Nudes and Beach Series
"Seduced by balmy days, warming sand, and 'girls of honey' cavorting on the beach, in these paintings Whiteley continues to explore the expressive possibilities of the nude in relation to Sydney beach culture" (Sutherland, 2010, p. 156).
What does 'cavorting' mean?
Balmoral, 1978. Oil and collage on canvas, 180 x 204cm.
The Whiteley's had returned to Australia after five years of absence. They stayed in a house at Whale Beach.
"The dazzling sands and waters, combined with intensely blue skies and the smells and sounds of the bush, charged Whiteley with new possibilities for his work... His figure draughtsmanship blossomed as his eye explored the sun tanned torsos on the beaches..." - Barry Pearce
"The dazzling sands and waters, combined with intensely blue skies and the smells and sounds of the bush, charged Whiteley with new possibilities for his work... His figure draughtsmanship blossomed as his eye explored the sun tanned torsos on the beaches..." - Barry Pearce
Whitley’s Beach Series celebrates the special relationship between Australians and the sand, surf and sun. The images tell of sensory pleasures derived from total immersion in the surf, to the meditative mood of simply staring out to sea (Source unknown, taken from a previous school resource).
What does 'sensory pleasures' mean?
The spectacle of Australians enjoying the sand and surf was thought of by Brett Whiteley as a "theatre of sloth". The beach scene provided endless muses for Whiteley’s studies of reclining nudes and bikini-clad beauties (Source unknown, taken from a previous school resource).
Why would Whiteley compare beach goers to 'sloths'?
Describe how Whiteley portrays the human form in these paintings?
Wategos Beach, Byron Bay (Summary), 1990. Oil, charcoal and
enamel on Plywood. 205 x 243cm.
What does 'sensory pleasures' mean?
The spectacle of Australians enjoying the sand and surf was thought of by Brett Whiteley as a "theatre of sloth". The beach scene provided endless muses for Whiteley’s studies of reclining nudes and bikini-clad beauties (Source unknown, taken from a previous school resource).
Why would Whiteley compare beach goers to 'sloths'?
Describe how Whiteley portrays the human form in these paintings?
Wategos Beach, Byron Bay (Summary), 1990. Oil, charcoal and
enamel on Plywood. 205 x 243cm.
Beach. Ink and acrylic on paper. 75.5 x 108cm.
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It was not only the allure of these erotic bodies that compelled Whiteley's fascination for this iconic aspect of Australian landscape; it was also the beautiful vistas of beach and seascapes which provided such fertile ground for his inspirational paintings and drawings.
He saw "great beauty in the beaches, the water, the sand, the sky. At dusk you can stand there and watch the whole universe (Source unknown, taken from a previous school resource). What does the term 'vistas' mean in this context? |
ACTIVITY:
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:
1. How does Whiteley present his view of the world?
Refer to at least two artworks in your response.
FRAMES:
2. Examine how a cultural point of view is represented in Whiteley's Beach series.
Refer to at least one artwork in your response.
PRACTICE:
3. Examine how Whiteley perceives and transforms the everyday world around him in his artmaking.
Refer to at least two artworks in your response.
1. How does Whiteley present his view of the world?
Refer to at least two artworks in your response.
FRAMES:
2. Examine how a cultural point of view is represented in Whiteley's Beach series.
Refer to at least one artwork in your response.
PRACTICE:
3. Examine how Whiteley perceives and transforms the everyday world around him in his artmaking.
Refer to at least two artworks in your response.
Created by N. Usher for Gilroy Catholic College, 2014.