AGNSW collection Richard Larter Dithyrambic painting no 6 1965
https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/52.1972/
Larter's vibrant flat canvasses appear utterly fresh and new. In this collection I wanted to look back to find his inspiration, and look forward to see his impact.
The main subject is the surface, which has its colour, its laws, over and above the objects.
Bonnard
[Larter’s] work was abrasive: tough in its open celebration of sexuality, and tough in the intensity of his colour.
Joanna Mendelssohn, review, 1999
What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape: it is the human figure.
Matisse
Larter regarded the women who modelled for him, especially his wife Pat, as the expression of positive energy against the negative censorious attitudes of bureaucratic officials.
National Gallery of Australia, 2008
[Larter’s] work was – and is – emblematic of his anti-authoritarianism and progressive personal politics, and it was also a frank celebration of sex and sexuality.
Deborah Clark, obituary, 2014
He’s never been afraid of using and celebrating very graphic content in his work, and I feel that in Australia there’s not a rich enough history of that.
Del Kathryn Barton, interview with Artbank, 2013
High contrast, high colour and big sexy girls was one way to get attention. It happened in advertising, so why shouldn't an artist use the same sort of thing?
Richard Larter, interview with The Sunday Age, 2002