Image above: Rodney Pople Self portrait after Courbet (2)
Congratulations to Graeme Drendel, Martin King, Lewis Miller, Paul S. Miller and Rodney Pople who have been announced as semi-finalists in the prestigious Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
Moran Arts Foundation has announced 151 semi-finalists in the 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Portraits of Australians, both well known and unknown, are among the semi-finalists’ artworks including Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese MP, horse trainer Gai Waterhouse AO, and Australian personalities Asher Keddie, Akmal Saleh, Matt Preston, Jack Charles, Peter Overton AM and John Howard (actor). Self portraits and portraits of fellow artists were submitted as a reflection of the lockdown conditions that Australia has experienced in recent times. The 151 semi-finalists are now one step closer to winning $150,000 in Australia’s richest art prize.
The judges of the 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize are Emeritus Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia Daniel Thomas AM, prominent Australian artist and 2017 DMNPP winner Tim Storrier AM and Peter Moran, Managing Director of the Moran Health Care Group. Peter’s parents Doug and Greta Moran AO established the Moran Arts Foundation in 1988.
Judge Tim Storrier AM commented
‘In trying to identify portraits of quality there is much more to consider than just ‘likeness of sitter’. One must consider; scale, colour, tone, composition, surface and drawing etc all of which come into it. In the end, I look for that heightened sense of presence of the figure in space – a penetrating instant that conveys the intense physical and spiritual presence of the sitter – this can be achieved in a good portrait.‘
Finalists will be announced on Monday 1 November, and the winner declared on Friday 30 November followed by an online exhibition. For more information, visit the Moran Arts Foundation website.
Image above: Graeme Drendel Portrait of Murray Walker
Image above: Martin King John Wolseley old master
Image above: Lewis Miller Richard (Richard Manning)
Image above: Paul S. Miller Standing in the morning light (self portrait)