HIDDEN FACES
The 2021 Victorian Salon des Refusés
This portrait was submitted to the 2021 Archibald Prize.
click on artwork to enlarge
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Cat #9 Janice Gobey
IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC, MICHAEL VALE Oil on Raw Linen 137 cm high x 92 cm wide NFS Artist’s Statement My subject is Michael Vale, a beloved art teacher in Melbourne. We both enjoy surrealism, painting animals and imaginary places. I particularly enjoy painting fur and I was influenced by Leonora Carrington’s portrait of Max Ernst - he holds a small lantern with a horse inside it. In this instance, I wanted Michael to pick something that was important to his practice, hence the skull. Michael agreed to pose for this painting on a hot Melbourne day. It is set in an imaginary, magical landscape. The title is a nod to Michael’s love of music. Janice Gobey is a Melbourne artist working in both oil painting and installation. Gobey’s work is a subtle play between figurative and abstract elements, woven together with autobiographical content, memories and sub-conscious. She creates an alternate reality which is both beautiful and disturbing. |