Brett Whiteley is an icon of Australian art. His work, varied yet always distinctly his, was informed by his travels, the Vietnam War, Sydney, bohemia and Vincent Van Gogh and Francis Bacon. His imagery is always immediate, reflective of his pursuit for “beauty which can best be described as being on time for the appointment.”

Whiteley's portrait of Malcolm McLaren is infused with an intrinsic awareness of the subject's personality. Best known as the manager for the British punk band the Sex Pistols, and the partner of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, McLaren is captured here in a moment of stillness. Emotionally rich and skillfully rendered, this charcoal drawing is a testament to Whiteley's broad artistic abilities.

Whiteley’s work is represented across Australian public collections and internationally at the Tate Gallery in London and MoMA in New York. An adjunct of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, his studio has become a permanent public gallery. For collector’s of important Australian art, Whiteley is a prize. This work is in an original Brett Whiteley-designed perspex frame.

Brett WHITELEY (1939 - 1992)
'Malcolm McLaren' 1989
pencil on paper
Image Size: 18 x 18 cm
Signed: signed lower right B/W (monogram)

Comes with Letter of Provenance

Exhibited: Brett Whiteley, Australian Galleries, Sydney, 1-26 March 1990, no. 35 (2)Literature: Kathie Sutherland, Brett Whiteley: Catalogue Raisonne, Schwartz City, Melbourne, 2020, cat. no. 19.89, Vol. 7, p. 721

Condition: very good

(c) Brett Whiteley / Copyright Agency