Brett Whiteley Letter

A letter to his mother, 1981

Dear Mum

Its just that it is so long since I worked directly in front of nature with large wood panels incorporating sticks & stones that come to hand while I am working in a dry river bed, the sudden quick revelation a mornings work can reveal is more exciting than labouring in the studio for days from memory.

The artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992) had a very close relationship with his mother and their correspondence (Beryl Whiteley at this period lived in London) is frank and open. His letters are often illustrated with drawings. Brett’s nickname for his mother was Sning but this later became Ning, which was the way his daughter, Arkie, pronounced it.

Brett Whiteley died tragically in 1992 and, in 1999, Beryl Whiteley established the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, awarded annually to a young Australian artist.
Display item Brett Whiteley Letter

 

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