Brett Whiteley was born on the 7th of April 1939 in Sydney, New South Wales and died the 15th of June 1992 at the age of 53. He was famously known as an Australian avant-garde artist. Whiteley won the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes several times.
Brett Whiteley’s paintings were influenced by the people and landscapes around him, both natural and urban. His international travels and lifestyle produced famous works from the periods of time he spent in other countries, mainly, Italy London, New York, Fiji and Australia.
Whiteley’s paintings were carefully and thoughtfully composed to address cultural or political situations he observed in his environment. For example, he longed to join the American artistic movement in the 1960’s but his infatuation bittered by the violence and social conflict he witnessed in New York. Instead of artistic freedom and idealism, he observed a society that…show more content… His style is widely accepted and he is one of the most famous contemporary Australian artists.
Self portrait in the studio, 1976 Brett Whiteley Oil, collage, hair on canvas 773 x 600 cm, AGNSW
Brett Whiteley’s Self Portrait in the Studio was an expressionism painting which stretched the definitions of portraiture. The painting is set in Brett Whiteley's studio with his furniture and includes his other artworks around him. Whiteley’s face isn’t the focal point for the portrait which was a complete departure from the usual style of Archibald entries up to this point in time. Instead, Whiteley’s face is represented as a reflection in a small handheld mirror.
For this painting Brett Whiteley used oil paints on a large canvas and included his own hair in the work of art. He was inspired by the Frenchman, Henri Matisse. Brett Whiteley received his first Archibald Prize for this artwork in
