Art at its most unusual

There’ve been two major art awards in Australia lately. The first and most prestigious being the Archibald Prize, won by Del Kathryn Barton. She painted a self-portrait of herself and her children she called, ‘You Are What Is Most Beautiful About Me’.

I admit I know nothing about art but the painting reminds me of an illustrated children’s book I gave my niece a few years ago. While I think the painting is colourful and pleasant to look at, I would like to know what gave it the important award. I have no eye for good art. I’ve been looking and looking at it but can’t see ‘it’. Is it the fine line work or that funny squiggle thing at the bottom?

I was once told by a self-professed art expert / snob that anyone who says they like the ‘old masters’ or ‘water colours’ or, god forbid, ‘china painting!’ really knows nothing about art. When I said I loved the old masters, she didn’t bat an eyelid and just said, ‘I know’. Well, I do. It’s interesting to hear people’s opinion and what they see in a painting and when they tell me, I look and look and look and…don’t see what they’re talking about. Consequently, I’m always apprehensive telling an artist I like their work because I’m sure if I like it, it must actually be bad and if they know about my bad taste, they’ll be mortified.

The other winning painting, is from the antithesis of the Archibald called, not surprisingly, the Bald Archy Prize. A chap called James Brennan won this year for his portrait of the Danish crown princely family called, 'The Official Portrait of the Danish Royal Family' - leaning heavily on the influence of the average yobbo Oz family headed by Craig and Sharon. Apparently the idea popped into Mr Brennan's head while he was vacuuming. I'm just glad he wasn't cleaning out the bathroom grease trap like I was a couple of weekends ago. Goodness knows what the young RF may have looked like then :(



I hope being an Aussie in Denmark doesn’t carry the same dangers as a Dane in Afghanistan.