16 January - 28 February
Whiteley’s Zoo is an intimate exhibition designed specially for children. Brett Whiteley (1939 – 92) is one of the most recognised Australian artists of the twentieth century. During his early working life in London, Whiteley concurrently worked on two contrasting themes – the dark, sinister Christie series and a collection of drawings, prints, sculptures and paintings that featured animals from London’s Regent Park Zoo. Animals represented Whiteley’s earliest interest in a visual iconography within his work and his fascination with the energy, intelligence and lives of animals – a theme that continued throughout his working life. Featuring a menagerie of monkeys, giraffes, hippos and hyenas the series explores confinement as a formal device; portraying an emotional response to how animals feel and what they know.