My #5 ideas to win the Archibald Prize (as a radical rebel)

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Ah, here we are…the destination the road has brought us to and the endgame that all the calculating and ideas have birthed.

First, a quick recap.

We've looked at what has a winning track record of winning the Archibald Portrait Prize and alternatively how to be a radical rebel (like William Dobell in 1943 and Brett Whiteley in 1976), how to get noticed and how to avoid the folly of trying to beat a strongman with strength (or Monet with Impressionist oil painting for example).

I'm acutely surprised at where the road has taken us, but perhaps that's the point after all?

Remember of course that art is not about painting but about sharing an idea or feeling or story (otherwise a photograph might suffice). But the idea needs a nurturing father to become inviting lest it become a lecture or predictable romantic comedy.

Through these final #5 ideas I hope to activate the imagination - the vast oceanic expanse of the viewers mind which makes 'the' idea, the viewer's idea. I’ve noted each with comments and how it meets the radical rebel criteria and it's advantages.

1. The bookshelf of art, arts, music & culture 
The bookshelf allows much room for pop and art culture references (previous winners for example) which makes it relatable with a sense of irony as well as a portrait of anyone fitting this criteria (in addition to a sneaky self-portrait)  It's also gigantically wide so stands out.

2. The Artwork Without Any Pictures 
In the realm of Radical Rebels this might be the boldest in history. The challenge however is to find a way to win the judges and viewers over without alienating them with escoteric abstract ponderings.


3. The ABC's of the Archibald
A gigantic nod to the history of the Archibald Prize and any one of twenty six things that begin with a letter of the alphabet. Treading the fine line of high art and amateur childishness is the challenge but pulling it off would well and truly change Archibald history.

4. The happenings of George Street
This is one of my haunts so a very personal piece which tells the story of unnoticed strangers on the busy George Street – highly relatable to Sydney siders (and possibly judges). The gigantic size and shape of the work (tall and skinny) is sure to stand out in portraying the giant space of the cityscape with a strategically placed unusually undersized portrait near the Queen Victoria Building.

5. The intimacy of a foldout notebook

Yes, it’s a painting but not as you know it. The notebook is the most intimate and personal of treasures and might invite the audience to feel intimacy unmatched by a giant and unapproachable canvas. What’s in the foldout notebook? If it happens, wait and see (I’m open to suggestions) but it would be the smallest winner in history … by a long way!

Of course there is a big difference between saying it and making it. That's to where I now turn...

Theme Archibald, ideas, winning

Frequently Asked Questions
What Others Are Asking...

These are the most common questions asked of Oscar.

Products

Why are your products so special?

Many products (including wall art and t-shirts) are made by combining stock art (you know, images you can buy on used on bad advertisements) to make pretty patterns that don't mean a lot.

Oscar’s works are original and interesting - all designed and crafted using his own hands onto real paper with his imagination, real pencils and ink. That’s what makes each piece like nothing else in the world.

What are the prints made of? Why are they such quality?

Each piece is printed onto the finest museum grade paper. Oscar chooses the Hahnemuhle brand because it feels and looks superb (if you’re interested it’s acid free and calcium carbonate buffered) plus it can last longer than 100 years!

The inking process is called giclée printing and is a high-quality way of getting ink onto the best paper.

id="size" Which size is right for me? A few helpful things to consider:

A4 is small and good for a small desk, kitchen or small wall like a corner.

A3 is medium and good for a larger desk, larger kitchen or moderate sized wall.

A2 a larger and really nice on a wall, behind a bed or desk, adorning a hallway or thoroughfare.

A1 a very large and a wonderful way to make an impact in a room, office, reception, thoroughfare or atrium. Pow.

Dimensions

A4 210 x 297 mm | 8.3 x 11.7 in
A3 297 x 420 mm | 11.7 x 16.5 in
A2 420 x 594 mm | 16.5 x 23.4 in
A1 594 x 841 mm | 23.4 x 33.1 in

Buying

Do you offer free worldwide shipping?

Oscar offers free shipping to anywhere in the world. The farthest flung so far is the Netherlands, United States and England but he’d love to go even further! (perhaps you’re from Nepal or Antarctica maybe?)

How can Oscar offer free shipping?

Well, Oscar loves free shipping and it’s worth what it costs him for radically happy customers!

Can I return and get a refund if I’m not 100% happy?

Yes! Of course. Oscar wants you to be radically happy and satisfied (that’s good business isn’t it? But also good humanness...). We’re convinced you will be! But if for whatever reason you’re not super happy please contact us and we’ll arrange a full refund as soon as humanly possible.

Oscar

Oscar is Award-Winning?

Yes. He’s entered and won art prizes including for a piece about a magical bus and its passengers and a 22 page piece Moleskin about a boy who woke up with a strange knowing one day. He was also featured in prominent publications for his work and journey to one of the world’s largest portrait prizes, The Archibald Prize.

But now he prefers to imagine and make to change the world.

What is Oscar’s life Mission?

Oscar mission is to change the world with a pencil, pens and beautiful paper so that his imaginative tales and creations can be found in rooms, offices, buses and wall facades in town and cities large and small - so people awe at the ordinary.

A billion people on earth would be nice :) A beloved collection of children’s books too (that Roald Dahl would be proud of). Oh, and a film trilogy...

But I’d love to start (if you don’t mind) with you today!

● Have another questions? Contact Oscar here and he'd love to answer it!

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