Works by art superstar Brett Whiteley come to Logan
By Nick Dent
From the way he lived to the way he died, he was Australia’s first rock-star artist – a household name whose works sell for millions.
Now a major exhibition of paintings, sculptures and more by Brett Whiteley is debuting at Logan Art Gallery, south of Brisbane.
Brett Whiteley died in 1992 at the age of 53 and his Sydney studio has been preserved as a public gallery of his works.Credit: Andrew Fisher
Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio brings works on loan from the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney, which has been preserved as a public museum and time capsule of the artist’s life.
The exhibition includes famous paintings such as the Archibald Prize-winning Self-portrait in the Studio from 1976.
Logan City Mayor Jon Raven said that the exhibition was a major collection by an important Australian artist.
“Because we are the youngest and most diverse city in the state we really love to focus on young artists and multicultural artists, but this is obviously just an iconic Australian artist,” Raven said.
Brett Whiteley’s Self-portrait in the Studio won the Archibald Prize in 1976.Credit: Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1977 © Wendy Whiteley
“It’s fantastic to bring him here, and I know my friends who live in Brisbane are excited to come to Logan and spend the day.”
Sydney-born Whiteley (1939-1992) shot to fame in London in the 1960s and twice won the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. In 1978, he pulled off the coup of winning all three in the same year.
He was friends with 1980s UK rock group Dire Straits and one of his paintings provided the cover art and the title for their album Alchemy.
Whiteley’s painting Henri’s Armchair 1974-75 sold in 2020 for $6.1 million.
Art Gallery of New South Wales curator for the Brett Whiteley Studio, Nick Yelverton, said Whiteley was one of the most instantly recognisable names in Australian art.
“This is a rare chance for interstate audiences to experience the work of Whiteley that they may have never seen before,” he said.
Logan Art Gallery is the only Queensland venue for the show, which will subsequently tour to regional galleries in other states.
Raven said his government was building Logan as a hub for high-quality cultural experiences.
“We’d love to be known as a regional centre for art in south-east Queensland,” he said.
Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio is at Logan Art gallery July 20 to September 8. Entry is free but ticketed.