While we were in Townsville, I popped into the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, mainly because it had air conditioning and was cool, but enjoyed the bonus of The Percivals exhibition.
Described as North Queensland's own biennial portrait exhibition, the competition, began in 2007, is open to all Australian artists to showcase their talents. There are prizes for paining and photographic portraits, and also one for animal portraits. How could I resist?
I have included the comments from the artists in quotes below each picture.
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| Immigration - Annunciation 2023 by Nazila Janangir |
"The original inspiration for my work is a famous theme from Italian Renaissance paintings. The actual composition emerged from da Vinci's portrayal of the Annunciation. Revisiting the scenario, I tried to re-enact the event to tell the story of my immigration to Australia.
"Borrowing from the distant master, I depicted my subjects in an outdoor space, however, more contemporary, liberated, and alive. The double portrait of Gabriel and Mary also morphed into a double self-portrait; a metaphor for the announcement of the incarnation of a new persona.
"The depicted scene is one of the gardens at the University of Western Australia in which soaring pine trees embrace an elegant white elephant palm. This robust, fleshy palm with its ray-shaped leaves symbolises what the ancient rock has offered me since I reached Australia: an exotic life experience full of drama, passion and emotion saturated with huge everyday light."
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| In-between Jobs 2024, by Karlalise Horstmans |
"My middle-aged husband, a loyal devoted family man and the sole income earner of a family of five, sat at our dining table, forlorn, weary from a three-month hunt for work, His sombre manner and downturned face contrasted sharply with the bright world outside. In that moment, he preferred the shadow of our family room to the promise of a bright day. This painting was designed to evidence his mood in colour and expression, to emphasise his age in form and posture, and to reveal his circumstances in choice of clothing and his placement within the domestic scene. I also wanted to contrast the interior gloom with a bright lit exterior (which he ignores), to signal how fully he is affected by the relentless burden of providing for our family, and how deeply he shoulders the heavy responsibility. He is pensive, weary in contemplation."
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| Selves 2023 by Sarah Hickey |
"This portrait explores Gabriel Garcia Marquez's assertion that 'Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves'.
"Inspired by Matryoshka dolls, the image represents the concept of duality: a higher self and inner critic, a mother self and a child-like persona, the internal vs the external. I wanted these personas to coexist, interconnect and harmonise with one another.
"In this piece a larger self protectively cradles a smaller version. Two avian guardians sit on my shoulders - a connect to spirit - while we both hold a sword-like paintbrush. Granny squared blankets and Suzani motifs symbolise life's cyclic nature, the knitting of time, and the enduring importance of change and growth."
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| Reverie 2024 by Marco Pennacchia |
"In my painting Reverie, I aim to capture the profound emotional depth hidden within my inner self, serving as a manifesto for personal freedom often suppressed in today's society. Emerging from a culturally restrictive background, I grapple with expressing my inner femininity, a predominant theme in this oil artwork. Delicately veiled by linen fabric, the subject's forms and facial expressions subtly emerge, symbolising the complex emotions concealed within.
"Reverie portrays my vulnerability confronting fears and insecurities while revealing my true self to the world. It explores the dichotomy between external appearance as a visual facade and the intrinsic essence that defines our humanity. Through this introspective piece, I challenge viewers to contemplate the depths of their own inner selves and the courage required to embrace authenticity in a society that often demands conformity."
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| How the Light Gets In 2023 by Seabastion Toast |
"Over two decades ago, Karlee Rawkins and I embarked on our undergraduate life together. While life led us down different roads, fate has brought us back to the same community once more.
"In creating this portrait, I sought to capture the essence of Karlee's world - a world illuminated by the winter light streaming through the windows of her home. This play of light and nature serves as a symbolic representation of her work, which delves into the profound connections between wildlife, nature, and the human psyche.
"Amid the chaos of family life, she radiates a meditative serenity, an unwavering devotion to her craft always at the forefront of her mind. Her life and art are inseparable, a testament to her enduring commitment.
"In the distant doorway, you'll find her son's silhouette, a powerful symbol of her transformation from a solitary studio artist to a loving mother, disability-rights advocate and artist."
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| The Man Under the Hat 2024 by Barbara Cheshire |
"Prior to interviewing Bob Katter, the only knowledge I had of this man was the negative comments the media printed and that perhaps he was a man of the land. However, talking to the folk from Northern and Western Queensland and with the man himself for a considerable time, a different and intriguing picture emerged. This active hands-on helper who looks out for Queensland has a wicked sense of humour and is smart as whip. You only need to flip through the book he has written to appreciate his knowledge. Although Bob tells it like it is despite the possible backlash, he is the longest-serving member of Parliament and an interesting subject to paint."
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| Self Portrait with Purple Gove 2023 by Christine Wrest-Smith |
"This painting reflects the level of concentration I adopt when painting a self-portrait, requiring the scrutiny and objectivity needed to study one's image.
"I was drawn to the idea and risk of wearing a white shirt while working - the medium and process of oil paint being the natural enemy of the clean and crisp shirt.
"Many artists wear gloves when painting for health reasons; the skin is porous and some pigments need to be used with care. But the wearing of gloves has potential narratives on offer.
"As I initially considered the inclusion and colour of my gloves for this work, a meaning and purpose sprang to mind.
"The colour purple symbolised the Suffragettes women's movement at the beginning of the 20th century, so for me, the very appropriate context for my purple gloves is to represent the strength of women in every aspect."
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| Bereavement (Dad's death mask on his death bed) 2023 by Lisa Ashcroft |
"My father died last year. I arrived just an hour after his passing due to a flight delay.
"As I stood by his bedside, his body still retained warmth, but his once gentle and serene face was now contorted and twisted, his body bent and buckled by the ravages of dementia. He was no longer the man I knew, stripped of his geniality and senses.
"In that surreal moment, time seemed to slow down, enveloping us in a scene reminiscent of a Caravaggio painting. The room closed in around us, every detail magnified.
"The pattern on the bedspread resembled a tide of crucifixes, reminding me of his upbringing in a Catholic orphanage. memories of his life achievements and accolades flooded my mind, mingling with the raw onset of grief.
"My father, Philip Ashcroft, was immortalised in my mind's eye as I witnessed his final moments. This painting captures the essence of his passing - a raw, honest portrayal that was emotionally wrenching to create.
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| Rise 2003 by Christine Baker |
"The work is about playing it safe and keeping a regular job. The raincoat symbolises protection from the weather but also protection from taking a step into the unknown. The older figure at the top always wanted to be an artist but worked a regular job for security. the young adventurous soul always remained within and finally the older soul took the step to become an artist."
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| Self-Portrait in Water 2024 by Sam Scoufos |
"I have been experimenting with using various liquids as a means of creating spontaneous gestures within my work. This purposeful, distorted self-portrait is a challenge to myself on what a photograph can be. The refracted and reflected light playing off the peaks and troughs of the water project a familiar image of reflection. Yet, during this suspension of movement, the water reveals a distorted and often grotesque image of self. The way in which the image appears is also reminiscent of agitating a developer tray and revealing a black-and-white darkroom print."
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| A Portrait Within Art 2023 by Christine Hall |
"I selected Pam Walpole, a highly regarded contemporary landscape artist, to be part of my book titled 'Artists in Studios'. She has won many awards, more recently the Pamela Whitlock Prize. I am endeavouring to portray Pam as part of the work - leaving a fraction of herself immersed in the art. Capturing an inner portrait of Pam with her expressive brushstrokes - her face mesmerised and hands give an insight into the passionate depths the artist can transport us to.
"The process of an artist remains unique and individual. the symbiotic relationship between the art of photography and the artists' work complement each other."
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| Umbrella Man 2024 by Dane Beesley |
"The sharp lines of his black suit speak of professionalism, yet their sombre hue betrays a deeper truth. The weight of expectation, the pressure to provide, and the expectation to succeed plague his mind. This is a portrait not just of an individual but of a system that demands conformity, leaving countless others navigating its labyrinthine paths in search of a place to belong."
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| The Party 2022 by Andrew Rovenko |
"The Rocketgirl's journey started as a stress response to the pandemic restrictions, but lasted way beyond that, as the little astronaut kept exploring her surroundings, feeding the child's curiosity, learning about the universe and looking for her place in it.
"This image is one of the memories from small but magical worlds discovered in our backyard at the strangest of times. Looking at the world through the eyes of a child reminds us of one special power we all have but often forget after becoming grown-ups: the power to imagine."
These two ceramic works were part of a different exhibition entirely, but I really like their colour, boldness and sense of fun.
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| Ceramic Head II (Cat Lady) 1990 by Robert Burton |
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Gaia 2015 by Nadja Burke
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