The work of a local artist and painting teacher from Castlemaine has been included in the landmark Archie 100 exhibition that opened at the Art Gallery of NSW last Friday.
Gabrielle Martin’s painting, Tony Clark with Jasperware (Landscape), 2003, was selected from thousands of Archibald Prize finalists to be included in this exhibition of 100 paintings drawn from the history of the Archibald Prize, which first opened 100 years ago.
“I am so proud and delighted to be part of an exhibition that celebrates this prize, loved by artists and public alike. My painting is of artist Tony Clark, who was a teacher I had in my first year of art school,” Martin said.
“His interest in classical art, seen through a postmodern lens and informed by his deep love of the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico, had an important influence on me at a crucial age.
“I have included his arresting painting in the background, as an homage.
“It was a wonderful experience painting someone I had been intrigued and intimidated by in equal parts, and to get to know him more deeply as a person.
“To have this painting now hang beside portraits by William Dobell, John Brack and Nora Heyson is truly a great honour.”
Though Martin couldn’t attend the opening at the Art Gallery of NSW, which she had been looking forward to for months (due to the rules about quarantining when entering NSW from Victoria), she said she was looking forward to a trip up there once it was permitted.
Archie 100 will tour nationally for three years and opens at the Geelong Gallery in November of this year.
