Rodney Pople High as a kite 2023 oil on linen 153 x 131 cm
Congratulations to Rodney Pople who has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 Mosman Art Prize with his brilliant self portrait, High as a kite.
“This painting is from an ongoing series of self portraits. In particular ‘high as a kite ‘ follows on from my skater painting that was exhibited in the 2004 Archibald. Both paintings owe a debt or homage to Henry Raeburn for his skating painting (early 18th C). In my first painting of the skater painted in 2003 the figure is more striking with glowing blacks of the coat to contrast the ice and sky. The latest work is softer in hues and the head of the figure is almost floating into the sky and the blacks are softer. I did this to suggest the difference in age from 49 to 70 confronting for me but I was spurred on by Titians comment that painting is an old man’s game.”
The Mosman Art Prize is the longest running and most prestigious municipal art prize in Australia. Winning entries form the basis of the Mosman Art Collection, a valuable and historic collection that surveys Australian painting since 1947.
The Mosman Art Prize is an acquisitive award sponsored by Mosman Council. Previous winners form a roll call of Australian art luminaries; Grace Cossington Smith, Nancy Borlase, Lloyd Rees, Guy Warren, Margo Lewers, Jenny Sages, Noel McKenna, Cressida Campbell, Jumaadi, Elisabeth Cummings, Adam Cullen, Jasper Knight, Guan Wei, Natasha Walsh and Michael Zavros.
The 2023 Mosman Art Prize exhibition is now showing at
Mosman Art Gallery
1 Art Gallery Way, Mosman NSW
On view until Sunday 29 October 2023
To view a selection of Rodney Pople’s available works, visit our online Stock Rooms here