Today the finalists were announced for the 2011 Archibald Prize – Australia’s longest-running and most renowned art prizes for portraiture. Taking out the first prize to be awarded for the competition is Melbourne artist Vincent Fantauzzo, for his portrait of celebrity chef, Matt Moran.
Fantauzzo has been an Archibald favourite of past years, with the artist scoring People’s Choice for two consecutive years in 2008 and 2009, for his portraits of the late Heath Ledger and child actor Brandon Walters.
The Packing Room Award is chosen by gallery staff who receive entries, however, since the prize was first awarded in 1991, it has never followed that the Packing Room winner takes out the judge’s choice for the main prize.
Fantauzzo’s portrait depicts a smiling Moran (co-owner of ARIA restaurant) wielding a knife surrounded by butchered meat.
“Matt is one of my best friends. I’ve known him for years,” says Fantauzzo. “He grew up on a dairy farm, he has a lamb business and he’s very into fresh produce and meat. It’s a bit intense, I suppose, if you’re a vegetarian.”
Now in its 90th year, the 41 finalists up for the main Archibald prize include portraits of Cate Blanchett and her children (by Del Kathryn Barton), Cathy Freeman (by Craig Ruddy), Jessica Watson (by Macbeth Thomas) and Wilfred actor Jason Gann (by Michael Lindeman).
The winner is announced April 15, with all portraits to go on exhibition the following day at the Art Gallery of NSW.
2011 Archibald Finalists:
Abdul Abdullah: Waleed Aly
Giles Alexander: Space or Bust (Portrait of Sam Leach)
Del Kathryn Barton: Mother (a portrait of Cate)
Jason Benjamin: It’s not all Henry bloody Lawson
Kate Beynon: Painting Shirt (self portrait)
Natasha Bieniek: October
Deidre But-Husaim: Roy Ananda (chin support)
Marcus Callum: Portrait of a seated woman
Adam Chang: John Coetzee
Zhong Chen: Self portrait on a horse
Adam Cullen: Charlie
Lucy Culliton: Ray in Paris
Susanne de Berenger: Ted Ronbinson
Ken Done: Me, March 2011
Matt Doust: White Cocoon
Geoffrey Dyer: The collector, David Walsh
Vincent Fantauzzo: Matt Moran (Winner: Packing Room Prize)
Nicholas Harding: Hugo at home
Jeremy Kibel: Portrait of Robert Jacks AO
Sonia Kretschmar: The heart of things
Michael Lindeman: Portrait of Wilfred
Song Ling: My name is Fartunate – self portrait
Fiona Lowry: Portrait of Tim Silver
Thomas Macbeth: Jessica
Amanda Marburg: DA
Angus McDonald: Dr Ann Lewis AO
Alexander McKenzie: Richard Roxburgh
Christopher McVinish: Portrait of Robyn Nevin
Andrew Mezei: Professir Penny Sackett, Astronomer and Physicist
Lewis Miller: Small self portrait
Rodney Pople: Artist and family (after Caravaggio)
Ben Quilty: Margaret Olley
Craig Ruddy: Cathy Freeman
Jenny Sages: My Jack
Jiawei: Self portrait as Quong Tart’s Contemporary (After John Thomson), 2010
Zenia Stefanescu: Woven in tapestry of life
Tim Storrier: Moon boy (self portrait as a young man)
Pam Tippett: Self-Portrait (for a change)
Barbara Tyson: The country’s woman
Peter Wegner: Richard Morecroft
Apple Xiu Yin: Hearing . Meditation
Title Image- Archibald Prize Winning Portrait of Matt Moran by Vincent Fantauzzo
