Image above: Francis Giacco at Australian Galleries, Sydney, 2023. Image courtesy of Maria Stoljar.
Francis Giacco has been interviewed by Maria Stoljar for her popular podcast Talking with Painters, during his solo exhibition at Australian Galleries Sydney, Recent work: Pictures at an Exhibition (apologies to Mussorgsky) with selected works from the 80s and 90s.
In her introduction to the podcast interview, Stoljar writes:
“The exhibition of Francis Giacco’s paintings at Australian Galleries in Sydney has been a long time coming. Covid pushed back the scheduling but it was worth the wait!
“I met Francis at the gallery and we walked through the exhibition talking about several key works which cross portraiture, still life and landscape. Apart from the Archibald, Francis has won the Percival Portrait Painting prize (and other awards) and has been a People’s Choice winner in the S.H. Ervin’s Salon des Refuses.”
Francis Giacco Family portrait 1994 egg emulsion on marine plywood 180 x 180 cm. Archibald Prize Finalist, 1996.
“Titled Recent works: Pictures at an Exhibition (apologies to Mussorgsky), the show is a combination of recent work and major paintings from the 80s and 90s. It includes Francis’ enigmatic multi-figured portrait which won the Archibald prize in 1994. Several other works hanging in this first room were shortlisted in the Archibald and Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.”
Francis Giacco Homage to John Reichard 1994 egg emulsion on marine plywood 202 x 188 cm. Archibald Prize Winner, 1994.
“Influenced by Vermeer and the early Renaissance masters, his work exudes beauty and vitality. He’s a keen observer of the effects of light, whether it’s streaming from behind a still life or fracturing through a bamboo curtain and the way he depicts detail in the illuminated subject often pushes the real into the abstract.
“Francis (also known as Frank to those who know him) was my first podcast guest and in the past also taught at Julian Ashton Art School where I first met him. Many of his students have gone on to make paintings which have hung in the Archibald prize themselves and I can think of at least three who are finalists in this year’s exhibition.”
Francis Giacco, Recent work: Pictures at an Exhibition (apologies to Mussorgsky) with selected works from the 80’s and 90’s
Australian Galleries, Sydney
15 Roylston Street, Paddington NSW 2021
15 June – 2 July
Francis Giacco Lee Lin Chin 1993 egg emulsion on marine plywood 163 x 127 cm. Archibald Prize Finalist, 1993; Doug Moran Finalist, 1995.