Strange Fruit (1987) [W/P]



Synthetic polymer paint on paper, 77 x 57 (?)

Signed, dated and titled [on reverse: ‘Howard Arkley / Date 1987 / Medium Acrylic on Paper / Size 770mm x 570mm / Cacti + Succulent Series/ “Strange Fruit”’ – details via owner]

Private collection, Melbourne

This work was exhibited at the Bellas Gallery in 1987, and photographed at the time (archive slide as reproduced here).

The orientation – opposite to that of the work on canvas version Strange Fruit (1987) – is indicated by the inscription on the reverse. In fact, it seems to have been a composition whose orientation was particularly unstable, to judge from another (undated) archive photo showing Arkley sitting in a gallery setting with this work behind him, oriented sideways!

Provenance

  • P/C Melb. (identified thus in 2006)

Exhibited

  • Bellas, Brisbane (works on paper group show), 6/87, cat.1 (as 75 x 55)