An exhibition by one of Australia's most beloved and successful artists, Brett Whiteley, will open at Orange Regional Gallery on Saturday 22 March.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales touring exhibition Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio offers audiences a fascinating insight into the studio practice of one of Australia's most gifted and revered artists.
Brett Whiteley Self portrait in the studio 1976, Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1977. © Wendy Whiteley
Orange City Council's Services Policy Committee Chair Marea Ruddy said Orange was the only venue in NSW to present this major exhibition from the Art Gallery of NSW.
"It is an honour for Orange Regional Gallery to be chosen to display such a significant exhibition of Whiteley's works and shows how highly regarded our state-of-the-art gallery is in art circles across the country," Cr Ruddy said.
"This is a rare opportunity for people from across the Central West to see works by such an iconic Australian artist, right here in our own backyard."
Drawn from the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney, the exhibition presents a selection of works across various media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, collage and ceramics. Included in the exhibition are some of Whiteley's most iconic paintings, such as The balcony 2 1975 and Self portrait in the studio 1976, alongside lesser known but equally important early abstractions, works made in London and New York in the 1960s, and works from Whiteley's final series, Paris 'Regard de Côté'.
Rarely seen archival photographs depicting Whiteley at work (and sometimes at play) in studios in London, New York and Sydney show some of the artworks in various stages of completion, offering a glimpse into his creative world.
The exhibition will also include a playlist of songs drawn from Whiteley's vinyl record collection, highlighting the significant role that music played in his creative process.
Art Gallery of New South Wales curator, Brett Whiteley Studio, Nick Yelverton said this new touring exhibition offered audiences around Australia a fascinating insight into the studio practice of one of Australia's most gifted and revered artists.
"Whiteley is one of the most instantly recognisable names in Australian art," Mr Yelverton said.
"This exhibition brings together some standout paintings as well as some lesser-known gems to give viewers a real sense of an artist at work."
In a career spanning three decades, Brett Whiteley won the coveted Archibald Prize for portraiture twice, participated in significant exhibitions of contemporary art in Australia and Europe, and now has his work held in the collections of every major museum in Australia as well as in prestigious institutions abroad.
Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio will be on exhibition at Orange Regional Gallery until 9 June.
