Arkley’s library
(Arkley drawing at home in 1998 [photo: Alison Burton])
The lists included here provide a comprehensive overview of Arkley’s professional and personal library as it remained in July 1999. After his death, a systematic record of his library was compiled, along with the other contents of his studio – including artworks, sketch-books and “visual diaries” (many of them crammed with source material).
His books and periodicals served different purposes – ranging from standard reference sources, to elements of his artistic process. He regularly ransacked titles in his collection for source images, sometimes doodling over images in them: for comments on this process, see my Carnival in Suburbia (2006), esp.pp.141ff., reproducing examples, including his early sprayed additions to a monograph on Paul Klee, listed here as no.[477]. He also read and took notes on various books not identified in his own library, presumably borrowed from others.
The exact size of his library is difficult to estimate, since some of this material has since been discarded (particularly periodicals that were unmarked and of no apparent interest to him), but it was substantial, amounting to well over 1,000 titles, especially if taking account of his large collection of comics (not itemised here).
Some 800 titles are listed here, categorised into manageable groups, with brief comments where appropriate. Slightly less than 50% of this material is held in State Library Victoria’s Howard Arkley Archive [HAA], while some additional books and catalogues have been retained by the artist’s widow, Alison Burton (designated with her initials).
Each item (periodical issue, book/catalogue) is identified by a unique number, indicated in square brackets as [1], [2] etc.
A hash # denotes a title held in the Howard Arkley Archive (State Library Victoria, MS 14217) [HAA numbers specify entries listed in https://findingaids.slv.vic.gov.au/repositories/3/archival_objects/35203, series 10: library]
An asterisk * indicates a title given significant attention by Arkley (tagged pages, images removed, doodles, etc.)
The material is arranged in 10 categories as follows:
- Magazines & Journals – Art/Miscellaneous (Australian & International) [1-230]
- Magazines & Journals – Architectural, House & Garden, etc. [231-304]
- Books etc. – Art & architecture, general, except Australian [305-409]
- Books etc. – International artists (A-Z) [410-537]
- Books etc. – Australian art & architecture, general [538-586]
- Books etc. – Australian artists (A-Z) [587-642]
- Books etc. – Interior Design, Décor, etc. [643-671]
- Books etc. – Miscellaneous (inc.biography, etc.) [672-735]
- Books etc. – “Magic Eye” books [736-744]
- Books etc. – Children’s books (& comics) [745-808]