Artists Questing The World: Howard Arkley And Robyn Sweaney

Artists Questing the World.

Artists often serve as observers and questioners of the world in which they live, using their creative expressions to explore and challenge the familiar. Howard Arkley and Robyn Sweaney are two Australian artists who embody this spirit, each with their distinctive styles and approaches.

Howard Arkley was an Australian artist known for his distinctive style. While living in Melbourne for most of his life, Arkley attended Prahran College of Advanced Education and Melbourne State College between 1969 and 1973. Arkley developed his spontaneous and obsessive working style during residencies and fellowships in Paris and New York in 1977. During his residencies in Paris and New York, Arkley was able to expand his artistic

This move gave Sweaney a new appreciation for the land around her. Since 1992, Robyn Sweaney has participated in over 90 group exhibitions and twelve solo exhibitions. Among her achievements, she has been named a finalist for esteemed awards such as the Wynne Prize, Sulman Prize, Portia Geach Award, and Memorial Award. In a Biography done by OCULA She states, “Though outwardly many houses are generic, I am intrigued by the way people, in creative and resourceful ways, express themselves within the boundaries of their own environments.”

Both artist Howard Arkley and Robyn Sweaney often question the world in which they live and they use this question as an inspiration for their art. Howard Arkley's artworks, 'A Splendid Superior Home' (1989) and 'Family Home' (1988), illustrate his exploration and questioning of the world around him. In these paintings, Arkley breathes vibrant life into ordinary Australian houses by infusing them with captivating colors. By showcasing the transformative power of color, these artworks suggest that houses become intriguing and captivating when imbued with a vivid

Howard Arkley's artworks have received a wide range of responses from both the art world and the general audience. His distinct visual style and exploration of suburban themes have garnered attention and appreciation. Denise M Taylor highlights Arkley's ability to infuse wit and vibrancy into his subject matter through his masterful use of color, line, pattern, and shape. His distinctive style, blending elements of pop art, postmodernism, and suburban surrealism, distinguishes him from other artists. His contributions to contemporary art have been recognized through major retrospectives and participation in significant exhibitions. Arkley's artworks have become iconic representations of Australian suburban landscapes, firmly establishing his presence and impact in the art