Brett Whiteley: Eternity is Now at AGNSW

In 1965, renowned Australian artist Brett Whiteley said, “If the purpose of life is to know oneself, then a great deal of the time is spent investigating things.” In the latest exhibition at Brett Whiteley Studio, courtesy of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, visitors will get to investigate the inner world of Whiteley themselves.

Running until mid-2023, Eternity is Now begins with a series of Whiteley’s self-portraits from age 16 until the final years of his life. Through major works like Alchemy (1972–3) and Self portrait in the studio (1976), we begin to get a sense of the artist’s character and musings on his own mortality.

Elsewhere, pore over paintings and drawings from the 1963–4 Bathroom series, which at the time marked Whiteley’s return to figuration after an elongated period of abstract painting. Here, The blue bathroom and Nude beside the basin, both from 1963 and originally created during the artist’s stint in London, make their first appearance at a public exhibition in Australian.

On the upper level of the studio, the focus shifts to Whiteley’s time spent in New York between 1967 and 1969. Here visitors can dive into sketchbook pages and paintings from this era including New York (1968) and Vietnam Fug Get It (War veteran) (1971), both of which signal the effect the political climate and media culture of the time had on the artist. Eternity is Now, is set to a backdrop of music from the Whiteley’s extensive collection, including Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan and more.

The Brett Whiteley Studio is free to visit and open Thursdays to Sundays between 10am and 4pm, with this exhibition running until mid-2023.

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