Brett Whiteley: Nature

Overview

Tucked away off Crown Street is the former home and workplace of beloved Australian artist Brett Whiteley. The Art Gallery of NSW has managed it as a museum since 1995, preserving Whiteley’s presence through the natural clutter of unfinished paintings and equipment. They have also curated a series of exhibitions focusing on different facets of the artist’s oeuvre.

Having spent his early years on Sydney’s leafy North Shore and attending boarding school in Bathurst, Whitely had a strong affinity with natural landscapes. From treacherous bushland to sparkling seascapes, he crafts a unique view of Australia’s moody countryside and its flora and fauna. There is a deep sensuality that marks Whiteley’s style. His characteristic use of line is pervasive, continually seen in rolling hills, tumbling waves and curvaceous rock formations.

Although his work is rooted in an Australian identity, it also represents a montage of global influences, reminiscent of the extensive time Whiteley spent abroad. For example, there is a prominent Asian aesthetic of perspective that infiltrates his landscapes (he was captivated by Chinese and Japanese art and Japonism). Possessing one of the most distinctive painterly styles in Australian art, Brett Whitely: Nature presents another reflective homage to this iconic artist.