Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize 2013 - Montsalvat
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Rick Amor
Self Portrait Prize
2013
Montsalvat
Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize 2013
‘It’s difficult to know yourself,’ wrote van Gogh in one of his many letters, ‘but it isn’t easy to paint
yourself either.’
There is something profound and disarming about van Gogh’s plain speaking. His utterance is as
direct as his self portraits are striking: no artifice, just a resonant truth. The portraits, rendered in
those strident greens, yellows and reds, have extraordinary psychological and emotional impact –
bravura works. But it is not bravura flourish that rivets the viewer: it’s the depth of their insight,
the apparent humility of the depictions. They seem almost ambivalent about their own success. It
isn’t easy to paint yourself.
Yet artists keep doing it, whatever the dictates of fashion or their times. There are self portraits in
ancient manuscripts. Hokusai drew himself. Michelangelo put his face on an empty skin descending
into hell in the Sistine Chapel’s Last Judgment. Rembrandt was a serial self painter. So was Dürer.
Women – from Sofonisba Anguissola and Artemisia Gentileschi to Frida Kahlo – have routinely
painted themselves. Gabriele Münter, while fully immersed in the German Expressionist move-
ment of her time, and fostering the abstract experimentation of her partner Vasily Kandinsky,
nonetheless painted uncompromising portraits and self portraits – and was passionate about the
genre: ‘The painting of portraits is the boldest, and the most difficult, the most spiritual, the most
extreme task of the artist.’
In Rick Amor, Australian art has a treasure, and a great exponent of this ‘most extreme task’. His
portraits and self portraits have a power to arrest the gaze and challenge one’s preconceptions.
They question our sense of who we are, what we are like. They shock us into recognition. Together
with his fugitive-haunted landscapes, they have become an articulate part of the Australian psyche.
The self portraits in this exhibition have a related quality – humility and psychological penetration
made manifest through formidable technique.
Montsalvat is proud to be home to the inaugural Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize. We are very grateful
to the artist for his generosity in offering the prize and thank him for his great-hearted promotion
of the work of his fellow artists. Montsalvat has long been a place for portraiture – witness the
many rich works by its founder, Justus Jörgensen, in our permanent collection. With this exhibition
a tradition is renewed. The quality and élan of the works selected for the exhibition have delighted
the judges and Montsalvat’s arts staff. We trust they will give Montsalvat audiences as much
pleasure -– and stimulus to thought.
Morag Fraser
Chair, Montsalvat
Cover: Rick Amor, Self Portrait at 64, 2012, oil on board, 60cm x 73cm
Tom Alberts Winter Self Portrait Michael Armstrong Self Portrait in the Studio 2013, oil on linen, 35cm x 30cm (detail) 2013, oil on linen, 30cm x 25cm I’m interested in painting at perception size, which I painted this work from an angled mirror suggesting a usually means a smaller than life size result on canvas, growing dominance and impending collapse. In contrast but then I realised that if I had the mirror closer and the the small scale suggests intimacy and submission. The painting further away I could paint a life size (almost) self jagged and thick strokes of colour clinging and climbing portrait. I also wanted very much for the painting to look over each other suggests a dance between the subject, as if it just effortlessly fell onto the canvas, all of a piece. the body and the self, the artist, performer and viewer. Stephen Armstrong Self Portrait - If on a winter’s Paul Borg Becoming 50 night 2012, oil on linen, 50cm x 38cm (detail) 2013, oil on canvas, 76cm x 62cm (detail) Self portraits are like looking at photographs of myself, I This self portrait resolved itself quickly on one cold doubt my own likeness saying, ‘No that’s not me’. Our night. As each prop was added to the composition the perception of what we look like and what we want to sense of unease seemed to increase. Yellows and greens look like are different things. I find painting myself the were added to give the picture an edgy acidity to reflect hardest task of all. Fortunately, I have an identical twin the mood of a chilly studio after midnight. brother, so if the painting looks like him, I am happy.
Daniel Butterworth Self with Austrian Hat Yvette Coppersmith Black Points
2013, oil on canvas, 61cm x 50cm (detail) 2013, oil on linen, 71cm x 56cm (detail)
Painted wet into wet, the image of Daniel originally was Black Points is influenced by a myriad of Picasso
not wearing a hat. Daniel’s brother returned from Austria portraits, in particular Picasso’s Self Portrait of 1906 with
with a hat as a present while he was in the middle of his its stony pallor as well as his Harlequin - who often
work. Daniel could not take the hat off resulting in it served as Picasso’s alter ego. Harlequin is usually a
making an appearance in this work. clown, but here the tone is more serious or melancholy,
alluded to by the black triangles and muted palette.
David Costello Self Portraits in Studio with Muse Laura Courtney Self Portrait 2013
2012, oil on board, 57cm x 57cm (detail) oil on board, 28cm x 23cm (detail)
In my practice I explore the use of spatial devices, Increasingly in portraits I aim for a balance between
symbols and geometrical repetition within pictorial refined and unconstrained. My blond eyelashes and
space. The self portrait is visible multiple ways - the eyebrows can make me look featureless and although I
finished painting, the back of the painting in the mirror, have painted myself with makeup, I prefer to honour my
the artist’s view of the painting and the artist’s reflected fair Celtic traits, which was completely abhorrent to me
image. Which exists in our reality? Who looks at who? as an adolescent.
Mark Dober Self Portrait in the Bush Graeme Drendel Self Portrait July 2013
2013, oil on canvas, 61cm x 52cm oil on canvas, 60cm x 51cm (detail)
Self Portrait in the Bush was painted en plein-air looking Self portrait painted over two cold winter days in July
into a mirror hanging on a nail in a gum tree. As I am a 2013.
landscape painter and work on location, this was how I
wanted to present myself. The expression is matter of
fact: a painter at work in an environment to which he
feels a sense of belonging.
Andrew Forsythe Self Portrait Sebastian Haquin Copper Portrait
2013, oil on linen, 61cm x 46cm (detail) 2013, oil on copper, 22cm x 20cm (detail)
Well, I realise what a hairy chap I am now - I had no idea! I am constantly surprised at how little the outward face
shows about the experienced life of the individual. With
time and sharing one can come to know a person. Yet
the artist desiring to represent in some medium another
person or oneself, can create a mood, atmosphere, sense
of the person.
Kristin Headlam Self Portrait in Red and Blue Shane Jones Fragments - Self Portrait
2012, oil on linen, 35cm x 30cm (detail) 2013, oil on linen, 71cm x 56cm (detail)
This is a plain, no frills self portrait, hovering, I hope, over Portraiture is about identity, but we never completely
the transformative crossover between rough paint and know who we are. What we do know is but a part of the
living person. whole, and this self portrait addresses a fragmented view
of oneself.
Heja Jung The Struggle Michael Kelly Self Portrait Winter 2013
2013, oil on canvas, 81cm x 60cm (detail) oil on board, 46cm x 42cm (detail)
There is a constant struggle between arranging one’s I have painted self portraits periodically since I was an art
image as one wants to be seen and the truth of how one student. I find I tend to paint self portraits when I’m
really is. As I stare in the mirror day after day, with great going through periods of change and recently I have had
struggle, slowly the fantasy drops away, and what is to move from where I live and work. This self portrait
inside, what one is feeling, what one really is, comes was the last painting I did in my old studio before
forward to be painted. moving.
Igor Listkiewicz Self Portrait with Bovine Sketch Effie Mandalos Self Portrait 2013, oil on canvas, 58cm x 63cm (detail) 2013, oil on canvas, 62cm x 45cm (detail) The dominant subject of my practice is the human figure As soon as I put on the hat I became someone and portraiture as vehicles of diverse narratives. The completely different. I was painting, but unaware that I breaking down of the work into multiple panels is a sim- was going to create something mature looking yet calm ple device to allow a fluid composition to exist so it can and collected with hidden power illuminating from the respond and adapt to the final conditions that would canvas, and I realised that this character was another dictate its display and the most desirable reading. part of me, only it was hiding ready to be discovered. Terry Matassoni Self Portrait in the Studio Joshua McPherson Winter Self Portrait 2013 2013, oil on canvas, 35cm x 25cm (detail) oil on linen, 73cm x 59cm (detail) I painted this self portrait in my studio, I set up a mirror Feeling out of place in Sydney after seven years in Italy, I to the left of the painting on one easel and put my remembered an artist’s quote, “a studio is a place of canvas on another. Usually I paint a few paintings at the work and comfort even when feeling down”. So I same time, letting the paint dry on some and revising the grabbed a mirror and canvas to capture these feelings. others. It was nice to work in a different way putting my This self portrait gave me a renewed sense of purpose energies into this painting and really looking hard. with my art and ability to translate the world I see.
Matilda Michell Self Portrait Wearing a Man’s Gabriella Moxey Grey Day Self Portrait No. 1
Jacket 2013, oil on board, 60cm x 44cm (detail)
2013, oil on canvas, 50cm x 33cm (detail) This is a self-reflective, self-portrait (no pun intended); I
wanted to create a character that I recognised as myself.
Possibly because I did the painting in August and only on
cloudy days, for a true representation of myself I felt that
muted and muddy tones with clear light washing over
them and the odd touches of saturated colour were best.
Lisa Nolan Self Portrait Heidi Peters Morning Glance
2013, oil on cedar panel, 38cm x 24cm (detail) 2013, oil on linen, 60cm x 45cm (detail)
I work from life in a variety of media, my preferred me- This is the first glance I have of myself after getting up
dium being oil on linen. I love drawing and painting the each morning. As I sit on the bathroom ‘throne’ and
face and figure in all shapes and sizes. Light is the magic glance sideways, I can see the top of my face. For this
ingredient in my art, as the strength, direction, substance painting I have added my favourite red jumper with
and key of light gives whatever I paint or draw a sense of ruffles around the neck as it is reminiscent of the ruffled
time and place, mood, a feeling. collars worn by royalty and often captured in portraits.
Carey Potter Self Portrait Cassandra Rijs The Desperate Man
2013, acrylic and oil, 46cm x 61cm (detail) 2013, oil on canvas, 60cm x 70cm (detail)
Born 1959. At the time of painting this self portrait I had been going
through a bit of a personal and artistic crisis. Initially I
had not intended to capture this, but it naturally came
through. I chose to reference Gustave Courbet’s painting
The Desperate Man, his self portrait was a reflection of
his own personal crisis and struggle with being an artist.
Jenny Rodgerson Self Portrait Mateja Simenko Untitled
2013, oil on linen, 66cm x 76cm (detail) 2013, watercolour on archival paper, 25cm x 25cm (detail)
I found it very challenging and rewarding to paint myself, While working on this, I realised that it is impossible to
which I have not in the past. The model was often not portray yourself as others see you. You’re painting the
compliant and found it hard to keep the same position. I way you see yourself in the mirror. My 10 year old
wasn’t paying her much so I couldn’t complain. I enjoyed daughter says it looks nothing like me. Others said that
staring at the nuances in my face and hands and will it’s a very harsh depiction of myself. To me it really looks
continue to do self portraits as part of my art practice. like me.
Julian Smith Cornered Martin Tighe Portrait of the Artist as a Middle 2013, oil and acrylic on aluminium composite panel, Aged Man 59cm x 55cm (detail) 2013, acrylic on board, 36cm x 27cm (detail) I have given a number of artists a cardboard construction The artwork is my first self portrait. I expected that the from which to create something, and then return it for painting of it would present the same challenges por- me to paint. Artist, Leanne Hermosilla, attached three traits of other people presented. I was surprised to find panels of mirrored perspex to the object so that I would the experience confronting. have to tackle multiples of my own reflection. Anselm van Rood Self Portrait as a Jew 2013, oil on canvas, 81cm x 66cm (detail) I first found out about my Jewish heritage as a young adult. It meant little to me, I have lived most of my life as a Gentile. Since coming to Melbourne, I am more Montsalvat interested in the matter. What does it mean to be Jew- 7 Hillcrest Ave, Eltham VIC 3095 ish? Is there any way that I can reclaim my heritage? This www.montsalvat.com.au self portrait as a Chassidic Jew is part of my exploration. (03) 9439 7712 | montsalvat@montsalvat.com.au
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