The outside of the newly reopened Brett Whitely studio is rather unprepossessing but when you stand at the entrance you go ‘wow’.
The Studio is a converted tshirt factory hidden away in Surry Hills , now preserved as a museum and is part of the Art Gallery of NSW . The exhibition itself is mostly downstairs at street level and continues upstairs where you can also see Whiteley’s work in progress ‘so to speak – it is as if he has just stepped outside for a moment.
Upstairs there are display cases of his work/note books , some of the huge brushes he used , some of his book collection , photos etc and also his Order of Australia proudly displayed .A featured point is made of Indian looking huge wooden doors set in one wall . There are comfy cushions, tables and chairs under the skylight .The mirror as you enter the upstairs floor is quite deceptive and enlarges the whole space. Overall, the studio is wonderfully lit and beautifully presented.
Brett Whiteley redefined the way the Australian landscape is seen and became one of our most celebrated 20th-century painters with his interpretations. He became internationally famous for his explosive , abstract fluidity . He constantly explored the environment and the nature of things .Whiteley`s early school days in Sydney and particularly at boarding school in Bathurst established a foundation and intimacy with the Australian landscape.
After a decade in Europe and America during the sixties with much success as an abstract and figurative artist, Whiteley returned to Sydney with his young family. However ,Australia had changed whilst they were away, a new cultural awakening was taking place, and in this environment Whiteley became a major figure in the Sydney art world of the 1970’s and 80’s , twice winning the Archibald Prize .
Australia and its Indigenous cultures also played a significant part in Whiteley`s art along with its unique flora and fauna. His work To Yirrawalla 1972, included in the exhibition, is a tribute to Yirawala, the artist and Aboriginal elder of the Kuninjku people in Arnhem Land. Whiteley had seen his bark paintings and met the artist in Sydney in 1971.
Whiteley was also influenced by Asian art and the landscape tradition. One of his last great large works, Autumn (near Bathurst) – Japanese Autumn 1987-88, brings all these elements together in the contemporary language of ink, charcoal, paint and collage. He fused an Asian aesthetic of perspective with a European sensibility to create a unique floating sensual landscape, with birds, nests, trees, rocks and rivers inhabiting a world founded on place and set in imagination and feeling.
Whiteley was inspired by both Asian Art from many different countries as well as the landscape tradition from England and Europe. He admired Zen philosophy through which a process of flow and focus was expressed in the act of drawing and painting. He re-imagined the contemporary landscape. He studied Chinese calligraphy, brush and ink drawings, the French connection and the Japanese influence on Monet, Matisse and van Gogh. There is also his exploration of Indonesian and Islamic art as well as the influence of artists such as Lloyd Rees, Bill Brandt and Richard Diebenkorn, all influences that provide a rich contextual platform for understanding Whiteley and his works.
The large downstairs space currently features the ‘Nature’ exhibition showcasing 47 of Whitely’s works . Along one wall and a bit is the 18 panel large major work ‘Alchemy’ completed between 1972 and 1973.
Also in the exhibition are several sculptures .There are two huge egg shaped ones for example and a very strange Kangaroo one curving in on itself. There is also a hummingbird sculpture curved with a ‘singing’ line , typical Whitely in style. We also see some glorious, vibrant lyrebird paintings amongst others , contrasted with fragile , delicate yet very strong willow tree drawings . Other works of great interest include ‘Red Roofs – Study for a Great Australian Landscape’ .With its repetition of large brushstrokes you can feel the haze of the day .
Downstairs there is a DVD on loop, ‘Difficult Pleasure’ about Whitely and his life which you can spend hours viewing .
A stunning exhibition well worth repeated visits.
Brett Whiteley: Nature, showcasing forty seven of artist Brett Whiteley’s landscapes, will open October 2013 at the Brett Whiteley Studio, 2 Raper Street, Surry Hills 2010, Sydney, Australia Fri, Sat & Sun, 10am – 4pm Admission FREE Tel 02 9225 1744.