Castlemaine artist Ned Middleton is a bit of a music buff, and while Tim Rogers’ band the Hard-Ons isn’t really his cup of tea, Ned was happy to have the chance to paint the legendary rock star for an entry into the Archibald Prize.
After two sittings, a lot of research and guidance from his two mentors, Tobias Richardson and Simon Dubbeld, Ned completed a magnificent, large-scale portrait of the musician.
A condition of entry into the Archibald is that the painting itself must be presented, so Ned recently travelled to Sydney to enter the prestigious competition.
Although unsuccessful, when asked if he was disappointed, Ned said, “Not really.” He also got to see the “Big bridge and the Opera House,” which he was pretty happy about.
Tobias, one of Ned’s longtime teachers and mentors, described Tim as being very generous with the project.
“He’s a really down-to-earth guy, who started getting naked nearly instantly,” he laughs.
Tim told the Express that his shirtlessness was not meant as a sign of vanity or show of beauty or power, but as a way to show who he was.
“I am an open book, for better and certainly for worse,” he said.
A highlight of Ned’s painting is Tim’s unique tattoos, with two hands entwined prominently displayed on his chest.
“It is a reminder to me to stop taking drugs, because I would be looking at my chest a lot,” he said.
“It didn’t work for a while, but it works these days.”
Other features of the painting are a colourful background of stars, Ruby, the name of Tim’s daughter, and the word Zombie, the name of a Cranberries song that, for Ned, resembles the style of Tim’s work.
“I’ve never really liked that song before but I’m going to start liking it now,” Tim said.
Being the first time he had seen the painting in person, the rock star’s pleasure in Ned’s depiction of him was written across his features as he took in the piece.
“It’s a very big compliment to be asked to be painted, and it is very beautiful and very dynamic,” Tim said.
“I’m an extremely un-dynamic person, and all of the excitement of it is an anathema to my actual character, and I like that. It’s characterful.”
At 56, the music star, who has performed countless gigs in countless countries, performed as the frontman of You Am I, the Hard Ons, and the Bamboos, has found his forever home in central Victoria, bookending his start to life in another goldfield in Western Australia.
“Living in this beautiful part of the world and still creating art and being let in the door by other artforms, whether it be theatre groups – I’m working with Castlemaine Theatre later in the year – and meeting artists like Ned and Tobias, is a privilege,” he said.
And what’s next for Ned? Well, he has moved on to his next artwork, a political piece featuring the Village People and Donald Trump and he is hoping to have his next solo exhibition at the Fringe Festival. He’s not sure if he will enter the Archibald Prize again, but if he does, he wouldn’t mind painting TayTay or Sabrina Carpenter. And it’s looking pretty likely that his portrait of Tim will wind up on the cover of an album sometime in the near future.
“It will happen for Ned,” Tim said.
“He is too important. He is too good, and too exciting, too fun. His paintings are really fun, and it will happen,” Tim said.