Brett Whiteley Quotes on Art

Brett Whiteley is an influential twentieth century Australian painter, draftsman and sculptor. He’s known for his large interiors, landscapes, views of the Sydney Harbour from his Lavender Bay home, and for his mastery of line. Whiteley was a prolific artist but he struggled with addiction which hindered his growth and cut his life short. He produced paintings, drawings, prints, collage, sculpture, and ceramics. Famous Brett Whiteley paintings include “Untitled Red Painting”, “Self Portrait in the Studio”, “The Jacaranda Tree”, and “Alchemy”.

Mini biography: Born Brett Whiteley on the 7th of April, 1939 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His mother was Beryl Mary Martin and his father was Clem Whiteley. Whiteley was married to Wendy Susan Julius and they had one child together: Arkie Deya Whiteley. Brett Whiteley died on the 15th of June, 1992 in Thirroul, New South Wales, Australia. Whiteley was 53 years old when he passed away.

Brett Whiteley Art Quotes

A painting is a record of the extremely intensified moments of life – where more than one space, two senses of time, more than the law even seems at work, where the emotional forces seem to be propelling one to a dangerous limit, where reason and explanations become too enfeebled or too speeded-up to matter. Brett Whiteley

It’s strange how an addictive personality like myself, born with a gift, has a compulsion to test the gift, challenge it, push it to the edge, almost self-murder it, to see if it is still there and you are in control. Brett Whiteley

The fine art of painting, which is the bastard of alchemy, always has been and always will be, a game. The rules of the game are quite simple: in a given arena, on as many psychic fronts as the talent allows, one must visually describe, the center of the meaning of existence. Brett Whiteley

The most fundamental reason one paints is in order to see. Brett Whiteley

Sometimes, I have to paint pictures that have an effortless naturalness, not artificial or synthetic, not manufactured – pictures that have no affection through mental tricks, but graceful and according to nature. Every part should be poetic and responsible for its own existence; it should always be easy to take; and I try to change the meaning of the thing being painted into a new image – an elevated feeling, a metamorphosis. Brett Whiteley

The promise of death is that I won’t care or know or think or feel anything, so what happens to my work is completely meaningless. Brett Whiteley

Drawing is the art of being able to leave an accurate record of the experience of what one isn’t, of what one doesn’t know. A great drawer is either confirming beautifully what is commonplace or probing authoritatively the unknown. Brett Whiteley

I can’t stand mindless purity – I have soaked myself in skepticism and am by nature magnetized to bitterness. Brett Whiteley

Art is the thrilling spark that beats death – thats all. Brett Whiteley

Art should astonish, transmute, transfix. One must work at the tissue between truth and paranoia. Brett Whiteley

I am interested in beauty which can best be described as being on time for the appointment. Brett Whiteley

Never trust an art dealer who’ll sit in a room for more than ten minutes with a crooked picture.
Brett Whiteley

Everything is such a sort of stoned state… I walk around with a bunch of violets in my hand and a sledgehammer and a grain of sand in my head. I am happy. Brett Whiteley

I love the stoniness and creaminess, that wonderful soiled magnolia feeling. Paris is so sensual, beautiful, flirtatious, mischievous, arrogant, orderly, so civilized. They call Paris a whore because she seduces you on every corner, and every street I turned, I could see another picture. Brett Whiteley

Everyone reaches a point in their life where they must either change or cease. Brett Whiteley

I was intrigued and enormously drawn to extremism by people who had blown their lives or who had taken their lives outside the normal conventions of society. Brett Whiteley

The quest is the transmutation of Self. Brett Whiteley

When I’m not fidgeting with infinity, I’m just fidgeting. Brett Whiteley

Art Quotes About Brett Whiteley

Whiteley draws with the naturalness that a bird sings. He’s a brilliant draughtsman, he can draw anything, and he draws the human figure divinely. Barry Pearce Quotes

I’m very fond of Brett Whiteley and his work, a great draughtsman, so original and dynamic and a very generous soul. I only discovered late in life I’d been an influence on him. Lloyd Rees Quotes

Brett Whiteley Self-Portrait Painting

More on Australian Artist Brett Whiteley

How has Brett Whiteley influenced your art making? Is he the greatest Australian artist of the 20th century? What about Fred Williams or Sidney Nolan? Here’s a Brett Whiteley Biography. Let us know what you think about Brett Whiteley in the comments below.

For more on the famous Australian artist here’s three excellent Brett Whiteley books: “Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing“, “Brett Whiteley: Art and Life“, and “Whiteley Documentary“.

Related or similar popular artists and celebrities include: Lloyd Rees, Sidney Nolan, Fred Williams and other Famous Australian Artists.