2004

Arkley and his art continued to feature in the press. His Nick Cave (1999) was included in an Age magazine, produced as part of a series in honour of the 150th anniversary of the Melbourne newspaper, on ‘Influential Lives’, celebrating both Cave and Arkley.

In March, a feature in the Melbourne Herald Sun – ‘We reveal Australia’s most important painting’ – included Arkley’s Psychedelic Head (1990) among the short list of 12 (the winner was declared to be Drysdale’s Cricketers [1948]); the judges included Brian Kino, director of the Metro 5 gallery. Later in 2004, the Herald Sun aired Arkley’s mother’s alleged grounds for complaint against Alison Burton and the administration of the Arkley Estate.[1]

Several key examples of Arkley’s earlier work came up for auction, notably Organic Model G (Black Square) [Coventry]1976, originally shown in Arkey’s first solo exhibition in Sydney in May 1977, and subsequently owned by Chandler Coventry (Lawson-Menzies auction of the Coventry Estate, 30 March 2004). Winds of War Graffiti 1983, first shown (as ‘Billboard’) in Arkley’s ‘Urban Paintings’ show at Tolarno, Oct.-Nov.1983, was auctioned by Sotheby’s, Melbourne, 29 Nov.2004. Several works of lesser quality and with inadequate provenance also surfaced at auctions held during 2004.[2]