SPOTLIGHT ARTWORK

ONE BIG PARTY




The Old and the New (1986)

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia
Size: 100cm W x 130cm H
Medium: Mixed Media and Collage on particle board, box framed
The original artwork no longer exists.

This artwork was selected for exhibition 
in the 1986 Sydney Morning Herald Art Prize.

Ah yes the journey to a better Australia is a long and winding road.
It's probably good that you can't make out most of the players 
on this stage as most of them have moved on.
There's a whole another cast with a different story line 
to take us forward now. 
You are one of the stellar cast members.

Truth is the luxury of the long and winding road of 1986
has now passed and we are looking at the more immediate message 
evident in the top portion of the artwork. i.e. "STOP, LOOK & LEAP".

We need to make the journey of life a party.
That's a conscious choice. 
That's what the whole artwork is eluding to.

As a point of interest in the artwork there was a red light 
on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that was powered to flash on and off. - Neville ☺︎




HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS



(CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE)

“Gateway to Paradise” (Suburban Bungalow) [2022]

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Media: Acrylic, spray silver enamel, indelible and non-indelible inks, 

lead pencil, charcoal on canvas (unframed)

Size: 120cm W  x 100cm  H

POA 



The scenario shown in this artwork tells a most wonderful story 
of one man’s simple and happy life of connection, contentment and appreciation. 
A life that has been well lived.

(DETAIL)


He lived in the Western suburbs of Sydney and I used to say hello to him 
if the Sun was shining on the way to visit my Mother 
in her Aged Care Village.

This man and his life gave me inspiration every time I saw him 
across his neatly manicured lawns. 
His home here is beige in colour and my feeling is that his life
 has been somewhat repetitious and manually physical. 
That was no barrier to the colours of his inner life from shining through. 

He is the gatekeeper at the Gateway to Paradise.

Most want to participate in a feeding frenzy of all the distraction 
the world can bring. This is not for the gatekeeper to Paradise. 
He would rather sit on his porch and soak up the Sun.
He doesn’t need to travel to get where he’s going. 

He’s already there.


Complexity confounds itself. 
It is a shadow that robs us of knowing and feeling good about ourselves. 
The gatekeeper has the answers. He sees life with clarity.
Simplicity is hard work. 
More recently there was a “FOR LEASE” sign on the property. 
Change is ever constant.
 

- Neville Williams March 2024




WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)


The Rise or Fall of Western Civilization?
[Study for "THE AMERICAN DREAM"(after Whiteley)]

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia
Size: 122cm (W) x 61cm (H) x 4cm (D)
Media: Digital prints and collage, oil pastel, US dollar coin
on stretched canvas.
POA


Artist's Note:
This artwork is inspired by much more 
than this artist's visit to New York in 2011.  
Certainly though the City that never sleeps 
is at the vanguard of modern 
Western Civilization so it is the ideal vehicle 
to use to tell this story.

Thinking about it the seemingly unstated “Vision” 
of Western Civilization currently playing out 
is one that encourages us all 
to take more personal or individual responsibility for ourselves.
That is a most worthwhile endeavour.
But I wonder though if too frequently 
we use confused means to get to the ends.
All too often dead ends.

This artwork shows the spine of New York City - BROADWAY 
running through the centre of the artwork.
If we stay on the broadway the path leads to enlightenment 
(on the right of the canvas).
But we seem to get constantly distracted 
by all of the bright lights.

Those neon graphs dominating the artwork 
are indicative of two things 
that are distracting our ability to get where we want to go.  
The incandescent white line represents 
the ever increasing expectations we have of our leaders, 
life, the World, God, each other, ourselves …whatever! 
The luminous yellow line shows the measure of our abilities 
to meet those same expectations.

It’s time we were encouraged to see ourselves in a new light.
We need a more complete vision, story or narrative of hope 
that gives us value in our lives and encourages us 
to want to keep participating and contributing.
That is yet to surface.

People may well say that this is all an artist’s idealism talking. 
But do we really have a choice? I don’t think so.  

Let's get blunt. 
The white light to the right of the artwork 
while possibly representing enlightenment or understanding 
might also represent the canvas clearing effect 
of nuclear holocaust. The problem and the solution are both us.
It all starts and finishes with us as individuals.

When people make a choice to find peace in their own lives 
then we'll be moving towards peace on earth.

The cry of our time is the need for reconnection to our environment, 
each other but most importantly to ourselves.

Rest. Reconnect and Create. - Neville ☺︎



⚪️🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣⚫️



NO PROPS NEEDED JUST A SOLID FOUNDATION




"LIBERTÉ - I AM MY OWN FLAG" [1997]

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 75cm(H) with flagstaff 

Media: Fired clay, bitumen, lacquer with wooden base

$1,200


The cracks are intentionally left. 

Liberty is a fragile thing requiring constant vigilance.



Originally this figure carried a broken flagstaff and I never really understood why. I do now.


If you know yourself yoo don’t need to carry any flag or symbol to prove self worth. Neither do yoo need anyone or anything else to prop yoo up. You’ve arrived. It’s as simple as that.


And then too it is true you never stop learning about YOO.


Plenty though need inspiration or a pointer forward.


Is it too pointed to ask where is the Flag of Surrender in our lives? NW☺︎



LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY







PIC: From the artist's 2000 community art show 
titled  "LIBERTÉ - An Exhibition of Harlequins"



🔴




Title: LIBERTÉ (1999)

(also logo design from 2000 Exhibition)

Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 51cm (W) x 75cm (H)

Media: Charcoal, Conté crayon 

and pastels on paper (unframed)

POA


This is the first of seven very similar drawings 

that were produced as a series 

and exhibited at my solo show (with the help of others) 

during the AIDS crisis. 

One tribute for each friend lost to AIDS.

I kept the original drawing shown above but the past is now gone 

and it is time to move forward and pass the baton on!


We all face adversity at different points in our life 

and this may come in many different forms. 

Rising above the hardships that may be visited upon us 

is most surely a challenge. 

That is something of an understatement when we look around our world.


This drawing is intended to provide inspiration to anyone 

who might be facing a struggle in their lives. 


The only banner worth carrying is for ❤️.   


LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY 

brothers & sisters in life. NW☺︎





ARTWORK RECEIVED THE YVES HERNOT 
AWARD FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
 

 Title: “Afternoon of a Faun”(after Nijinsky) 2021

©️Arts Law Australia

Artist: Neville Williams / Model: Charles

Size: 44cm H / Base 33cm square

Media: Fired clay, lacquer, red bole 

gold leaf on wooden base

POA



This seductive harlequin has been through so many manifestations I have lost count. I think though that here he has finally found his place. In his latest incarnation he appears as a Nijinsky figure wearing the costume from the dancer’s own choreographed ballet “Afternoon of a Faun”. The original ballet possesses erotic, guttural expression and startled audiences.


An extraordinarily gifted dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky eventually took on too much for his fragile being to be able to handle. He didn’t know his own limitations. He ended up in an asylum which did no one any good most of all Nijinsky. His partner/lover Sergei Diaghilev who established the famous Ballets Russes based in Paris fell out of love with his paramour. 
Difficult to love someone who has lost it. 

Diaghilev eventually didn’t want to have anything to do with what Nijinsky had become…as the French say…an ‘enfant terrible’. Though Diaghilev wouldn’t have been an easy character to be with either. I guess the lesson is keep your feet on the ground, enjoy what yoo can do or perhaps better as Socrates said “Know thyself”.  Neville








An overview of the artwork 

"WHEN THE SPIRIT OF BENNELONG RETURNS"


Panel (4) detail “When the Spirit of Bennelong returns” (1991-1999)
Artist: Neville Williams & many others ©️Arts Law Australia
Total Size: 510cm W x 110cm H x 5cm D 
(4 panels + 1 maquette sculpture)
Medium: Mixed Media


Following are Thomas Keneally's words 
from Panel 4 of the complete artwork (shown below). 
Mr. Keneally did mention that Peter Garrett had input here.


“WHEREAS THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE ARE DRAWN
FROM A RICH DIVERSITY OF CULTURES
YET ARE ONE IN THEIR DEVOTION 
TO THE AUSTRALIAN TRADITION OF EQUALITY
THE FREEDOM OF THE PERSON
AND THE DIGNITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIA IS AN ANCIENT LAND 
PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND OCCUPIED
BY ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
WHO NEVER CEDED OWNERSHIP;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE LOOK TO SHARE FAIRLY
IN THE PLENTY OF THE COMMONWEALTH;

WHEREAS AUSTRALIA IS A CONTINENT 
OF IMMENSE EXTENT AND UNIQUE IN THE WORLD
DEMANDING AS OUR HOME LAND OUR RESPECT
DEVOTION AND WISE MANAGEMENT.”

Thomas Keneally
PROPOSED PREAMBLE TO A NEW AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION
Wording reprinted here with Mr. Keneally's expressed permission.

This complete artwork was given to and kindly received as a gift by 
NAISDA – National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association.
There were many contributors to the artwork.

 CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE MORE DETAIL






After the Storm - Bondi  (1993)
Size: 120cm W x 110cm H
Medium: Acrylic, gold leaf, sand grounding, 
collage on stretched canvas, framed
PRIVATE COLLECTION

There is some pathos associated with this artwork. 
It was inspired by the loss to us of a young man in his 20's who turned heads 
wherever he went not only for his natural good looks 
but his unpretentious, simple, honest, genuine open nature.

The finished painting shows him walking alone along an empty Bondi Beach 
following a storm.

Actual flotsam and jetsam collected from this beach 
has become the landscape of Bondi in the artwork.

There are metaphors that can be drawn from this canvas.
The painting makes me wonder what sort of a legacy we are leaving 
for the young people who are following us.

AFTER A STORM COMES A RAINBOW FOLLOWED BY THE SUN.


HEAD OUT OF THE SAND



BONDI MIRAGE (Summer 2022)

ARTIST: Neville Williams 

©️Arts Law Australia

Size: 177cm (W) x 122cm (H)

Media: Mixed Media on stretched canvas (unframed)

PRIVATE COLLECTION 



We have our heads in the sand for what is on the horizon. 

In short what appears to be the case is that we have a reluctance to share 

the responsibilities of a youth nation.


We want to continue to play in the sand pit of life building our castles and laughing in the Sun. 

That’s not seeing a bigger picture of reality.


Look around. The sound principles of planning for our future have been forgotten. 

The focus on our humanity is being lost and as a result so will we.


You can’t “whack” a band aid on our future. 

The future has a way of rearing up when you don’t expect it and biting us on the backside.


We can either put an overarching vision in place or face the consequences of a volatile world that doesn’t give a tinkers toss about you and your family’s wellbeing.


In short we can’t live on a sunny island in the Pacific ignoring the rest of the world. 

That is the bigger picture. We need to embrace this reality.


Previous Governments have not given us vision and so it was/is our duty to put people in charge who will plan for our future. A warning is being made not only to governments but the corporates and also each of us as individuals. If we don't set our own plan forward most assuredly others will.


Real leaders know what is needed to initiate vision. 

You can bet that quietly they have a huge question mark above their heads pondering whether you would help or support them in doing this. 


Wanting our problems to go away and sort themselves out is not being realistic.


It all comes down to work. There’s no other way. 

For a leisure programmed nation that appears to be anathema. 

That is why leaders hesitate. That is why too many others hesitate. Get used to being out of your comfort zone. The only choice is whether yoo want to be in charge of your life direction or whether you are going to let others drag you screaming in their decided direction.


Joe Biden when US President talked about finding a backbone. 


If you want a future that makes you happy 

then you are going to have to make it happen yourself.


We need a vision taking us forward. 

If we keep treading water we will drown. Neville









(EARLIER VERSION OF SCULPTURE SHOWN HERE 
ARTWORK IS NOW REVISIONED - see below)


"Pulcinello"(Punchinello) (2021) [DETAIL]
Artist: Neville Williams ©️Arts Law Australia
MEDIA: Fired Clay, polished brass rod, 
lacquer, gold leaf, indelible ink 
on varnished wooden base.
SIZE: 51cm (H)  Base:18.5cm square
$400


"What can you do,
Punchinello, funny fellow?
What can you do,
Punchinello, funny you? 
We can do that too,
Punchinello, funny fellow,
We can do it, too,
Punchinello, funny you!"

 

Choose not to be a clown. 
Find the harlequin in you and then you'll know YOO. NW☺︎


FINISHED VERSION - CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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