American dream, American nightmare

‘American dream, American nightmare’ is a two-part display that focuses on Brett Whiteley’s The American dream (1968-1969).

Whiteley’s work is a dynamic visual summation of his experiences in America, that charts his initial passion for the place, his intense responses to the politics and culture, and his powerful desire to leave it all behind. It is therefore a meditation on the crumbling of Whiteley’s own romantic dream of what America might offer him and a reflection on a society torn apart by its involvement in war and political assassinations.

This exhibition also presents darker, more political works by American artists, such as Leon Golub, which explore the murky underside of the American dream.

Brett Whiteley, The American dream

Art Gallery Of Western Australia
Until 15 February, 2016
Western Australia

Brett Whiteley, The American dream (detail), 1968-69, oil, tempera, collage, photography and objects on eighteen wooden panels , 244 x 2196cm
State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia, purchased 1978
© State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia

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