News about Brett Whiteley

At an auction of works by top Australian artists, the first sale of a major piece by renowned landscape painter John Olsen since he died in April. The auctioneer characterized the price fetched by Life on the Edge of the Pond as'very pleasing.' Olsen's smaller work, which featured his signature frogs, went under the hammer and was sold for over $50,000, much more than its asking price.

In a new book, Wendy Whiteley (pictured left and right), now 81, chronicles the riots of her open marriage with celebrated painter and sculptor Brett Whiteley, who died alone from a heroin overdose in a Thirroul motel room in 1992. Ms Whiteley portrayed her late husband as 'possessive,'abusive,' and lengthy in terms of how he became enraged over her long-term affair, despite the fact that they had an open marriage and many lovers. The couple (pictured left) had just one child, Arkie (pictured far right) who tragically died at the age of 37.