Night Cafe 1972

Brett Whiteley created 'Night Cafe' with oil on canvas, using familiar materials to make a not-so-familiar scene. The painting explodes with radiating lines and concentric circles of warm colors, dominated by yellows and reds. These colors, generously applied, activate the surface of the canvas, creating a striking and unsettling environment. The pool table, an object usually associated with leisure, stands as a beacon within the space. We can imagine the artist layering brushstrokes to capture the artificial lights’ stark contrasts, the scene illuminated while everything outside is cast in shadow. Whiteley's process seems immediate, almost visceral. He’s not just depicting a space, but communicating a feeling. The everyday is made extraordinary through his attention to form and color. His unique perspective challenges distinctions between lived experience and high art.