• Ashleigh Wilson's "Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing"

  • Apr 23 2025
  • Length: 52 mins
  • Podcast

Ashleigh Wilson's "Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing"

Listen for free

View show details

  • Summary

  • In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Ashleigh Wilson chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies me about his choices while crafting Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing, his acclaimed biography of Brett Whiteley, one of Australia’s most iconic artists.

    Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

    • The meaning of The Other Thing in the biography’s title
    • Ashleigh’s surprise discoveries and how they shaped the narrative
    • How Ashleigh verified the many colourful anecdotes about Brett Whiteley
    • How he reconciled the layers of myth surrounding Whiteley’s art and life
    • Why he structured Whiteley’s biography chronologically
    • How Whiteley’s mercurial character drove the plot
    • How Ashleigh portrayed Whiteley’s complex relationship with Australia and his desire to be recognised on the international stage
    • How Ashleigh balanced Whiteley’s public persona and human story
    • Ashleigh’s ethical decisions when revealing Whiteley’s mental health issues and addictions
    • The literary devices Ashleigh employed to balance academic rigour with crafting a captivating and propulsive narrative
    • The extent to which Ashleigh believes he got to the truth of his biographical subject.
    Show More Show Less
Show More Show Less
activate_mytile_page_redirect_t1

What listeners say about Ashleigh Wilson's "Brett Whiteley: Art, Life and the Other Thing"

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.