Art is thought to have become an important part of Australia’s society, letting the populace of Australia express opinions of the urban to rural landscapes. But as Howard Arkley has expressed that the rural landscape is over- saturated. “Australian art has been dominated by the rural landscape – it’s romanticised -Most of the population live in an urban environment…” (Howard Arkley, 1997) Howard Arkley was a contemporary Australian artist, who was active in the 1970’s to the 1990’s. Arkley’s point of view was on the urban landscape, which is depicted in what he painted; this is why Arkley’s paintings focused on the urban side of Australia. In all of Arkley’s urban paintings it can be seen that solid warm colours are used, tone, straight flat …show more content…
Using an airbrush to portray his opinion and to influence Australia’s opinion on Suburbia. The paintings question the dream of having a perfect house and family. This can be depicted in a majority of Arkley’s paintings where a falseness is hidden, behind the warm colours and there is a visible malignant feel that is expressed in the flat textures, lack of tone and the disclosure of what is behind the windows- what is hidden?

The painting “House and Garden” is Arkley’s perspective of the Western suburbs, which shows vivid colours that illustrate the senses of happiness and hospitality. The painting features a house and a footpath leading to it, for a majority of the painting flat with straight outlines and warm colours are used with the exception of the tree, which features organic tone and non-straight lines. But when looked past the seductiveness of the warm colours there is a sense of falseness and melancholy. The bright colours and lack of tone create a fake and unrealistic look. Conveying a sense of an unreal serenity, where what is seen of Australia is simply a front cover where behind the illusion is a malicious and brutal environment. This is portrayed in the windows that are toneless blank slates of black with little colour. What is behind the windows, what is hidden? This is what Arkley is portraying in his artworks that behind the idyllic dream of an Australian …show more content…
It is a two-story house with flat colours, but it can be seen there is more nature than the first painting and a plain blue sky. But through the flat colours of this picture there is a strong symbolic cultural meaning. That the Australian dream that has become an innate part of Australian society in which most aim for is flawed. This is conveyed with once again the falseness behind the painting, this is seen in the lack of human life and personality. There is no car there is no sign of children or animals. The paths are flat and toneless with no expression that it has been walked on. Once again the windows are blank slates showing no inside view into the house and straight lines and warm colours make it seem like fantasy, a perfect house, no rubbish or pollution. Arkley’s painting once again has a strong message behind it, the only way Arkley could express his self was through painting, which is conveyed in the lack of personality, and the fantasy in which Arkley’s paintings depicts of the idealized dream which a majority of Australian share a perfect job, a perfect house and a perfect