1            School exercise book (‘Roslyn’ brand), dated Jan.1975 on the cover

60 pages, 22.7 x 18.5 cm. Dymo labels on cover: 1/JAN 75. Contains mainly compositional sketches for minimal/geometric works; also various doodled marginal figures, notes on music, Kandinsky, Rothko, etc. For reproductions of typical double pages (pp.47-48, 55-56), see Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), pp.17 and 31. [Previous no.: D1]

2            School exercise book (‘Invicta’ brand), dated May 1975 on cover

86 pages, 23 x 18 cm. Dymo label on cover: 2/MAY 75. Similar contents to no. 1; also notes on Paul Klee. A typical double page is reproduced in Carnival Fig.6.5. [Previous no.: D2]

3            School exercise book (‘Roslyn’ brand), undated but presumably mid-late 1975

58 pages, 22.7 x 18 cm. Dymo label on cover: 3. Similar contents to nos. 1 and  2; also notes on music. [Previous no.: D3]

4            School exercise book (‘Roslyn brand), undated (later 1975?)

82 pages, 22.8 x 18.2 cm. Dymo label on cover: 4. The opening section of the book is mostly notes, especially based on Ehrenzweig’s The Hidden Order of Art, quotes from Miro, Motherwell etc., and a set of notes on colour (unsourced, but clearly via Johannes Itten’s book The Art of Color: see now detailed discussion in Carnival 100ff.); also further compositional sketches and doodles. A typical page is reproduced in Carnival Fig.3.4. [Previous no.: D4]

5            School exercise book with orange cover, dated Jan.1976 on cover

63 pages, 22.7 x 18.4 cm. Dymo labels on cover: JAN 76 and 5. Includes notes on order/chaos, Paul Klee, Rothko etc., an early version of Arkley’s statement ‘I draw rather than paint!’, and further compositional sketches and doodles. [Previous no.: D5]

6            School exercise book: blue cover with Strathcona GGS logo, dated May 1976

56 pages, 22.7 x 17.8 cm. Dymo labels on cover: May 76 / 6. Book includes titles and sketches relating to Arkley’s 2^nd solo show (Tolarno Aug.1976), notes on the colour white inc. quote from Te-Shan (quoted in Carnival 94), and a number of compositional sketches, some already in the taller ‘door’ format the artist first used for his canvases in 1978. Double page including Sol Le Witt quote (pp.34-35) reproduced in Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), p.76. [Previous no.: D6]

7            Small spiral-bound notebook, green cover, inscribed ‘Country – Paris’ [1977-78]

66 lined pages, 17 x 11.3 cm. Contains notes from HA & Elizabeth Gower’s trip to Paris & New York etc. (1977-8). Typical page of doodles and notes (comments on Miro etc.) reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.4. [Previous no.: D7A]

8             Small black notebook with elastic holder [1977-78]

166 lined pages, 15 x 10.3 cm. Also made during HA & Gower’s overseas travels, including some small sketches, notes on various works seen in London, Spain, Italy etc., and a list of books bought in London by Arkley and Gower (p.153). [Previous no.: D7B]

9            School exercise book (‘Gordon’ brand), dated Jan.1977 on cover

58 lined pages, 22.5 x 17.6 cm. Dymo label on cover: JAN 77 7. Compositional studies, including numerous door-format sketches (typical double page reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.9; see also Carnival Fig.6.7: page with door format sketches, titles, and an elaborate doodled skull); also Paisley-pattern sketches relating to Psychedelic Painting (1978), etc.; also notes on Art Deco and Art Nouveau patterning (possibly indicating this book was compiled, at least in part, while Arkley was in Paris?). [Previous no.: D7]

10            School exercise book with blue cover, titled ‘after return from Paris NYC etc. Jan.1978’

64 pages, 22.5 x 17.8 cm. Dymo label on cover: JAN 78. Book includes more door-format and Paisley-patterned compositional sketches, and notes on ornament etc.. For text transcribed from an article on pattern painting by John Perrault in the Nov.1977 issue of Artforum, see Carnival 55, and Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), p.12. [Previous no.: D8]

11            School exercise book with red spine and blue cover, dated May 1978

112 pages, 22.5 x 18.2 cm. Compositional sketches (a typical example is reproduced in Gregory 2002 [Meanjin]: 87), and sketches and planning notes relating to paintings dating from 1978-9, including Curvelinear 1978 [aka Futurist], Baroque (1979) and Isotype 1979. [Previous no.: D9]

12            School exercise book with brown spine and blue cover, dated Jan.1979

92 pages, 22.67 x 17.8 cm. Compositional sketches, schemes for furniture installations (including ‘chair-person’ design reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.37), and early sketches and plans for cacti, suburban imagery etc. For comments on several entries in this book relating to both decorative imagery and electronic music, see Chris McAuliffe’s essay in Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), pp.34-35 (including a reproduction of pp.26-27 from the diary). [Previous no.: D10]

13            Large-format exercise book with orange cover, undated (c.1979-82?)

56 lined pages, 28 x 21.9 cm. This book contains HA’s draft biography to date (pp. 1, 3, 5); sketches of clothing and various 3D forms (pp.6ff.); sketches of furniture (p.41); sketches relating to Tram no.384 (1980) [3/M] and Table (1980) [W/P]; and various notes, including a draft  of his artist’s statement for his 1979 Tolarno exhibition (quoted in Carnival 53). [Previous no.: D11]

14            School exercise book (‘Ideal’ brand), undated (c.1982-83)

15 pages, 26.3 x 22 cm. Lists of titles, including some related to music (inc.‘Style Wars’ and ‘Hiphop style’), notes and sketches related to Suburban Exterior (1983) and Tennis (1983), and various other planning notes and ideas. [Previous no.: D12]

15            School exercise book (‘Gordon’ brand with car on cover), dated July 1982

23 pages, 22.2 x 17.3 cm (some pages torn or sections missing). More lists of titles (typical example reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.26: headed ‘Titles 1982’ – inc. ‘Amphetamine’, ‘Bald Parrot’, etc.), planning notes and more possible titles e.g. ‘Self Portrait with Head dress as Nth American Indian’ (noted in Carnival 173); also notes on Dubuffet and other artists. [Previous no.: D13]

16            School exercise book (‘Gordon’ brand with motor-bike on cover), dated Jan.1983

24 pages, 22.2 x 17.5 cm. Lists of titles, schemes and planning notes, e.g. ‘Map from Frank’ [referring to Arkley’s step-father; cf. Cartographer (After Durer) 1983]; ‘House plan, plan elevation (etc) all in one painting’, and notes on ‘major piece suburban living’ [quoted and discussed in Carnival 32ff. and 118, in relation to Fabricated Rooms (1997-99)], a list of ‘Titles Syd show’ (presumably for HA Roslyn Oxley9, 7/83); and shopping lists! [Previous no.: D14]

17            School exercise book (‘Tudor’ brand) with maroon cover, dated Jan.1984

34 pages, 22.5 x 17.7 cm. Includes more lists of titles, planning ideas inc. ‘series of life size figure paintings (6 x 3’)’; notes and sketches relating to cacti & succulents exh. (Roslyn Oxley9 5/84); sketches of clothing; ideas for figures cut out of chipboard (traffic cops etc.) [Previous no.: D15]

18            A4 size book (a recycled 1981 ‘Pencraft’ diary), labelled on cover ‘Work on paper Jan.1984. Portrats’ [sic]

50 pages, 31 x 21.7 cm. Miscellaneous notes for ‘Portrait of the Artist & Five Friends 1985’ exh. idea (discussed in Carnival 172ff.), and for ‘Fashion Show’ planned for 1984 (see Carnival 136-7, and Fig.4.47: typical page; see also Gregory 2008 for further discussion and reproductions of relevant pages). [Previous no.: D16]

19            Foolscap book with black cover, labelled ‘Howard Arkley work book May 85’

90 pages, 33.2 x 21.2 cm. Detailed book covering 1985-86, containing numerous sketches, taped-in images, notes etc. (2 pages with suburban source images and notes are reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.12); a series of Tudor house sources/notes; ideas for Highrise St Kilda Road 1986, The Ritual 1986 and other works in Arkley’s Tolarno 1986 exhibition; more suburban schemes, including plan for a 2-part suburban exhibition prefiguring Arkley’s Venice installation (see now extensive quote and discussion in Carnival 118). [Previous no.: D17]

20            A4 size book with red cover, dated 1986 (also covers 1987-88)

104 pages, 30.5 x 21.6 cm. Cover is labeled: START / 1st MAY / HOWARD ARKLEY. Flyleaf inscribed: HOWARD ARKLEY / 1986 and 10 CRIMEA ST. BURNLEY 3121. Detailed diary containing much of interest in relation to Arkley’s Gertrude Street ‘Casual works’ exhibition (May 1988); ideas for titles for Tolarno exhibition Aug./Sept.1988; also considerable amounts of source material (pasted in and loose); several pages of fashion/costume source images; etc. A detail of a typical page with ideas for a series of houses etc. in the rain, is reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.27. [Previous no.: D18]

21            Black quarto-size ‘Collins’ brand notebook, opening pages dated Jan.1987 (covers 1987-c.1991)

110 pages, 25.9 x 20.5 cm. Richly-detailed visual diary combining source material, ideas, notes etc.; most of the entries date from 1987 and soon after, with a few subsequent additions. Opening page (dated 1.1.87: reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.38) contains furniture designs (with further examples on following pages); also notes for Arkley’s solo show at Roslyn Oxley9, Sydney, Sept.1987, and his Gertrude Street exhibition (‘Casual Works’ 1988); numerous taped-in source images, notes, often with references; numerous working titles and ideas, e.g. ‘Couples’ exhibition idea, Marionette scheme, and an idea for a tall house painting (Carnival Figs.4.46, 4.48 and 4.29 respectively). [Previous no.: D19]

22              Large red Australia Post folder, labelled on cover: ‘Started book 7^th Nov 87 / houses , faces, nightscape…’ [etc.]

Contains 45 photograph album pages, 32.2 x 26.2 cm. Various notes c.1987-88: images of heads, buildings, clippings for houses etc. (inc. small coloured photocopy of source image for O.Y.O. Flats (1987); clippings of furniture (including examples by Scott Burton), robots, comic images and so on; also several large photo album pages inserted or loose, all with source images of heads and faces (inc. comic-book girl reproduced as part of Carnival Fig.4.45): typical page reproduced at head of this section. [Previous no.: D20]

23            Large-format folder with plastic sleeves and brown cover, undated (c.1988)

Contains 10 plastic sleeves, 35.6 x 24.4 cm, containing various sources. Includes draft check-list for 1988 Tolarno ‘Home Show’ and clippings of Age review by Catalano (1988), suggesting Arkley over-uses the air-brush. [Previous no.: D21]

24            Small bound notebook with blue cover and red spine, undated (c.1988)

68 pages, 20.5 x 13 cm. This book starts at the back (as Arkley advises at the front): includes notes, possibly for his Farrago 1989 essay, concerning childhood memories, the idea of his work as a ‘celebration of the ordinary’ and suburbia as his focus; also planning notes for 1988 ‘Casual Works’ exhibition, including comments on the idea of recycling older works (arabesque patterning etc.); also, towards the front, several pages headed ‘start ideas for house show’, with source images, notes re factory imagery (‘ref.Jan Senbergs’, etc.); also ‘working ideas for ICA Brisbane’: ‘suburban inside-outside’ etc., and comment: ‘I would now describe myself as an outsider from the truly suburban environment and lifestyle’ (quoted, Carnival 5). [Previous no.: D22]

25            Photo album with brown cover containing source material, undated (later 1980s)

22 pages, 29.2 x 25 cm. Cover labelled: ‘Small scale source to be photocopied.’ Contains an assortment of source material: several pages of heads and faces at the start (double page reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.41), houses under construction (page reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.34); source images of shops (detail: Carnival Fig.4.32); more pages with head sources and also fashion images inc. costumes by Balla (page reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.49); sources for idea for paintings of houses at night (see Carnival 128); and various comic-book sources etc. [Previous no.: D23]

26            Photo album with autumn scene on cover, labelled ‘Heads’ (late 1980s?)

20 pages, 29 x 24.5, and an insert at the back. Entire album of head and face source images, several clearly relevant to the 1990 ‘Head Show’, but possibly assembled over several years; inc. split-head collage inserted loose (reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.44). [Previous no.: D24]

27            School exercise book (‘Headline’ brand), with green cover, undated (c.1989ff.)

16 pages, 22.5 x 17.8 cm. Contains a range of material, including: notes for Arkley’s 1991 Monash show; detailed ideas for a ‘3D relief’ exhibition (excerpts quoted in Carnival 133); various notes re heads (inc. notes re Head show supposedly for Roslyn Oxley 1989): quoted in detail in Gregory 2002 [Meanjin]: 89-90, and Carnival 134-5); and pages full of titles for head and face compositions – a typical double page of titles is reproduced in Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), p.19. [Previous no.: D25]

28            School exercise book with green cover, inscribed ‘Jo’; undated (c.1989)

4 pages, 22.6 x 17.7 cm. (most pages removed). More titles and ideas for the ‘Head Show’ (1990); also inserted notes re money due to Jo [Ritson]. [Previous no.: D26]

29            School exercise book without cover, undated (c.1989-90)

78 pages, 22.6 x 17.7 cm. Almost entirely comprising notes, including more planning ideas for the 1990 ‘Head Show’ (one page dated 11/5/90); Juan Davila collaboration; notes on Japanese prints;; also ideas on doing silkscreens, using handcut stencils and spray; and further notes and titles for heads – including the idea of ‘schizo heads’ cut down the middle (quoted in Carnival 134). [Previous no.: D27]

30            Black A4 folder, labelled ‘Interior’; undated (mostly late 1980s-early 90s?)

Contains 22 plastic sleeves with miscellaneous source material. NB the date is hard to fix: presume mostly assembled late 1980s, but several images datable to 70s and 80s, e.g. clipped cover Art Network 1983; also clipping re Hockney sets for The Rake’s Progress (date?); also various suburban sources (e.g.wall paper source reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.36, right); and interior images and stencils (possibly used for the 1992 ‘Mix’n’Match’ show). [Previous no.: D28]

31            Photo album, white cover with pink dots, undated (late 1980s-early 90s)

21 pages, 29.4 x 24.3 cm. Various source images, mostly interiors and patterning (connected with 1992 ‘Mix’n’Match’ exhibition, but presumably assembled in the previous few years). Also including page with chair photos (inc.Wassily chair owned by Arkley himself) and modified source photo relevant to Spartan Space (Homage to De Stijl) (1992). Last page includes comic-book source relevant to Suicide (1983). [Previous no.: D29]

32            Exercise book with blue cover, labelled ‘Howard Arkley ideas. Ref.etc. June 90’

4 pages, 22.6 x 17.8 cm (most pages removed). Notes for 1990 ‘Head Show’ at Tolarno, notes re a large cityscape. [Previous no.: D30]

33            School exercise book with yellow cover (‘Logo’ brand), inscribed ‘Ideas Ref Source 1-12-90’

26 pages, 22.5 x 17.7 cm. Notes on various titles and projects (including one for a ‘strip of shops’ – quoted in Gregory 2000 and Carnival 129); also ideas for 1991 Monash show & catalogue (including idea, subsequently adopted, of a Zappo Head for the cover), and ideas for a wall of houses (possibly also for the Monash exhibition); also ideas for Arkley’s collaboration with Juan Davila. [Previous no.: D31]

34            School exercise book with blue cover (‘Logo’ brand), inscribed ‘Idea Ref 1991’

32 pages, 22.5 x 17.9 cm. Notes and ideas for the 1991 Monash show, and the urban/ suburban exhibition idea, and notes for a project for John Buckley (‘South Gate project’). [Previous no.: D32]

35            School exercise book with blue cover (’Tudor’ brand’), inscribed: ‘Room. May 92’

26 pages, 22.5 x 18 cm. Various clippings and notes re interiors, furniture; note re Art + Text article by Stephen O’Connell [see Bibliography under 1993 = review of the ‘Mix’n Match’ exhibition at Tolarno 1992]; note: ‘must do – spot the different painting for Bruce Harrison’; notes & ideas for paintings of rooms including titles: ‘Total Room’, ‘Roomrite’ etc.; notes for the ‘Mix’n Match’ show; interiors, including reference to Richard Hamilton; more room titles (pages of these); an idea for a 3-D room; also ‘Ideas for next Tolarno show’ – highway, nightscape, cityscape, shopfront etc. [previous no.: D33]

36            School exercise book with red/black striped cover, inscribed: ‘Ref source / Rooms / 1992 / June’

36 pages, 22.5 x 17.7 (mostly blank). Includes source material specified as for the Mix’n’Match  show (Tolarno 1992), and lists of titles for interiors (several used later, e.g. ‘Suparoom’). A typical double page of source images and titles (pp.2-3) is reproduced in Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), p.128. [Previous no.: D34]

37            Small photo album with blue cover, labelled: Source Ref 1993’ (c.1993-96?)

Contains 49 photo enclosures, 29.8 x 18.2 cm. Miscellany of source material (houses, factories, patterns etc.), a few doodles, photos of Arkley’s own works (doors, cacti, ‘Leigh’s Zappo Head 1996’); stencils (fruit bowl); Patrick Caulfield images, Stuart McFarlane highway picture; also the original clipping of Dürer-style feet used for Tattooed Feet (1983) (reproduced in ‘Casual Works’ exh. cat.1988). [Previous no.: D35]

38            School exercise book with green cover (‘Logo’ brand’), inscribed ‘Ideas. Prints. Peter Bellas’ (c.1993-94)

38 pages, 22.5 x 17.8 cm. Detailed book of notes (some in Alison Burton’s hand): inc. e.g. ideas re laser cut Zappos etc.;  comparisons with Keith Haring (possibly from one of Arkley’s own books or catalogues on the American artist); page of titles including ‘Howies Funkavision’ (!); chair drawing with notes re patterns; notes on ‘Night City’ idea (quoted in Carnival 128); also a page noting need to give Alison (Burton) credit for collaborations (quoted in Carnival 147); ideas on doing deliberately ‘B grade’ works re ‘bad taste’; idea for artist portraits – 1o images 5 ft high; also page near end listing movies seen, dated 1/1/94; list of titles on last page, including ‘Roomfull’. [Previous no.: D36]

39            School exercise book with red/brown cover (‘Artrite’ brand), inscribed ‘Howard source-ref 1994’

30 pages, 22.5 x 17.7 cm (mostly blank). Real estate clippings, lists of houses used (including addresses, some even with Melway street directory index nos.!), and titles (‘Grace with space’, etc.); list of black and white paintings. [Previous no.: D37]

40            A4 size ring binder with blue cover labelled ‘Source + Ref. / Tolarno Nov.1995 / Howard Arkley’

Contains 8 plastic sleeves, 32.6 x 26.4 cm. Various house sources e.g. for Light and Bright (1994) and Floriated Residence (1994); the source for Rrrrr Art (1994) and other similar letters; also clippings of house source images, including houses under construction; and various ideas including pop-up drawings. [Previous no.: D42]

41            School exercise book with blue cover, inscribed ‘Heide / March 95’

44 pages, 25.6 x 17.6 cm (mostly blank). Notes for the ‘Downtown’ exhibition at Heide (1995), especially for the ‘Heide installation’: Outside-Inside-Out 1995 – including sketches, floor plans, notes (some in Alison Burton’s hand); notes re Heide carpet, rugs (via Bernie Jones); 2 pages at back with notes for work with ‘Peter’ (Tyndall); and ideas for suburban works e.g. ‘Deco in the Subs’. [Previous no.: D39]

42            School exercise book with red/black cover inscribed (twice) ‘Nov.95’

50 pages, 22.6 x 17.7 cm (mostly blank). Miscellaneous notes (e.g. ‘try sepia’) and titles (‘Explosion’ etc. = Ericsson titles: see under 1996); text ends after page noting things to do at start of 1996; real estate clippings inserted at back. [Previous no.: D40]

43            Photo album with black/coloured cover, labelled ‘B/W Paper Show’… (1995?)

40 pages, 28.2 x 24 cm. Assorted source material & doodles, including photocopy labelled ‘B/W show 95’ and photocopies relating to proposed Tyndall collaboration (1995); note re ‘Bruce Freeway’; despite obvious links with 1995 works, some sources also date from 1992 and earlier – e.g. sources for both Computer Head (1990) and Second Psychedelic Head 1992; and the 1984 card with ‘Thingamejig’ ideas discussed in Carnival 126. [Previous no.: D41]

44            Small-format photo album with maps & globes on cover; undated (mostly c.1994-96)

Original album: 49 sleeves, 25.8 x 19.2 cm (material now removed and housed separately in SLV). Rich collection of source material, notes etc., mostly from 1996, but also some material from 1994-5, and occasionally earlier: contains numerous photos of works in progress (including Theatrical Facade 1996 [Canberra], High Fenced (1996), etc., some dated Sept.-Oct.1996); doodles (some dated 1994); sources for various completed works including houses, Tudor villages, etc.; sources for projected night houses (detail reproduced in Carnival Fig.4.30), houses under construction, and so on. Also Arkley’s modified version of Peter Tyndall’s image of a man seeing houses from the train; postcard to Arkley from Marco Livingstone (with Patrick Caulfield image; dated 9 Oct. 1995); photos of Arkley at work on paintings; also several photo pockets with work-in-progress photos of House with Native Tree (1996). [Previous no.: D38]

45             Notes and sketches on cacti paintings, c.1987

5 loose pages, comprising 4 pages of hand-written notes and sketches, and a magazine clipping of a succulent.

NB this was identified and listed as part of Arkley’s collection of visual diaries by the State Library of Victoria in 2002. [No previous no.]

46             Sources and notes on White Paintings, 1975-1978

A sheet of drawings and notes, and 5 loose clippings of photographs. For reproductions of two of the images, apparently clipped from Scientific American, showing the planet Jupiter, and (?) two blurred figures walking, see Fitzpatrick & Lynn (2015), pp.10-11, noting the parallel between the second photo and Actuality (Is the Void Between Events) 1976.

NB like nos. 45 and 47-48, this material was also identified and listed as part of Arkley’s collection of visual diaries by the State Library of Victoria in 2002. [No previous no.]

47             Notes, sketches and ideas for installations (c.1980-99)

Notes, sketches and ideas for Muzak Mural – Chair Tableau (1980-81) [3/M], panels for Fabricated Rooms (1997-99), and Homezone (1999) [3/M].

Also identified and listed as part of Arkley’s collection of visual diaries by the State Library of Victoria in 2002. [No previous no.]

48             Miscellaneous notes, sketches and ideas (undated)

Contains (1) notes and ideas for installations and exhibitions; (2) personal philosophies and ideas for paintings; and (3) magazine clippings and photocopies, overdrawn by Arkley.

Also identified and listed as part of Arkley’s collection of visual diaries by the State Library of Victoria in 2002. [No previous no.]