The winner of the Archibald Prize has been announced, Sam Leach for a portrait of Tim Minchin. I personally find it a bit of a ho-hum painting but each to his own.
The Archibald is today regarded as the foremost portraiture prize in Australia (a $50,000 prize), although it is being rivalled by the Moran National Portrait Prize ($100,000 prize, the richest portrait prize in Australia and in the world).
As a digression, an artist, Roger Akinin, once saw a photo of me asleep on a couch with cats perched on me. Although I didn't know him, he asked to paint that image and for me to sit for him. I agreed and, whilst the portrait was submitted but not accepted as a finalist for the Archibald, it did make the final 5 for the 2000 Moran National Portrait Prize.
(Click on pics to enlarge)
