Howard arkley biography

Howard Arkley painted with great care and astonishing precision, while he lived with a recklessness that worried the many people who were deeply fond of him. His sadly premature death at 48 highlights the fact that he not only lived fast, he also achieved prodigiously. He had been exhibiting professionally for almost thirty years. He was invariably included in the major surveys of contemporary Australian art, and a retrospective of his work was held at Monash University Gallery in In May this year he went to Venice as the artist representing Australia in the current Biennale.

From Venice he went to London to plan an album cover for Australian singer Nick Cave, then to Los Angeles for a sell-out show of his paintings. Riding this wave of success, he then fulfilled his most enthusiastically discussed dream: he crossed the Mojave Desert in a convertible with his partner Alison to get married in the Elvis Presley Chapel in Las Vegas.

A week later, back home in Melbourne, Howard died. His attachment to genuine popular culture was a fact of his life, not a cool, ironic affectation. Although the best-known subject matter of his art is suburbia, seemingly the most boring of themes, for Howard it was an endless source of fascination, and he depicted the sedate homes of Melbourne with a lurid vitality which makes them like a crazy vision of heaven.

After seeing an exhibition of works by Sidney NolanArkley became very interested in art. Nolan's use of household materials inspired him and abstract artists such as Klee and Kandinsky also appealed to him. After discovering art, Arkley studied at Prahran College of Advanced Education from to where he discovered the airbrush, which he subsequently used in his paintings as he desired smooth surfaces.

Howard arkley biography

He had his first exhibition, aged 24, at Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, in Most of his early works were abstract, often depicting patterns or lines created with the airbrush. Arkley's works were first black and white, it was only later on that he began experimenting with colour. A turning point in Arkley's career was in when he created Primitive, a mural, which caught the attention of the public to his potential.

In he painted a tram for the Victorian Ministry of the Arts. Arkley studied at Prahran College of Advanced Education from towhere he discovered the airbrush, which he subsequently used in his paintings as he desired smooth surfaces. He staged his first exhibition, aged 24, at Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, in Most of his early works were abstract, often depicting patterns or lines created with airbrush.

Arkley's works were initially black and white, then he began experimenting with colour. A turning point in Arkley's career was in when he created Primitive, a mural, which caught the attention of the public. In he painted a tram for the Victorian Ministry of the Arts.