THE ARCHIBALD: A SOCIO-HISTORICAL FEAST FOR THE EYES

Hello Everyone,

I took a trip down our national memory lane last Saturday at the Archibald Centenary showing at AGSA. It was a tremendous exhibition from a visual perspective, but the commentaries accompanying each portrait were just as important, reminding us of the contributions of each of the subjects and filling us in on the career and motivations of the artists. What a wonderful way to review our short history.

Some of the highlights, for me, were WA artist, Abdul Abdullah’s, portrait of aboriginal artist and political activist, Richard Bell, as an astronaut, capturing his first impression of his friend and mentor ‘as a mountain…the type of person who fills a room when he enters it.’ Even amongst such grand company, it was clear the artist had achieved his objective. Then there was Davide Allen’s painting of her father-in-law watering the garden. She creatively thrashed the green background with a branch of the celtis tree he had been watering, thereby imprinting it with authenticity, nature and emotion. Moreover, she is known for painting with her hands. These, and so many other intriguing details, make the exhibition absolutely riveting.

It was fascinating to see John Howard as a young man, instead of the elder statesman he is today. However, the painting that I found the most riveting was entitled, ‘A true Territorian’: Portrait of Grandma Lum Loy. Her face is a repository of calm resilience. The face of a woman who has tackled life, undaunted and with the type of humility and mettle that is hard to find in the twenty-first century. I returned to sit and gaze at her for some time, as she embodied the true grit that has built the character of our nation. Congratulations Geoff La Gerche for choosing to focus on a market gardener whose resilience through many tragedies has shown that it is often the everyday heroes whose lives are an inspiration to the rest of us. My hope is that, seeing all these great Australians in one place will remind us of our capacity to quietly get on with things and occasionally have the courage to step out into the public square when we need a shake up, and to act with integrity for the good of the whole nation. For me, the message was clear: Australians need to eschew the narcissism of the influencers whose lives are driven by consumerism, and return to the true Australian values of mateship and hard work, neighbourliness and self-sacrifice. Status Update: Inspired!

Take a trip into town and be inspired too.

All the best,

Julie