Now in its 29th year, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (DMNPP) invites entries of original works from Australian artists, capturing Australians from all walks of life, whether a public figure or someone from their own circle of experience.
From 30 finalists, Tim Storrier AM was selected as the winner of this year’s prize, taking home $150,000 for his portrait The Lunar Savant (Portrait of McLean Edwards) (2017); ‘The sitter, fellow artist, McLean Edwards sat for me in my studio in Bowral,’ says Storrier. Edwards was also a 2017 finalist for his Self-Portrait (2017).
The 2017 DMNPP was judged by Daniel Thomas AM, Emeritus Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, Wendy Sharpe, one of Australia’s most awarded artists and Greta Moran, Director of the Moran Arts Foundation. The trio also highlighted Dagmar Cyrulla’s self-portrait, I am Woman, as highly commended.
Daniel Thomas AM said, ‘We awarded the prize to Tim Storrier, a veteran artist who went outside his personal mythology and produced an affectionate, teasing, “friendship painting” of a wild fellow artist and titled it The Lunar Savant (Portrait of McLean Edwards) (2017).’
Wendy Sharpe adds, ‘The Lunar Savant (Portrait of McLean Edwards) (2017) depicts Storrier’s friend, artist McLean Edwards wandering in a mysterious moonlit landscape. An arresting, intriguing image at once both disturbing and playful.’
The recent win can be added to a long list of accolades over the veteran artist’s career: In 1968 he was awarded the Sir John Sulman Prize for Suzy 350 (1968); in 1994 he was awarded the Order of Australia AM for his services to art and was an Archibald winner in 2012. Storrier’s work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York and all major Australian art museums.
The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Exhibition is on show at Juniper Hall, Paddington and runs until 17 December 2017. The Moran Arts Foundation are hosting artist talks with selected finalists each Sunday at 2pm throughout the exhibition:
Sunday 22 October – Dagmar Cyrulla, I am Woman
Sunday 29 October – Nick Stathopoulos, Isla 1
Sunday 5 November – Glenn Loughrey, Exile Self Portrait of An Indigenous Man
Sunday 12 November – Prudence Flint, Blue Cotton Dress
Sunday 19 November – Kathrin Longhurst, Alex
Sunday 26 November – Stewart MacFarlane, Artist at Sixty Three and Bride
Sunday 3 December – David Fairbairn, Head of J.L. No.2 (with skull cap)
Sunday 10 December – Janis Lander, New Town Prophet
Sunday 17 December – Darren McDonald, The Good Son (My Brother Stefano and Uncle Jack Charles)