Thanks to some bright spark at the ABC who seized an opportunity when he saw one, the satirical art competition, The Bald Archy Prize has found a home in Sydney this year.
Normally on display at the QVB, the space is undergoing a renovation this year.
Instead, the exhibition opens at the ABC’s Ultimo Centre in time for the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend.
The report was in today’s “Sun Herald”.
Edited by KERRY-ANNE WALSH and LISA CARTY
Bald Archy for Aunty
THE search for a suitable Sydney venue for the 2008 Bald Archy Prize exhibition is over, thanks to Naked Eye. We reported two months ago that the irreverent portrait show was without a Sydney venue due to renovations at the Queen Victoria Building. The item caught the eye of ABC 702 program director James O’Brien. The result: a showing at the ABC’s Ultimo Centre in June. “This is a delightful resolution,” enthused director and founder Peter Batey. “especially for the thousands of people who have regularly attended the show since its inception in 1994.” The 2008 prize was won by Newcastle artist James Brennan with The Official Portrait of The Danish Royal Family, which Judge Maude (the celebrated cockatoo who judged the competition) cominended as “one of the funniest family portraits” she had ever seen. Maude cackled that some killjoys had declared the portrait “obscene” “pornographic’ and even “a disgrace to Australian family morals”! But Batey said: “Sydneysiders should come along and judge for themselves” – and view the work of the other 41 finalists. All will be on show at ABC’s Ultimo headquarters, 700 Harris Street, 10am to 4pm (including weekends) from June 6 to 29. Admission free.
Winner … The Official Portrait Of The Danish Royal Family
Photo Glen McCurtayne