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Ian Fairweather:

The Drunken Buddh

Sven Knudsen
Eyeline 84
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The Drunken Buddha series was a significant phase in Ian Fairweather’s life and oeuvre. First exhibited at Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, in 1965, the series has remained in relative obscurity for half a century. Following the original exhibition, the twelve paintings were gradually sold and dispersed into different collections, never again to be exhibited together. The whereabouts of some is unknown. The only remaining link between the paintings is Fairweather’s publication of The Drunken Buddha, his translation of a popular Chinese novel, which he illustrated with these paintings. That is, until recently, when almost the entire series was reunited in an exhibition at TarraWarra Museum of Art and accompanied by a reprint of the original publication by the University of Queensland Press. The recent exhibition and publication go some way to reinserting this key text and the paintings for The Drunken Buddha back into Fairweather’s oeuvre, which has been long overdue.

Despite extensive and wide-ranging literature concerning Fairweather’s Chinese and calligraphic influences, there appears to be a dearth of critical thought and research into the artist’s uncanny faculty for deciphering Chinese script, which culminated in his translation into English of The Drunken Buddha. Little has been discussed of the publication’s significance within broader Australian history, given it was printed in the 1960s and predates our country’s growing interest and dependency on China. Nor has Fairweather’s ability to translate Chinese script, as opposed to simply appropriating the style and technique of the Chinese calligrapher, been scrutinised to a great degree. In fact, even Murray Bail’s revised and updated monograph, Ian Fairweather, which has been praised for its comprehensive and meticulous detailing of his life and art, fails... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

Chi-tien stands on his head, 1964. Synthetic polymer paint and gouache on cardboard on composition board, 64.8 x 99.1cm. Private collection.

Chi-tien stands on his head, 1964. Synthetic polymer paint and gouache on cardboard on composition board, 64.8 x 99.1cm. Private collection.

Goes begging, 1964. Synthetic polymer paint on cardboard on composition board, 2 panels, overall 89.4 x 150.3cm. Gift of Eva Besen AO and Marc Besen AO. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program 2008. TarraWarra Museum of Art collection.

Goes begging, 1964. Synthetic polymer paint on cardboard on composition board, 2 panels, overall 89.4 x 150.3cm. Gift of Eva Besen AO and Marc Besen AO.
Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program 2008. TarraWarra Museum of Art collection.