An iconic piece of Australian history, painted for Olivia Newton-John, will sit proudly and permanently at the Bendigo Art Gallery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ken Done's Sydney Sunday, 1982, has become the newest, and one of the biggest, acquisitions the gallery has ever made.
Unveiled at the Australiana: Designing a Nation exhibition, the painting has become a symbol of the country's culture.
Sydney Sunday was famously crafted for the launch of Newton-John's American-based fashion empire Koala Blue and spent time in her Malibu and Australian homes until her death last year.
Done said it's the first time a gallery has purchased such a significant work of his.
"I did this painting for Olivia Newton-John when she opened her shop in America," he said. "She was a lovely girl, terrific.
"When she passed away, we were able to acquire the painting again and then thrillingly, this wonderful gallery has acquired it as part of their permanent collection, which is great."
Bendigo Art Gallery manager Jessica Bridgfoot said the painting had "incredible prominence and an incredible story to be owned".
"You've got a painting that's by one of Australia's greatest and most iconic artists that was owned by one of Australia's most iconic performers; you can't get much better than that," she said.
"It absolutely captures that nostalgia for that time in the 1980s, the idea of what it meant to be Australian, the beach, the Sydney harbour, the sunshine, the joyous colour, it's all there."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Done's work has experienced somewhat of a renaissance, with the 82-year-old artist collaborating with contemporary Australian fashion label Romance Was Born, also exhibited as part of Australiana.
"There has been a resurgence of interest in his work," Ms Bridgfoot said.
"There's a huge affection for him, in my generation and the younger generation, and a sort of re-examining of his practice.
"We felt it was a really good time to bring a seminal painting into our collection."
Ms Bridgfoot said she expected Sydney Sunday to become a destination painting for the gallery.
Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.
Jonathon Magrath
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
