibility. While in later years his work had sometimes become flashy, it had continued to reflect a strong loyalty to the great traditions of painting and drawing which had arrested his attention at a young age. After his death, the factory studio was acquired by the New South Wales government and from maintained as a memorial museum. At the same time several important works by the artist were acquired from his estate for permanent housing in the museum, including what may be his greatest masterpiece, the vast, multi-panelled, autobiographical Alchemy — A travelling art scholarship bearing his name was established by his mother, Beryl, in Australian Dictionary of Biography person text Tip: searches only Brett Whiteley: Art and Life name field Tip: Use double quotes to search for a phrase. Browse by:. Whiteley, Brett Brett Whiteley: Art and Life by Barry Pearce This article was published online in Encounters With Australian Artists. Sydney: Alfred A. Knopf, McGrath, Sandra. Brett Whiteley. Brett Whiteley: Art and Life. Brett Whiteley Studio. Additional Resources Trove search is awarded a five-month scholarship to work in FranceCanberra Times, 11 Octoberp 30 is banned indefinitely from entering FijiCanberra Times, 8 Septemberp 4 is the Brett Whiteley: Art and Life artist to win the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne art prizes in the same yearCanberra Times, 16 Decemberp 8 died of an accidental methadone overdose; there will be no inquestCanberra Times, 7 Novemberp 12 poem by Stephen Oliver about WhiteleyCanberra Times, 24 Septemberp