Untitled heads [1-10] 1998 [W/P]

All ten drawings were shown at Metro 5 in February 2002, as dating from 1998 (and priced at $15,000 each).

Only one (reproduced in the catalogue-brochure) is certainly identifiable: see now Untitled (‘Head 1’) 1998 [W/P]. However, the following examples are also presumed to have formed part of this series (several of them identified by ID photos taken at the time, and forwarded to Arkley Works by Paul Auckett, Sept.2026: refer individual entries for photos and further details):

Untitled head (#3) 1998 [W/P] and Untitled head (#4) 1998 [W/P]: auctioned together in April 2003

Untitled head (#5) 1998 [W/P] and Untitled head (#6) 1998 [W/P]: auctioned together in December 2013

Untitled head (#7) 1998 [W/P] and Untitled head (#8) 1998 [W/P]

As regards the remaining unidentified heads in this series (nos.2, 9 and 10), likely candidates include the works catalogued as B/W Icon Head 1998 [W/P] (auctioned in March 2004) and Untitled (distorted head) 1998 [W/P] (apparently donated by Arkley to a charity auction in 1998). However, another related work, catalogued as Head of Young Man (Dale) 1998 [W/P], previously suggested as belonging to this group on the basis of a photo in Arkley’s archive, has now been identified as a stand-alone work, already in private hands by 1998, and hence not part of the Metro 5 exhibition.

Four ‘Head Studies’ auctioned by Sotheby’s, Melb., 5 May 2003, lot 220 (each as undated, 84 x 59.3, ‘art dye ink on paper’) may also refer to works from this series, although the details are different, and none of these works was reproduced.

All these heads have a mid 1980s parallel in Faces – Variations 1-8 (1985?) [W/P], smaller-scale drawings made with black fibre-tipped pen: see e.g. Untitled [Head] 1985 [W/P].

Exhibited

• HA Metro 5, Feb.2002, cat.25-34 (details as noted above)