Ian Fairweather

‘Fairweather’s heroic task as an artist, and “lonely abnormal individual”, was to keep the world—of place, weather, family, his dealers, and a few fellow artists who were friends—both within reach and at a manageable distance. Scrupulously edited, the letters in which he did this, with all their paranoid anxieties, and grumps and prejudices, are both comic and engagingly human. Meanwhile the works are always quietly behind him in the dark.’ * David Malouf *
‘A gorgeous book with plenty of photos and reproductions of Fairweather’s works…It helps paint a fuller picture of the man than we’ve ever had before.’ * Courier Mail *
‘Fairweather’s letters…capture the intense interior life of a man devoted to his art.’ * Age *
‘Letters from [Ian Fairweather’s] Bribie Island retreat, with their total concentration on the essential act of painting, are quirky, opinionated, dedicated. Ian Fairweather: A Life in Letters is superbly edited by Claire Roberts and John Thompson, and generously produced.’ * Brenda Niall, ABR *
‘Essential to any understanding of Fairweather is the work of the letters’ editors…A Life in Letters is a beautiful object.’ * Sydney Review of Books *
‘A book that, like Fairweather’s paintings, generates thought and even walking so that you can taste it, put it down, go off and come back.’ * Garland *
‘A consummate editorial achievement.’ * Burlington *
‘A handsome edition…Scrupulously edited…Engrossing and beautifully made.’ * Art Monthly Australasia *

Claire Roberts is an associate professor in art history and an ARC Future Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She has published widely on Chinese art and visual culture and curated numerous exhibitions.

John Thompson is a historian who worked at the National Library of Australia for many years. He is the author of The Patrician and the Bloke: Geoffrey Serle and the Making of Australian History.

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