Portrait of a veteran rocker wins our People’s Choice
Jamie Preisz has won The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award at the Brisbane Portrait Prize with his brilliant portrait of former Rolling Stone’s tour manager Sam Cutler
Lifestyle
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Artist Jamie Preisz seems to be lucky when it comes to veteran rockers. His painting of Jimmy Barnes won him the Packer’s Prize at the Archibald and now he has won The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award at Brisbane Portrait Prize (BPP) with his painting of former Rolling Stones tour manager Sam Cutler.
Preisz, 30, is in Sydney and unable to attend the award ceremony at Brisbane Powerhouse Tuesday night where the BPP finalists exhibition is being held but said he was “over the moon”.
“I chose to paint Sam because I was told about this guy who lives in Brisbane who used to be the manager of The Rolling Stones and I thought he sounded interesting,” Mr Preisz said. “I read his book and contacted him and originally we were talking about doing it for the Archibald but then I thought it felt better to do Sam for the Brisbane Portrait Prize since he lives there.”
The painting, which features a shirtless Cutler showing off his tattoos also features a small migratory bird as a symbol of Cutler’s peripatetic life. Orphaned in World War II he initially trained to be a teacher but ended up in the world of rock as tour manager for The Stones, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and other acts. He has lived in Australia now for over two decades.
Cutler, 78, who is battling cancer, says he is thrilled for Preisz and describes the portrait as “a bit flattering”.
“I’ve had plenty of photos taken of me but now I’m an oil painting I have been immortalised,” Mr Cutler said. “It’s a good likeness and people must like it since they voted for it.”
Curler wrote about his rock experiences in his memoir You Can’t Always Get What You Want and he is, famously, the bloke who first coined the introduction ... “Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest rock and roll band in the world, The Rolling Stones”. It’s a tag Mick Jagger wasn’t comfortable with at first complaining to Cutler about it. Cutler replied ... “either you are or you aren’t”.
Jason Scott, Managing Director of News Corporation Queensland said Preisz’s painting of Cutler was a worthy winner of the $7500 Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award.
“Our readers love good stories and Jamie Preisz’s painting of Sam Cutler is a painting that tells a great story,” Mr Scott said. “It’s one of the best portraits in a very strong field this year. And as a Stones tragic, I personally love it. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Brisbane Portrait Prize in its third year.”
BPP director Anna Reynolds said the winning portrait was “a haunting and dramatic picture that tells a story of a life well lived”.
“Sam Cutler is a huge Brisbane character whose story has touched many people across the globe,” Ms Reynolds said. “By allowing Jamie Preisz into his life Sam has allowed him to share some of the fragility and vulnerability that goes with being rock and roll royalty.”
The Brisbane Portrait Prize Finalists Exhibition is on until October 31 at Brisbane Powerhouse and the Salon des Refuses is on at Petrie Terrace Gallery RQAS until Oct 31.
From November 1 - 14 the BPP Indigenous Artists Showcase will be held at Birrunga Gallery & Dining , 300 Adelaide Street. The Emerging and Contemporary Artists Showcase will be held at Metro Arts at West Village while a City Showcase will be on display in the foyer of Central Plaza 1, 345 Queen Street.
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