Whiteley works on show

MORE than one-hundred and ten-pieces make up the Bendigo Art Gallery’s latest exhibition celebrating one of Australia’s most famous twentieth century artists.

Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything officially opened last weekend, and curatorial manager Lauren Ellis said it goes beyond what people know about the late, high profile creator.

“If you think you know Brett Whiteley, you’ll get a surprise because I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to be reminded of the talent that is below the hype,” she said.

“He’s so well-known and often his really large paintings… are very well known in the media… but because there is so much drawing here, just quick studies, pages from the artist’s sketchbook, you get a real sense of his hardworking days in the studio where he was just making, practicing.

“You’ll get a reminder of the real talent that he did have especially for composition and drawing and incredibly charming captures of faces and of city scenes.”

Amongst its many pieces, the touring exhibition from the Art Gallery of New South Wales features Whiteley’s Archibald Prize winning painting, Self portrait in the studio 1976 as well as some of his sculptures.

Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery Jessica Bridgfoot said the drawings on show connect to some of the artist’s most well-known paintings.

“Whiteley’s drawings frequently underpinned his research and preparation for paintings, and the exhibition brings several important paintings into dialogue with drawings from the time period or that relate to the work itself,” she said.

“He also straddled a lot of different styles as you can see in the exhibition, so there’s heavily abstract work as well as very beautiful, realistic, figurative painting and drawing and then a wide range of landscapes, animals, portraits, portraits of famous people,” Ms Ellis said.

“It’s the kind of exhibition that it’s so big you could come two or three times, really.”

Whiteley’s model and wife for more than 30 years, Wendy, features heavily in the exhibition, and said the works on show are all reflective of the artist in some way.

“Brett’s drawings were thought bubbles. In many ways every drawing was a self-portrait regardless of the actual subject matter. Each of his drawings holds an element of Brett,” she said.

Ms Ellis said people should allow at least 45 minutes to see the free exhibition, open until 31 October.