For artists, there’s a real power in portraits
SOME of Australia’s most talented artists gathered at the Geelong Gallery last night, alongside their work that has travelled to the city for the opening of the Archibald Prize exhibition.
Fifty-seven paintings will be on show at the gallery from today for the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ touring exhibition of Archibald Prize 2018 finalist works.
Melbourne-based artist Anne Middleton’s painting of Geelong-raised actor Guy Pearce won the people’s choice award in Sydney.
“When I was looking for a subject for the Archibald Prize … I was particularly intrigued by his gaze. There’s a real intensity there,” Middleton told the Geelong Advertiser.
The artist and the actor discovered a shared love of tintype photography, which inspired Middleton’s hyperrealistic portrait of Pearce.
Middleton spent 10 weeks on the work, and Pearce came to three sittings at her Melbourne studio.
“For me it was really nice that it was his home territory that it was going to be shown in, and quite local for me too,” Middleton said. She said she was “incredibly chuffed” to win the people’s choice award in Sydney.
“To know that my painting resonated with so many people was really lovely. I think (the painting) drew people in, it’s all about his gaze.”
Middleton described the work as her “first major formal portrait”, and it was her first time entering the Archibald Prize. Geelong Gallery will also run its own people’s choice award.
Archibald Prize finalists, including winner Yvette Coppersmith, dignitaries, sponsors, subjects who sat for paintings and Art Gallery of New South Wales’ 2018 Archibald Prize Curator, Anne Ryan, attended last night’s event.
Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood opened the exhibition, expected to inject millions of dollars into the local economy, which is on until November 18 at Geelong Gallery.
Adult tickets cost $16.