Brett Whiteley is an icon of Australian art. Often fusing the abstract and the figurative, calm and chaos, Whiteley creates emotionally heightened worlds of ballooning forms and elongated figures. 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 1974 screenprint of 'Torajaland' emerges from a formative period in the artist's life. Visiting Bali and other Indonesian islands with fellow artists Albert Tucker and Clifton Pugh, Whiteley soon felt an affinity with Balinese culture. The lush tropical setting represented a relief from the chaos of city living, addiction and fame. This sense of Eden is captured within his impression of 'Torajaland', an area of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi inhabited by the indigenous Torajan people. With sweeping hills and luscious foliage, Whiteley's lyrical mark-making creates a vibrant sense of place.

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.

Brett WHITELEY (1939 - 1992)
'Torajaland (Celebes)' 1974
screenprint on paper
Edition of 50
Image Size: 68 x 57 cm
Dimensions: 87 x 74 x 5 cm
Signed: Numbered, signed and dated below image '38/50, Brett Whiteley' stamped lower left corner with artist's monogram

Comes with Letter of Provenance

Literature: Brett Whiteley: The Graphics 1961-1992, Deutscher Fine Art, Melbourne, 1995, p.111, cat.15 p.26, Sutherland, K., Brett Whiteley: Catalogue Raisonne, Schwartz Publishing, Melbourne, 2020, vol.5, p.46, cat.54P vol.7, p.817

Condition:Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) Wendy Whiteley / Copyright Agency