Although the Archibald Prize is not an art prize but a raison d’etre for artists there is a single exception. That exception is the artist showered with glory, etched in history and $100,000 wealthier when the judges declare the winner.
This year it was a portrait of Charles Waterstreet by Nigel Milsom. And as I gazed at this imposing oil on linen at last Friday’s opening night I imagined how that painting might have looked had I painted it (and in turn, had Nigel Milsom painted mine). That's the image above.
(Think blacker ink, more vibrant colours on my side and alternatively jagged, geometric shapes and shades of grey on Nigel’s).
If you know Nigel, why not ask him to imagine my alternative history and illustrate it?
I'm pleased to announce that while you probably can't own the winning Archibald painting, you can own an original print of my illustration above (which is surely the next best thing!). Just go here.
My final post on this Archibald journey will bring everything together in an extravagant summation. Look out for it...