The first portrait made by a Bega Valley artist in over 50 years is getting major attention.
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Tim Moorhead said he was “surprised” to make the final list for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award – a $50,000 non-acquisitive prize for realistic portraiture, the winner of which will be announced on Friday.
“It’s quite an honour to get shortlisted in such a prestigious exhibition,” the Mogareeka resident said.
“It’s a very nice thing to be involved in.”
His artwork, which is titled Cincuenta Man Self Portrait, is the first self portrait he has created since he was a student 60 years ago.
“I wanted to do a self portrait because I migrated to Australia in 1968 [from California], so 2018 signifies 50 years of me living and working here,” he said.
He said the self portrait depicted a number of motifs used in various works produced over the past 50 years.
“The shirt in this portrait is taken from an image on one of my ceramic platters held in the Sydney Powerhouse Museum Collection,” he said.
“And the ceramic vessel sitting on the table is an example of ceramic pieces in various national and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia and The Australian Embassy in Washington DC.”
Mr Moorhead has exhibited his work for many years and has lived in and out of the Bega Valley since the 1970s.
In fact he even knew Shirley Hannan, as they had mutual friends in Melbourne, so believed it would be nice to be involved in the portrait award.
“She’s great,” he said of Ms Hannan.
“She was always very positive, always had something on the go, always had a project.
“She was a designer as well as a painter and always had balls of energy.
“It was very generous of her to set up the prize and very generous of her son to keep it going.”
The other finalists for the Shirley Hannan Award from the Bega Valley are Joseph O’Gara from Eden and Bethany Thurtell of Bermagui.
The exhibition will launch on Friday, October 26 at 6pm at the Bega Valley Regional Gallery, Bega.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
