Lightning (1983)

This painting, included in Arkley’s first Roslyn Oxley9 exhibition (June-July 1983), is reproduced on the current Roslyn Oxley9 website: https://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/exhibition/recent-works/h0z0e.

It was evidently the earliest canvas version of the ‘Zappo’ composition he developed the year before: see now Untitled [Zappo study] (1982) [W/P] and 1982 Works on paper (minor). Later variants included the coloured canvas Zappo 1983, also, apparently, first titled ‘Lightning’ (leading to previous confusion with the present painting).

The composition was also closely echoed, again in monchrome, in the large work on paper version now in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery, first shown in Arkley’s ‘Casual Works’ exhibition: see now Zappo; and source material (1988 and earlier) [W/P].

[NB new entry, added 28 Feb.2023, correcting previous confusion with Zappo 1983]

Provenance

• unknown

Exhibited

• HA Roslyn Oxley9, 6/83, cat.8