Archibald packing room prize to Fauvel-Ogden for Calombaris

MasterChef’s George Calombaris had his turn being judged yesterday when he won the packing-room Archibald Prize.

Artist Betina Fauvel-Ogden with celebrity chef George Calombaris and the Archibald packing room prizewinner; ‘It’s a very strong portrait,’ chief packer Steve Peters says. Picture: John Feder

George Calombaris has spent the past seven years critiquing amateur chefs on MasterChef Australia. In Sydney yesterday it was the celebrity chef’s turn to be judged as a subject in this year’s Archibald Prize.

As he stood in front of his immortalised self at the Art Gallery of NSW, Calombaris said the modelling experience had presented new challenges. “I have never stood there for one hour without moving in my life,” he said. “And it was three separate sessions!”

He was speaking after the portrait, by first-time Archibald entrant Betina Fauvel-Ogden, was named the winner of the $1500 packing room prize.

The prize, awarded since 1991, is chosen by the packing room staff who receive, unload and hang the entries.

Chief packer Steve Peters, who is celebrating his 34th Archibald this year, has the final say — with 51 per cent of voting rights — in what has become the opening event for the annual exhibition.

Peters says Fauvel-Ogden’s striking work, which captures Calombaris’s fierce gaze and powerful stance, made a strong impression on him as soon as it was unpacked. It also satisfied the likeness test, an important consideration for his vote.

“It’s a very strong portrait. ­George is looking straight at you, he means business,” Peters says. “It’s also a very good painting — that’s part of the criteria, which knocks out about 96 per cent of them straight away.”

Fauvel-Ogden, a Melbourne-based artist who usually paints urban landscapes, says being awarded the packers’ prize with her debut entry is a shock and a delight.

“I was always interested in ­George as a subject as I felt there was an intensity to his character,” she says. “I also wanted to paint him because I think he’s cute.”

The prize has a reputation as being the kiss of death, since no packing room winner has taken home the Archibald Prize in the same year.

But Peters says he will be shocked if the judges don’t side with him as he predicts this portrait will emerge as the overall winner too.

“They’d be mad not to.”

The 51 finalists for this year’s Archibald Prize also were revealed yesterday, chosen from 830 entries.

They include Louise Hearman, who painted Barry Humphries; Natasha Bieniek, last year’s Wynne winner, who painted Wendy Whiteley; and self-portraits by Imants Tillers and Tony Albert.