Title
To Yirrawalla
1972
Artist
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Details
- Other Title
- Yirrawalla
- Date
- 1972
- Media categories
- Painting , Collage
- Materials used
- oil and mixed media on board
- Dimensions
- 185.3 x 166.3 x 6.3 cm board
- Signature & date
Signed and dated l.r. corner, black ink "... Brett Whiteley/ Aug-Sept/ 1972"
- Credit
- Purchased by the New South Wales State Government 1994, transferred to the Gallery 1998
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 352.1998
- Copyright
- © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency
- Artist information
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Brett Whiteley
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
‘To Yirrawalla’ is a tribute to the artist Yirawala (1903 - 1976) from the language group Kuniniku of the Arnhem region. Whiteley felt a strong affinity upon meeting him in Sydney in 1971 and viewing his bark paintings.
The minimal atmosphere of 'To Yirrawalla' conjures up a late winter scene in a paddock somewhere in the New South Wales central west. The desiccate landscape appears to barely sustain life, apart from tiny birds, insects and exotic blue vegetation. Surprisingly the stream running through the bottom portion of the the picture harbours a life-size platypus, a favourite hyrid creature of Whiteleys, perfectly adapted to its demanding environment. As well, the artist’s deft deployment of stones, a tree branch and collage all play a part in activating or heightening visual intrigue. The only hint of modernity is a bitumen roadway negotiating its way through the top left corner of the painting. The work was a precursor to such celebrated paintings as 'River at Marulan' 1976 and 'Summer at Carcoar' 1977.Gavin Wilson in 'Rivers + Rocks: select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley', 2001, page 14
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Exhibition history
Shown in 15 exhibitions
Thirty-six looks at four sights on three themes: recent paintings, drawings and carvings, Bonython Art Gallery [Sydney], Paddington, 24 Oct 1975–15 Nov 1975
Rivers, Robin Gibson Gallery, Darlinghurst, 01 Mar 1977–19 Mar 1977
Brett Whiteley 1958-1999: The Central West (1990), Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, 14 Apr 1990–13 May 1990
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 16 Sep 1995–19 Nov 1995
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin, 13 Dec 1995–28 Jan 1996
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 22 Feb 1996–08 Apr 1996
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 09 May 1996–16 Jun 1996
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 Jul 1996–26 Aug 1996
Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 18 Sep 1996–17 Nov 1996
Tangier to Byron Bay: Brett Whiteley's travels 1960-1992 (1999), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 06 Feb 1999–29 Aug 1999
Brett Whiteley - the genius (1999-2000), Bank Art Museum Moree, Moree, 27 Nov 1999–28 Jan 2000
Instantly: Whiteley with words (2000), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 08 Apr 2000–16 Jul 2000
Affinities: Brett Whiteley & Lloyd Rees (2001), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 10 Feb 2001–08 Jul 2001
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 20 Oct 2001–27 Jan 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, 08 Feb 2002–10 Mar 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale, 15 Mar 2002–21 Apr 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland, 10 May 2002–09 Jun 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, 21 Jun 2002–21 Jul 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest, Emu Plains, 03 Aug 2002–08 Sep 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, 25 Sep 2002–27 Oct 2002
Rivers + Rocks: Select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley (2001-2002), Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat, 01 Nov 2002–01 Dec 2002
Brett Whiteley: Key works from the Studio, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 24 Jul 2004–03 Oct 2004
Iconic Whiteley (2009-2010), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 12 Sep 2009–22 Aug 2010
Brett Whiteley: Nature, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 04 Oct 2013–18 May 2014
Brett Whiteley: West of the Divide, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba, 26 Sep 2014–30 Nov 2014
Brett Whiteley: West of the Divide, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst, 24 Nov 2016–22 Jan 2017
Brett Whiteley: West of the Divide, Benalla Art Gallery, Australia, 10 Feb 2017–07 May 2017
Brett Whiteley: West of the Divide, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 19 May 2017–19 Nov 2017
Brett Whiteley: Wildlife and other emergencies, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 12 Oct 2018–May 2019
Brett Whiteley: Australia, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 03 Dec 2021–17 Apr 2022
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Bibliography
Referenced in 7 publications
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Lisa Anthony (Editor), HQ, Darlinghurst, Dec 2000, 112 (colour illus.), 115 (colour illus., detail). illustration for a short story
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Janet Hawley, Good Weekend Magazine, 'Still life', pg. 18-24, Sydney, 02 Jul 1994, 22. titled 'Yirrawalla'
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Bruce James, Whiteley with words, 'Whiteley with words', pg.2-4, Sydney, 2000, 8.
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Lou Klepac, Affinities: Brett Whiteley & Lloyd Rees, 'Introduction', pg. 2-4, Sydney, 2001, 8.
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Barry Pearce, Tangier to Byron Bay, 'Tangier to Byron Bay - Brett Whiteley's travels 1960-1992', pg. 2-3, Sydney, 1999, 4 (colour illus.). cat.no. 7
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Barry Pearce, Brett Whiteley Art & Life, 'Birds & landscapes', pg. 196-223, London, 1995, 216 (colour illus.), 235. plate no. 154
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Gavin Wilson, Rivers + Rocks : select works of Arthur Boyd & Brett Whiteley, 'Rivers + Rocks', pg. 9-60, New South Wales, 2001, 13 (colour illus.), 14.
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