The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, three of Australia’s most prestigious art awards, have returned in 2021. The exhibition showing the 2021 entries runs from 5 June until 26 September at the Art Gallery of NSW.
1921 marked the first award of the Archibald prize, making this the 100th year, with today’s winners receiving $100,000. The only artist to ever win all three of these Australian awards was Brett Whitely in 1978. Brett Whitely (1939-1992) lived his adult life in Sydney’s Lavender Bay with his wife, Wendy. He mainly specialised in abstract work, paintings, sculptures, and most of his work depict his iconic Lavender Bay view, where he and Wendy spent a lot of their time. You can view these famous pieces by visiting his last home studio in Surry Hills. Following his death in 1992, the Art Gallery of NSW took over the studio’s management, and it now stands as a museum with free exhibitions for the public. The studio’s ground floor appears as a contemporary art museum, with paintings hanging on the wall and sculptures roped off in the centre of the room.
However, when you walk upstairs, you find yourself in Whitley’s old living room. His open-planned living space leads into a well-used studio. From behind a rope, guests can see Brett’s paints on the floor, dumbbells placed at random and a variety of books and other collectors’ items. Graffiti on the wall reflects many of Brett’s internal thoughts and beliefs about his life and inspirational quotes. The museum is sponsored and supported by JP Morgan, a global leader in financial services. The current exhibition entitled Brett Whitley: Printmaker is available to visit until 11 July 2021.
Whitley has had huge auction success in the past, with pieces selling for $30,000 up to $450,000 across Sydney. In 2020, he broke the Australian art auction record by selling his painting “Henri’s Armchair” for $6.136 million. Henri’s Armchair was painted in 1974 in Whitley’s home studio in Lavender Bay and described by him as an “optical ecstasy”. The artwork is a reference to an artist that Whitey admired, French painter Henri Matisse. An opening bid of 4.5 million lasted just five minutes before the piece went to its new owners for the hefty price of $6.136 million.
Following Brett’s passing, his wife Wendy began to clean up a derelict area near her home, owned by NSW Rails Corporation. This landscaping project supposedly cost her millions of dollars out of pocket, but after 15 years, Wendy, now 80 years old, has curated the garden space like a piece of art. Known by the locals as Wendy’s Secret Garden, it is now a peaceful spot for Sydney siders to come and overlook the Harbour surrounded by nature.
So if you’re looking to bring something special to your home this winter, consider browsing Whitley’s works at the Art Gallery of NSW and his Surry Hills studio, or pay a visit to Wendy’s Secret Garden and appreciate the beauty that Sydney has to offer.