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Archibald adventure for Andy
17 March 2010
Kirsten Bolinger
Public relations assistant
An Avondale College lecturer will learn today whether he is a finalist for one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious art competitions.
Andy Collis, a senior lecturer in visual arts in the Faculty of Arts, has entered a portraiture of his 88-year-old father into the Archibald Prize. He calls the painting "Battle of Britain: My Father." It depicts Andy's father, Tony, who served in the Royal Air Force, asleep in his chair. Allusions and objects from the air force surround him. These are a reference to Tony's dementia. "Even if the painting just hangs in the exhibit, it would be a tribute to Dad," says Andy.
Andy is not alone in his adventure. Two Avondale visual arts alumna, Candice Campbell and Veronica Cachatoor, have also entered their portraitures into the competition. "I'm 54 years old and entering for the first time," says Andy. "Candice and Veronica are fresh out of college. I'm proud of them."
"Battle of Britain: My Father" is part of Andy's PhD thesis, "Survival of Portraiture."
The Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, honours Jules Francois Archibald. His bequest to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1919 aimed to foster portraiture, to support artists and to perpetuate the memory of great Australians. Former winners of the prize include George Lambert, William Dobell, Brett Whiteley and William Robinson. The finalists for 2010 will be announced today and the winner, who receives $50,000, on March 26. Visit www.thearchibaldprize.com.au from 11.30 AM today for the announcement of the finalists.
Caption: Andy Collis's painting of his father, Tony, is two metres high and almost two-and-a-half metres wide. "If the painting is hung [as part of the Archibald Prize], I want it to be an experience for the viewer who comes to see it in person," he says.
Credit: Andy Collis
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