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| Joanna Braithwaite's 'Royal Mount' from the Sulman exhibition |
Now in its 90th year, the Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art awards. JF Archibald’s primary aims were to foster portraiture, support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians.
There was little controversy this year. No-one is suing anyone as has happened several times in the past - once over a claim a charcoal drawing was not a painting. Although the Archibalds thrive on controversy and out of hundreds of entries only 40 get hung as a twelve trustees of the NSW Art Gallery-led by the president Steven Lowy (his family own the world-wide chain of Westfield shopping centres) finally decide on a winner after much debate.
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| Margaret Olley & Ben Quilty |
This year's winner of the $50,000 prize was Ben Quilty with his portrait of Australia's doyen of art, 88 year old Margaret Olley acclaimed as our greatest living artist who was also the subject of the 1948 winning work by William Dobell.
Richard Goodwin won the Wynne Prize for his sculpture of a vertical motorcycle titled ' Co-isolated slav.'and the Sulman Prize was won by Peter Smeeth for his painting 'The artist's fate'.
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| Hugo Weaving admires a painting of his pal Richard Roxburgh |
All the works go on public exhibition from tomorrow until June 26 at the Art Gallery of NSW and will then tour regional NSW and Victoria.
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| Rodney Pople with his family portrait |
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| round the world sailor Jessica Watson by Tom McBeth |
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| Judy & Ken Done with his self portrait |
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| Nicholas Harding's portrait of actor Hugo Weaving |
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| Gallery director Edmund Capon, new NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell , Steven Lowy |
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| Song Ling's self portrait |
