Wills makes his way

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a theme that seems to haunt the Archibald Prize, where every year the selection of Australia’s top prize for portraiture produces controversy and angst. And the organisers, I’m sure, wouldn’t have it any other way.

This year’s prize went to a novice in first-timer Marcus Wills for his The Paul Juraszek Monolith (after Marcus Gheeraerts). The piece, based on a 16th Century lithograph by Dutch artist Marcus Gheeraerts (the Elder) titled Allegory of Iconoclasm, features not just one but 29 portraits of Melbourne sculptor Paul Juraszek.

True to form, the choice raised heckles, as some critics argued it wasn’t a portrait at all. The same argument was famously raised against the artist William Dobell in 1943. As on that occasion, the arguments seem to be based more in emotion than logic; and some would say that Wills’ piece is more of a portrait than last year’s winner by John Olsen. Others were upset by the extent of Wills’ “borrowing” from Gheeraerts.

The finalists however undoubtedly presented the judges with a difficult choice. The 35 pictures in contention spanned the range of portraiture; some of them pushing the boundaries of the form.

Few could have any problems with pictures like Paul Newton’s “Portrait of Pat Corrigan”; Kathleen Vafiadis’ “Julia” (a portrait of Julia Gillard) or John Beard’s “Ken Unsworth”.

Paul Jackson’s intriguing “Garry McDonald ‘All the World’s a Stage’” had some elements in common with Wills’ winner, showing the award-winning actor in three different “versions”.

The criticism of Wills’ “borrowing” could also be levelled at Prudence Flint’s “Four Wheel Drive #2”, with its obvious references to Jeffrey Smart’s work. And it’s difficult to know what those who attacked Wills’ lack of actual “portraiture” would make of Weaver Jack’s abstract self-portrait, “Weaver Jack at Lungarung”; or Rodney Pople’s “Artist and Curator, after Gainsborough” which arguably owes more to landscape than portraiture.

The Packing Room Prize, selected by the packers who handle the pictures for the exhibition, went to Michael Mucci’s “A Working Class Man”, a portrait of TV personality Scott Cam. While not exactly an exciting picture, it is a marvellously detailed painting, somewhat reminiscent of Lucien Freud - demonstrating that while the packers have (proudly) never picked the Archibald winner, they do have taste.

The Wynne Prize for landscape or figure sculpture went to Archibald finalist John Beard for his remarkable melancholic work The Gap. Rendered almost entirely in blues and greys, the painting depicts the infamous spot near Sydney Heads that was the scene of several suicides.

Another Archibald finalist Jaiwei Shen (who must be considered unlucky not to have taken the big one with his imaginative “This is not a photo”) got some consolation by taking the Sulman Prize for subject painting, genre painting or mural. Perhaps best known up till now for his portrait of Princess Mary of Denmark which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, Shen’s “Peking Treaty 1901” is a thrilling picture in its own right. The rather unique pitcure depicts (although not literally of course) the signing of the Peking Treaty, by which China ceded sovereignty of Hong Kong to Britain. The win surely marks Shen as one of Australia’s most exciting artists.

A fairly recent addition to the Archibald season, the Photographic Portrait Prize went to Vanila Netto for the oddly titled “The magnanimous beige wrap part 1 - (contraption)”. The picture is of industrial designer and lecturer Nicholas J McColl swathed in the eponymous beige wrap. Again, just how much of a “portrait” it is may be debatable; but it’s certainly a striking image.

The Archibald Prize exhibition (including the Wynne, Sulman and Photographic Portrait Prizes) continues at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney until 28 May 2006. It will travel to Melbourne in June; and tour regional NSW from July till February next year.

David Edwards

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Archibald Prize 2006

Venue: Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Dates: To 28 May 2006
NOTE: Click on the images for a larger view