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• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  The Estate of Ann Lewis AO
• Sale Date:
  07 Nov 2011 ~ 6pm
• Lot #:
  121
• Lot Description:
  Michael Challis (Mike) Brown
  (1938–1997)
  Represented by Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne; In November 1965 Mike Brown held an exhibition at Gallery A Sydney titled Paintin' a-go-go. Followin
  Synthetic polymer paint on hardboard
  76 x 76cm
• Provenance:
  Paintin' a-go-go at Gallery A Sydney, 1965
• Exhibited:
  Gallery A Sydney, 1964-1983, 2009
• Notes:
  Represented by Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne; In November 1965 Mike Brown held an exhibition at Gallery A Sydney titled Paintin' a-go-go. Following an anonymous complaint, the exhibition was visited by Detective Sergeant Frank (Bumper) Farrell of the NSW Vice Squad. The likely cause of the complaint was the inclusion of expletives in some of the paintings. Farrell removed a selection of paintings, and the gallery was closed temporarily. Mike Brown was sentenced at trial to three months imprisonment with hard labour, which was changed to a fine of $20.00 on appeal. Mike Brown remains the only Australian artist to be convicted under the Obscene and Indecent Publications Act. It is likely that Brown's exhibition was intended as a provocation to the restrictions of censorship that affected Sydney at that time; as he commented to The Daily Mirror ' even cheap sensationalism is jumping and has more life in it than any of the things called art. ' To the same newspaper Sargeant Farrell reported that 'he could not comment on the art show. I would not claim to be an expert art critic he said. I seldom go to art shows except in the line of duty. ' (The Daily Mirror, 23 November 1965) John Murphy
• Estimate:
  A$3,000 - 5,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.