In Dante’s Inferno there are nine circles of Hell, each reserved for a different kind of sinner. The lustful get thrown about by storms, the gluttonous wallow in icy slush, heretics are trapped in flaming tombs ..
. But try as I might, I’ve never been able to locate the particular niche in which the sinner is obliged to review the Archibald Prize for all eternity. Maybe there’s a small annex next to the heretics because it’s a local article of faith that the Archibald is a great Australian tradition, loved and esteemed by all.
Heretic that I am, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a really good Archibald Prize exhibition. Some years are better than others, but my first impression was that this year was one of the worst . After the initial shock, a few pictures began to stand out from the crowd, including the eventual winner, Laura Jones’ Tim Winton , while others receded into oblivion.
Laura Jones has won the Archibald Prize with a portrait of Tim Winton at the Art Gallery of NSW. Credit: Janie Barrett Most of the trustees who judge the prize are not art professionals, but they usually manage to choose a credible candidate. Last year’s winner upset that complacent assumption, making me wonder about the judges’ criteria for excellence.
Are they really trying to give the prize to the best picture? Perhaps they’re fixated on an artist who is young and emerging, or some other extra-aesthetic category. That idea is supported by this year’s choice of 57 finalists, whi.