Portrait prize in public hands

The official judging might be over but the public can still cast their votes for Australia’s first self-portrait prize, currently showing at the UQ Art Museum.

In the tradition of the Archibald Prize, a People’s Choice award will be given to the most popular entry of the exhibition, which features work from 30 top Australian artists and remains on display until February 10.

Museum Director Nick Mitzevich encouraged Brisbane’s budding art critics to help decide who would pick up the award in its inaugural year.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to come along and see stunning new works from some of the country’s best contemporary artists,” Mr Mitzevich said.

“With many of the portraits created specially for the exhibition and such a wide variety of artists and styles on show, everyone’s sure to have a favourite.”

Sydney painter Ben Quilty took out the $40,000 official prize in October for his oil and aerosol entry against an invite-only field which included five Archibald Prize winners.

Judge Andrew Sayers from the National Portrait Gallery said Quilty’s piece was “a real tour de force” which impressed with its energy and colour.

“It shows extraordinary skill and maturity to paint a work in what are literally livid colours, with great visceral gobs of paint over just the primed canvas,” he said.

To enter the People’s Choice Award, simply fill out an entry form during the Museum’s opening hours (Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 4pm).

Those who pick the most popular entry will go into the draw to receive a copy of Sally Butler’s Our Way: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Lockhart River book and a selection of self-portrait postcards, with the winner announced on February 14.

Sponsored by the Margaret Hannah Olley Foundation, the prize and accompanying exhibition will be staged every second year to complement UQ’s growing collection of artists’ self-portraits, the only one of its kind in the country.

Media: Nick Mitzevich (07 3365 3046, n.mitzevich@uq.edu.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)

For high resolution images of the artworks and exhibition, contact Diana Lilley (07 3365 2753, d.lilley@uq.edu.au)