Howard Arkley
Best known for his visions of Australian suburbia, artist Howard Arkley created abstractions of typical houses and interiors, often toying with the two- and three-dimensional. The bold lines and bright colours he used created skewed views of the home, and constructed images question the line between usefulness and decoration, and the aspirations of the suburban dream.
Over his three decade long career, the Australian artist Howard Arkley (1951-1999) produced paintings, sculptures, and installations using a range of techniques from airbrushing to more conventional tools. Inspired by punk music, the club scene in the 70s and 80s, fashion, feminism and masculinity, and this vast range of potent influences are detectable in his striking body of work. His final major pieces were displayed at the Venice Biennale in 1999 and if his work is your thing, other artists you might like include: Roy Lichtenstein, Jeffrey Smart and Richard Larter.
If you like Howard Arkley, then you'll also dig these posts:
June 12, 2007 | New Art | by Judy Z |
The Australian landscape, the subject of endless tributes by artists of all media, is given an intriguing and mysteriously-sexual twist by Fiona Lowry. In her show at Sydney’s Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Lowry has painted dream-like images of the bush. Instead of flora and fauna, she shows shadowy human figures, some engaged in overtly sexual behaviour, others more ambiguous, all alluring. To create these delicate spidery effects Lowry uses airbrush, a material more often associated with the boldness of Howard Arkley, say, or graffiti art, combined with photography. Airbrushed in washed out pinks, greens and browns, the work makes me wonder if I’ve missed out on something in my overdressed forays into the Australian bush.
April 26, 2007 | New Illustration | by Casper Johansson |
Amy Bennett captures the image of middle-America that the rest of the world grew up dreaming about. It’s all manicured lawns, sturdy cars, and smiling neighbours hiding secrets in the shadows. [see also Howard Arkley]
March 11, 2007 | New Art | by Zac |
Howard Arkley, the great Australian painter of suburbia, has a retrospective showing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 10 March 2007 to 6 May 2007. I love his use of colour and strong outline, and the way he fashions the ordinary into something quite amazing. Well worth checking out. [more about Howard Arkley]
Though most know Max Bode as an art director over at the ubiquitous New Yorker, he is in fact quite an illustrator. Creating bright, clean illustrations, in a style at times reminiscent of old video games and cartoons, Bode work is a real treat, especially when stumbling across one of his illustrations in the New Yorker.
Employing a whole gamut of textures and mediums, London-based illustrator Gwen Lee creates perfectly spontaneous black and white drawings that really hit the spot.
Oh man! If I was twenty again, a jumble of nerves and a well of electric energy, I’d be in the front row for every damn MGMT gig. Read more
I was never a big fan of Barbie, but I would travel to Shanghai just to visit this mind-blowing castle for Barbie dolls. Read more
If ever there was an opinion needed on the current Hip Hop scene, this is the one everyone should look to. More than likely, this homie is going to diss, if not one, then all of your favorite rappers and probably offend you. But I dare someone to say he is not speaking the truth. Plus, whose voice better to hear it in than that of Ghostface, Na’mean? I can read this blog for hours with a smile on my face.
Finnish folk band Gjallarhorn is named for the horn that the Norse god Heimdall blows to announce Ragnarock — the end of the world. The bands music is far from dark, however: their brand of Scandinavian folk music incorporates mouth harps, fiddles, flutes, and even didgeridoo in a melange of cheerful, but ethereally beautiful tunes sung in Swedish.
Omar Seluj [pronounced Oh-ma Sir-luge] is a boutique sunglasses operation created by two Sydney guys who wanted to craft original designs in limited numbers for the sunglasses aficionado. The result is the debut range consisting of two styles in three different colours. All Omar Seluj sunnies are hand-crafted acetate, have spring hinges and boast UV 400 lenses. There are only 100 pairs of each colour. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
Matthew Dear’s Black City album totem
Our friends at Ghostly International are releasing Matthew Dear’s Black City album as a limited edition ‘totem’. A what? A totem – a limited edition metal bar used to access a private music chamber. Cool! Read more
Pitched as ‘Ulterior Motives in Contemporary Art’, Disorder Disorder is running until November 14 at Penrith Regional Gallery. It’ll be well worth the trip out west of Sydney: the Australian, Japanese, American and European cast reads like a warriors of street art roundup and includes Mike Giant, Ed Templeton, Anthony Lister [artwork above], Ozzie Wright, and Jonathan Zawada. Read more
A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
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Too sweet for words, these beautiful hoop earrings by Sydney-based designer Carmel Taylor are a real touch of origami for your ears. Read more
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