Is there a future for the painted portrait? The annual rush to present a work for selection to the NSW Archibald committee never seems to diminish and nor does the disappointment in being passed over yet again. The archies aren’t the only portrait prize either. But just who gets their portrait painted anyway these days when the camera phone can capture every waking moment in perpetuity?
There is a reality to being an artist today that seems to be at odds with public perception.
As an artist I find myself increasingly unsure of what is art, what is not, and how to define or even recognise a ‘masterpiece’
How do I know what the audience is actually seeing in terms of the colour I use? Do they even give the same names to the colours as I do? Are they seeing colour at all?
I watched film some time ago of an elephant painting. It painted elephants and trees in startlingly observed detail..
I have no doubt that visual artists are going to have to adapt and train themselves to use digital tools. After all, if an ageing David Hockney can show the way with an iPad as his main creative tool, then who are we lesser mortals to argue the toss.