BRETT WHITELEY
Brett Lichtenstein was only 20 years old when he first worked for Brett Whiteley. In 1976 Brett Whiteley sought out the young Brett Lichtenstein.
Brett Whiteley was an admirer of the artwork of Francis Bacon and his framer, Alfred Hecht, who made Bacon’s handcrafted water-glided frames. Whiteley took note, he understood the importance of presentation and packaging a painting.
Whiteley was a creative force of nature, and Lichtenstein worked hard to enhance the artworks, true to Whiteley’s specifications.
Brett Lichtenstein rose to the challenge, and his frames now form a part of Whiteley artwork provenance.
The two Bretts worked together for 16 years until Brett Whiteley’s death in 1992. The day Brett Whiteley died, they were scheduled to do some work together - Brett Lichtenstein was devastated by his passing.
It is testament to this successful work relationship and friendship between the two Brett’s and Wendy, that Lichtenstein collaborated with Wendy Whiteley to proof and create these three Whiteley paintings as limited edition, fine art reproductions.
“They are beautifully done reproductions on beautiful paper, and if people can’t afford an original work, then this is as close as you’re going to get to have something like that on your walls!”
Wendy Whiteley, November 2011
Lichtenstein was working and learning his craft at Charles Hewitt’s framing studio in Sydney, who’s framing was sought after particularly in the 1970’s & 1980’s. Having worked on an exhibition for the then elder statesman of the Australian art world, Lloyd Rees, Brett Lichtenstein was asked to work on frames for a Brett Whiteley exhibition.
At the time Brett Whiteley and Wendy, his wife and muse, were the rock stars of the Australian art world. Having won an Italian Travelling Scholarship at age19 in 1959, Whiteley lived in Rome & Florence with Wendy. In 1960 they moved to London. Whiteley won two subsequent awards which allowed them to stay in London and work, where he exhibited to critical acclaim. In 1967 he won the Harkness Foundation Scholarship; this meant two years studying and living in New York at the Chelsea Hotel. Throughout the 1960’s he and Wendy travelled and lived in London, Sydney, Majorca, Tangier, New York and Fiji – returning to Australia in 1969. Throughout the 1970’s & 1980’s he received incredible recognition for his artwork.
Riding the wave of fame, in 1976 Whiteley had just won the Archibald and Sulman prizes, and two years later in 1978 would become the only Australian artist ever to win the trifecta; the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne Prizes in one year.
In 1976 Whiteley asked Hewitt to introduce him to the man that had done the work on his show, that man was Brett Lichtenstein.
It was the beginning of an artistic association, and friendship between the two Bretts that endured nearly 20 years.
Brett Lichtenstein later related how working for Brett Whiteley was a special, and creative opportunity that had come his way, and he was ready to embrace it. In 1978 Lichtenstein left the security of Charles Hewitt’s framing house and set out on his own.