Felony 1987



Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 160 x 122

signed, dated and titled [on reverse: ‘Howard Arkley / Felony /1987’]

Private collection, Melbourne

This canvas, shown in 1987 at both Roslyn Oxley9 and the Anima Gallery, Adelaide, is a close variant of Felony (1983), distinguishable only on close inspection – see e.g. the different shapes at upper left, slightly different greens, etc. Slides of both works are held in Arkley’s archive.

NB information received from Deutscher and Hackett prior to the November 2023 auction of this canvas clarified its previous ownership, and also proved that this was the version included in the 2006-7 Arkley retrospective mounted by the NGV (not the 1983 canvas, as indicated incorrectly in the retrospective check-list).

Provenance

  • Tolarno Gallery, Melbourne (label verso)
  • Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above. c.1987
  • Auctioned by Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 22 Nov.2023, lot 40: ill., dets.as shown above; est.$150,000-250,000; not sold

Exhibited

  • HA Roslyn Oxley9, 9/87, cat.10
  • HA Anima Gallery, Adelaide, 10/87, cat.3 ($4,000)
  • HA Monash 1991, cat.63 (details as above)
  • HA NGVA 2006-7 (label verso)

Literature

  • Duncan 1991:27 (ill.)
  • Spray 65: ill. (incorrectly identified as the 1983 canvas and also incorrectly indicated as in the MCA, Sydney)