A key example of the ‘mask’ idea underlying Arkley’s ‘Head Show’ (for details, see main entry on the 1990 exhibition). The authors of Spray suggest a ‘sense of alienation filtered through a Pop psychology’ in this and other works in the show.

The principal sources used for this image were a magazine illustration modified by the artist, dated 1989 (reproduced in Spray 101), and an Elizabeth Taylor ‘celebrity mask’ from a book in Arkley’s studio library (photo reproduced under 1990 exh.entry). A second copy of the Elizabeth Taylor mask, annotated by Arkley ‘Must keep Ref for Headshow 1990’ and signed and dated 1990, is preserved separately in Arkley’s archive (SLV MS 14217/1/791: see reproduction in Fitzpatrick & Lynn 2015, p.19).

Provenance

• Acquired directly from Tolarno 1990

Exhibited

• HA Tolarno 10/90 (‘The Head Show’), cat.63
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (Melbourne only)

Literature

• Vogue Living, June/July 1993, 71-72 (showing the work in its domestic setting)
• Spray 101 (inc.ill.)
• Carnival 177 (noting the main source)
• Smith 2006: 17 (ill.)

First shown in the 1990 ‘Head Show’, this work was included in the 2006-7 NGV retrospective, and has appeared at auction several times since the artist’s death.

Gregory (2000: 28 and Carnival 107-8) comments on the modifications to the source, a Picasso drawing in neoclassical style dating from 1921 (altered copy in Arkley’s archive), and also discusses the grey line-work and pastel colour scheme in relation to Arkley’s late style. For the Picasso original, see http://art-picasso.com/1920_17.html.

For earlier work on paper versions, see Picasso Face (1985) [W/P] and the coloured photocopies noted under 1987 Works on paper (minor).

Provenance

• Purchased for Tolarno in 1990 for an unidentified P/C (acc.to Christie’s)
• Auctioned by Christie’s, Sydney, 13 Aug. 2000, lot 106 (ill.; est.$35-50,000; not sold)
• With Gould 2001-2 (see exh. details below)
• Later in a private collection in Melbourne, c.2002-7 (noted e.g. in NGVA Arkley exh. planning files, c.2006)
• Auctioned by Bonhams, Melb., 7 Aug.2007, lot 103 (ill., details as above; sold for $96,000+)

Exhibited

• HA Tolarno 10/90 (‘The Head Show’), cat.8
• HA Gould 8/01, cat.9
• HA Gould, Sydney 3/02, cat.3 (details as above)
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (Melbourne only)

Literature

• Gregory 2000:28 (identifying the Picasso source)
• Carnival 107-8 and Fig.3.22

This tour-de-force of reverberant colour and intricately sprayed line-work was first exhibited in Arkley’s 1990 ‘Head Show’. As argued in Carnival 182, the canvas, displayed prominently at Arkley’s funeral in 1999, is equally as revealing a ‘self-portrait’ as Psychedelic Head (1990).

The pulse of blue against red and yellow parallels the effect of the medieval icons alluded to. The precise source was probably a late Byzantine religious icon (see Gregory, Icon Interior, 2001: 16).

Related works include Untitled [Icon #1] 1984 [W/P], and the black and white variant Icon Head (1994), the centrepiece of Arkley & Davila’s installation Icon Interior (1994-2001) [3/M].

Provenance

• P/C Melb., acquired directly from the artist

Exhibited

• HA Tolarno 10/90 (‘The Head Show’), cat.3
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (all 3 venues)
• HA 1301SW, Sydney, Feb.-March 2025

Literature

• Spray 105 (ill.)
• Gregory, Icon Interior, 2001: 16-17
• Carnival 182 and Fig.6.30
• Smith 2006: 17 (ill.)

Arkley’s file photos, including one showing both this work and Shadow Factories [Spray] 1990 in process, clearly indicate a date of 1990 (cf. Spray research card c.1996, dating this work to 1986). Cityscape (1990) [large] is a more complex image.

Provenance

• Unknown

Close in scale and character to Arkley’s larger ‘shadow factories’ of 1989-90 (note the clouds of smoke and chimneys), this painting was first exhibited in the 1995 ‘Downtown’ show at Heide. For discussion in relation to Arkley’s interest in urban themes, see Carnival 45.

The light reflected from several of the buildings recalls High Rise St Kilda Road 1986. The word ‘FEAR’ inscribed at lower left matches the comic-book style, and could also be a deliberate reference to the opening page of the Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho (first published in 1990). A quick net search turns up various references for ‘Skematic’ and ‘TSDE’, but none of likely relevance here.[1]

Provenance

• In present collection by 1991 (HA Monash exh. planning files)

Exhibited

• Heide 1995 (‘Downtown’; not ill.)
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (Melbourne only)
• HA TarraWarra 12/15-2/16 (details as above; ill.)

Literature

• Carnival 45 and Fig.1.28

[1] TSDE, for example, can be an abbreviation for (among other things) ‘Time-Shift Division Encoder’, ‘Tennessee State Department of Education’, and ‘Transsexuell Deutschland’!

This was the opening work in Arkley’s 1990 ‘Head Show’ at Tolarno.

Crawford & Edgar (Spray 101) discern the influence of Parisian doorways. However Juan Davila (cited in Carnival 182) recalls that Arkley’s main source was a Persian carpet design from a book in his (Davila’s) library.

Provenance

• Acquired by Juan Davila by exchange with Arkley (1990)
• Donated to Monash in 1994 (by Professor Graeme Smith), through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program

Exhibited

• HA Tolarno 10/90, cat.1
• Monash Uni.Gallery March-April 1999 (‘The Persistence of Pop’: as ‘Untitled’)
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (all 3 venues)
• HA TarraWarra 12/15-2/16 (details as above; ill.)

Literature

• Spray 100-101 (inc.ill.)
• Carnival 182 and Fig.6.27

No individual examples have been noted to date. However, see also under Sketchbooks: no.28 probably dates from 1990; and Visual Diaries: D 26-31 all contain ‘Head Show’ source material. D.30 is dated June 1990 and D.31 Dec.1990.

‘Howard Arkley – The Head Show’, Tolarno Galleries, River Street, South Yarra, 19 Oct.-10 Nov.1990

Here, Arkley finally realised a long-standing ambition to mount an entire exhibition of heads and faces, an abiding interest, as shown by his ‘visual diaries’ and studio notes over many years (for detailed discussion of this topic, see Gregory 2000: 27-8, and Carnival 133ff.and 177ff.).

As he explained to Virginia Trioli in the Age (26 Oct.1990), all the canvases – taking their cue from the various faces in the contemporary mass media – were ‘masks… hiding identities’, and also self- portraits of a kind. The mask idea was treated playfully in the invitation, a reproduction of Simulated Portrait (no.2), with nose and eyes cut out, implying that visitors should wear it to the opening (as some did: archive photos).

The individual canvases were developed from an extensive range of sources and planning ideas: for extended analysis, see Spray 98ff., and Carnival 133ff. and 177ff. (including reproductions of a number of relevant source images). See also reproduction here of a 1988 mask book in Arkley’s studio collection (including the source for cat.no.8, visible at upper right).

However, the exhibition met with a lukewarm response from a public now perhaps already inclined to see Arkley essentially as the painter of suburbia; there were no reviews, not even by long-standing Arkley supporter Robert Rooney.[1] Nevertheless, most of the works sold (each was priced originally at $6,000).

Since Arkley’s death, Psychedelic Head (no.4) has come to be seen as the most revealing of these ‘self-portraits’ (but for further comments on this point, see Carnival 182). Nos.1-4, 6 and 8 were also shown at the 2006-7 Arkley retrospective. Good slides, and several installation shots, are held in the artist’s archive, together with several work-in-progress photos.

(photo: back cover of Christos Kondatis, Idols (1988), including source image for Plastic Portrait [Arkley archive])

1.      Arabesque Face 1990

2.      Simulated Portrait 1990

3.      Icon Head (1990)

4.      Psychedelic Head (1990)

5.      Polaroid Portrait (1990)

6.      Plastic Portrait (1990)

7.      Computer Head (1990)

8.      Picasso Head 1990

9.      Transformer Head (1990)

[1] An aside in an earlier Arkley review by Rooney seems relevant here: commenting on Shadow Factories (1988), as shown in Arkley’s ‘Houses & Homes’ show, Aug-Sept.1988, Rooney (1988: ‘Home on the range’) praised it as ‘a return to form (particularly, when compared with the painting of a mask in the backroom)’, possibly referring to one of Arkley’s two Zappo Head canvases of 1987. This is a telling example of the way in which even Arkley’s supporters sometimes betrayed a prejudice for his suburban theme and hence against his interest in exploring other subjects.