On view: 28 May to 27 November 2005

An exhibition of drawings and paintings covering Brett Whiteley’s earliest works from 1955-65, these works span Sydney, Italy, France and London, focusing on the artist’s pivotal shift from abstraction to figuration and the establishment of his stellar international reputation.

In 1959 Whiteley submitted a number of paintings including Sofala and July Painting for the Italian Government Travelling Art Scholarship. The prize was judged by Russell Drysdale and was awarded to Whiteley. The rest is history.

‘Winning the scholarship put Brett in the right place at the right time. After six months in Italy, he arrived in London with a folio of studies and drawings to approach the art galleries. He could hardly believe his good luck when at the end of his first day he had an offer of a one man show at the Molton Gallery and a mixed show at McRoberts and Tunnard,’ says Beryl Whiteley.

This exhibition traces the arc of this early decade of Whiteley’s experimentations and explorations with drawings, paintings and making objects. These early struggles are also some of the most interesting and beautiful work in his long and prestigious career.