Titile: Wet Brightley
Portrait of Brett Whiteley

Acrylic on  canvas

W 5ft (153cm)
H 5ft 10 inches (178cm)

In this painting, Geoff Mill has likened his subject's right eye to the body of a spider with its legs and web enmeshing the upper face to symbolise the deleterious effect of certain drugs on Whiteley's body and mind. The subject's mouth is placid and suggests a prone naked woman, (the nude woman being another of Whiteley's interests), while his hair, which was a huge curly blonde bush, becomes the entire background of the painting suggesting some kind of cloud in which Whiteley was sometimes lost.

Brett Whiteley was one of Australia's most respected, successful and celebrated painters. He was born 7 April 1939 and died 15 June 1992.

As he acknowledged, his work was much influenced and inspired by Irish painter, Francis Bacon (1909-1992), and Australian painter Lloyd Rees (1895-1988), amongst others.

Whiteley's language was sometimes eccentric and extravagent. He maintained for example, that in art "plagiarism is the name of the game". This was his way of emphasising that all artists are in some way influenced by other artists, particualrly by those who are recognised as masters. He often became strident and aggressive when talking about art. His unique use of verbal language was sometimes brilliant. Another example is Whiteley's description of his Lavender Bay works as .....
"recording the glimpse seen at the highest point of affection - points of optical ecstasy, where romanticism and optimism overshadowed any form of menace and foreboding." - News SMH 14/3/07

"Wet Brightly", one of three paintings of Whiteley by Geoff Mill, was thought to have been lost or destroyed by fire but was discovered by his son safely stored under his house.