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The ballots have been tallied and the People have spoken….
With nearly 4,000 people casting their votes, this year’s $7,500 Black Swan Portraiture Amana Living Prize People’s Choice Award winner is Queensland artist Tom Macbeth for his portrait of Syd Kirkby MBE, an Australian surveyor and Antarctic explorer.
Tina Wilson, Executive Director of ARTrinsic Inc., said “We have been blown away by the number of people who have visited the exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA, and the number of people voting in the people’s choice is the largest we have seen since the inception of the award 10 years ago”.
Coming in second was WA artist Brendon Darby’s self-portrait entitled Down by the River, followed by Ben Howe’s portrait of his younger brother Andrew, and Tessa McOnie’s portrait of her school friend Kimberley Benjamin.
Macbeth’s work is entitled Trailblazer and this is not the first time that he has painted the well-regarded surveyor: “Attempting to capture the character and wisdom of a man like Syd is both daunting and humbling. As I paint Syd I can’t help but imagine the shear determination and tenacity of a man in the 1950s exploring one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet by dog sled! I hope the portrait captures not only this tenacious character but also his wisdom coupled with his humble, soft, nature. A true honour to have the opportunity to paint his portrait!”
Dunja Rmandić, AGWA Associate Curator Projects, said “Tom Macbeth’s portrait of Syd Kirkby MBE displays a mastery of the traditional portrait painting technique with exactitude of photo-realism. The focus he places on the subject’s hands as much as the face intensifies the mood of confidence, reflection and experience.”
The main prize winner of the Lester Group $50,000 was WA artist Rachel Coad, with her portrait of fellow artist Waldemar Kolbusz, and the Tony Fini Foundation $10,000 Artist Prize went to another WA artist Mark Tweedie for his portrait of a family friend.
The Black Swan Prize for Portraiture is the third richest prize in Australia behind the Archibald and the Doug Moran Prizes. Artists were invited to submit portraits of an Australian, or Australians that they respect or admire.
