The Archibald Connection

Back in the fifties when Australia rode on the sheep’s back we used to come to Sydney in the Customline every summer for a few weeks holiday at Clovelly.

We always visited the Art Gallery of NSW, and back then it was nearly always Archibald, Wynne and Sulman time after Christmas.

On one occasion at about age 8, I was approached and photographed standing in front of a William Dargie or was it an Ivor Hele Archibald winner. The photo appeared on the front page of the Sun Herald.

I was instantly famous.

From there I went on to be a finalist in the Archibald four times; and Wynne finalist twelve times.

My first Archibald finalist was a Self Portrait back in 1978. Semi naked and hippy.

Next year I had another Self Portrait hung; clothed and refined a la Velasquez and Rembrandt.

That same year my portrait Neil O’Reilly, Journalist was hung too.

And then in 1983 they hung Douglas Stewart

My first Wynne entry:

Mallee was hung when I was 22, in 1964. I have no photo of that painting( nor of many other of my Wynne finalists) and I don’t know where it is but I remember it quite clearly.

Rejuvenation hung in 1967 Its about banksia scrubland on that awesome headland between Avalon and Whale beach, a few weeks after a fire.

The next Wynne finalist of which I have a photo was Meadow Argus in 1977. A Meadow Argus is a butterfly; its there near the middle.

In 1978 they hung my Leaf Litter (Along with my first hippy Self Portrait in the Archibald)

In 1979 they hung Acacia Portrait. Now that was the year they hung my Self Portrait and Neil O’Reilly as well. They were the days.

And in 1980 they hung my Tree Contemplated

There are six photos missing from my files, of my Wynne finalists.