Known for his irreverent and exuberant style, David Larwill made his artistic debut as a founding member of Melbourne's Roar Studios. Among the region's earliest artist-run-initiatives, this studio pioneered raw, primitive and conceptual art - acting as a proverbial roar against society.

‘On the Street (Diptych)’ instantly captivates the viewer. A major work from the thick of the Roar period - 1984 - this sprawling, topsy-turvy streetscape will take you downtown. There is a splash of street art, dash of neo-expressionism and drip of Pollock.

At the helm of the Roar movement, Larwill drew - and lived - to the beat of his own drum. The proprietor of Melbourne bar The Black Cat humorously recalls that the artist once paid for a drink with a painting, only for that work to earn significantly at auction ten years later.

Frenetic but always cool, Larwill’s work is represented in most regional and state collections, including at the National Gallery of Australia. He has been honored with a hotel and is the subject of a monograph by art historian Ken McGregor, in which this work is published. ‘On the Street (Diptych)’ is a prize piece for collectors of Roar, important Australian and contemporary art. Big, bold and bursting with vitality, stride into 1980s Melbourne today.


David LARWILL (1956 - 2011)
'On the Street (Diptych)' 1984
Oil on canvas
Image Size: 292 x 184 cm (overall)
Signed: Signed 'David Larwill', dated and inscribed on each panel verso
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Published: McGregor, K., David Larwill, Craftsman House, Sydney, 1997, pp.50-51, (illus. pl.12).

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art’s image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to paint surface. Image is in Fine condition.

© David Larwill / Copyright Agency