Housing the magic of art

it felt like a stare-off; inclined to look away for fear they may start to read my own thoughts

Twelve-time Archibald finalist Paul Newton, chair of Australia Council for Arts Rupert Myer AM and NSW Art Gallery director Dr Michael Brand in conversation during Friday night's Archibald Prize opening at the Grafton Regional Gallery. Picture: [e-mail]

IT IS such a privilege for the Clarence Valley to host the Archibald Prize 2017 Touring Exhibition for the next month and a half.

If you've got a spare half an hour or three before March 18, be sure to pay a visit to Grafton Regional Gallery to check out the mesmerising collection on display.

Season tickets are just $10 for the public, gold coin for school students and free for pre-schoolers.

As I gazed upon the 51 portraits at the official opening on Friday night, some of the subjects were so realistic it felt like a stare-off; inclined to look away for fear they may start to read my own thoughts. Other, more stylised compositions generated are just as compelling, each grabbing you in its own, brilliant way.

The limiting factor of the Archibald Prize (and art in general) - and the great challenge that awaits its entrants - is that the subject must consent to the artwork. So there's an inherent human obligation to produce a piece that will earn the tick of approval from the subject themselves.

Most of the artworks paint likable characters. However, the ones that really struck were those that also revealed an inner truth. It is a great achievement of artists to challenge, or even confront, the audience in the most subtle ways. With the faintest paint stroke in the corner of the eye, so many of the artworks did just that.

Originally published as Housing the magic of art