Peer pressure takes a different slant for artists

It was over a few beers and a conversation about the sorry state of portraiture today that artists Dominic Johns and Roland Nancarrow gave birth to an idea that would shape up to be one of the most anticipated artistic events of the year. It wouldn’t be the first time an ale-inspired scheme was responsible for changing the face of things as we know them. The Blunt Edge of Portraiture, as the “artist-run initiative” is aptly titled, is a warts-and-all type approach to not only an age-old tradition but to the sometimes fickle and often bureaucratic world of art itself.

As Dom explains, the purpose of the exhibition is three-fold. In addition to offering a forum in which to explore one of the industry’s most popular categories, it is a chance to get back to basics and remember what art is all about, not to mention an opportunity to have work seen.

“The Blunt Edge is about bringing you back to why you’re an artist,” Dom explains. “The premise is being involved, it’s not about making money. Most vibrant communities are full of talented artists who are keen for exhibition opportunities but these opportunities can be limited by the exhibition schedules of local, regional and other major galleries.

“It is common to wait for up to two years to enter a public gallery’s exhibitions program and then have to jump through a series of hoops and associated costs to make it happen. Artist-run initiatives can cut to the chase by presenting low-cost exhibitions that satisfy the need for artists to gain a wide audience.”

The Blunt Edge is also a way to bring the region’s wide and eclectic mix of artists, spanning a broad range of disciplines, together through one collective project.

“We have approximately 40 artists involved and each one will be doing a portrait of another artist whose name is drawn out of a hat,” Dom explains. “In this way we are hoping to introduce artists to other artists that they might not normally get to meet.”

Through sheer coincidence Roland has experienced the benefits of this tactic firsthand. As he jokes, he has been fortunate enough to draw not one but two directors of prestigious local art galleries out of the hat in the two years the event has
been running.

In 2007 it was Cairns Regional Gallery director Paul Brinkman. This year, he reveals, he has drawn KickArts director Rae O’Connell. Not only has it allowed Roland personal one-on-one time with the movers and shakers of the art world but also to seek some playful revenge.

“On two occasions in the Postcard Show held at the Cairns Regional Gallery they hung my work upside down,” Roland laughs. “So last year, Paul got his portrait hung upside down.”

The works in this year’s collection will include just about every known medium from sculptural works to photography, mosaics, cartoon and multimedia. And if last year’s efforts are anything to gauge by, guests can expect a dynamic cross-section of entertaining and insightful portraits in which many artists are recognisable not simply for their resemblance to their depiction but for the manner in which they themselves depict.

This clever take on the traditional art of portraiture, where the depicting artist subtly weaves the sitting artist’s signature style into the piece, was hailed as a standout component of the 2007 collection.

Among this year’s exciting pairings are local artists Billy Missi, who will capture the essence of Rob Eakin. Arone Meeks will depict Eve Stafford while Sam Tupou will portray Jana Gorski’s likeness. Viewers can also expect some interesting pieces stemming from Ed Kouman’s take on Leith Maguire, Julie McEnerny’s on cartoonist Caroline Mudge and Kristin Tennyson’s interpretation of Brian Robinson.

“We called it The Blunt Edge as opposed to the cutting edge,” Dom says of the exhibition, a send-up of the nationally regarded Archibald Prize for portraiture.

“The Archibald is an artistic event of some repute and many an aspiring artist may hold hopes of attaining a start in such an event. Portraiture is an artistic favourite, long considered a standard rite of passage among artists and audiences alike so Roland and I sought to adapt the Archibald to bring portraiture back to its roots.

“It is a show where artists can get blunt with each other.”

 The Blunt Edge of Portraiture opens on Saturday, December 6, at 7pm and continues on Sunday, December 7, from 11am to 4pm. It is on at the Pink Phoenix Gallery, 82 Boland St. Entry is free.

 

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