Gordon Bennett: Be Polite follows the exhibition of largely unseen works on paper by one of Australia’s most visionary and critical artists, Gordon Bennett (1955–2014). The exhibition and publication are the first to present the work of Bennett since his death. Though rarely seen in exhibition contexts, Bennett’s drawing and writing formed the foundation of his practice.

This publication brings together three newly commissioned essays by art historian Ian McLean and curators and arts writers Helen Hughes and Julie Nagam. The selection of works from the Estate of Gordon Bennett comprises drawings, acrylic/gouache and watercolor paintings, poetry, and essays from the early 1990s to the early 2000s—a period that produced work of remarkable force and revealed the artist’s working methods, research focuses, and ultimately his ambitions for his work.