Archibald Prize 2025
There’s an air of ‘newness’ surrounding this year’s Archibald Prize events. The Art Gallery of NSW has a new director in Maud Page, a new Head of Trustees in Michael Rose. Beatrice Gralton is the new curator assigned to the Prize. There have been some interesting departures and staff rearrangements since former director, Michael Brand, departed with neither a bang nor a whimper.
The only thing that isn’t new is the prize itself. I learned long ago never to expect anything sensational from the Archibald Prize, and this year lives up to expectations. Julie Fragar’s Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene) stood out from the crowd, and is a worthy winner, but the competition wasn’t stiff. One seeks largely in vain for the original, exciting work that demands attention, shouting “Look at me!”; or that slow, insistent image which keeps getting better with each new viewing.
Creating a successful portrait is not simply a matter of capturing a likeness. This is the reason so many examples of near-photographic realism are not at all convincing. Beyond the obvious expenditure of skill and patience one can virtually feel the distance between the artist and the subject. The best portraits require a degree of empathy that is communicated to the viewer.