House and garden, western suburbs, Melbourne

Howard Arkley

Australia 1951-1999

Europe, United States of America 1976-1977

House and garden, western suburbs, Melbourne 1988 Naarm/Melbourne

synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Purchased 1988 1988.646.A-B

[My works] confront the real Australian experience of urban, suburban living, against the contrived over- emphasis of rural/bush/landscape subjects ... For me, understanding the suburbs is like understanding the bush.

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-Howard Arkley

Howard Arkley developed a dynamic style, exploring colour, line, shape and pattern in our urban environment. In much the same way as an earlier generation explored the landscape, he created images of suburban life. To many younger artists, this was an obvious place to start, as almost 90% of Australians live in the suburbs. Arkley used bold artificial colours, emphasising the patterns of roof tiles and garage doors, paved pathways and sweeping lawns. He enjoyed experimenting with the flatness of the paint surface and with reimagining exterior and interior dimensions of experience.

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