Ultrakleen 1992

This ‘signature’ interior, based on a template in Gold’s Instant Decorator, (no.11: ‘Country Kitchen’) was first exhibited in ‘Mix’n Match’ in 1992, and has been shown widely since. The shiny neatness of the model kitchen is complicated by the Escher-esque perspective of the tiled floor, and various allusions to Arkley’s own earlier works (as noted in Spray).

Most of the line-work here is in grey, lending the work a unifying, suitably metallic tonality. This appears to be one of the earliest examples of this use of predominantly grey (rather than black) line-work, an increasing feature of Arkley’s work in the mid to later 1990s (as discussed in Carnival in Suburbia, pp.107-109).

Provenance

• Recorded in Melbourne P/C in Spray notes c.1996 and NGVA Arkley retrospective planning files c.2006

Exhibited

• HA Tolarno 10/92 (‘Mix’n Match’), cat.5 (details as above)
• Heide 1995 (‘Downtown’)
• Adelaide Festival exh. (‘Compost’), 3/96
• Korea 1998 (‘Unhomely’)
• HA retrospective 2006-7 (all 3 venues)
• HA TarraWarra 12/15-2/16 (details as above; ill.)

Literature

• Spray 108 and 110 (ill.)
• Engberg 1995 (‘Downtown’ exh.cat.), p.50 (ill., reproduced back to front)
• McAuliffe 1996, plate 14 (also reversed)
• Carnival 10, 24 and Fig.1.3