Art and politics

This is my entry into the biennial National Portrait Competition. The exhibition opened this evening at Shed 11 and runs until April 2. Around 100 paintings were selected from 300 entries. Rodney was good enough to pose for me and I really appreciated it. We had rather a few laughs in the process....with a serious moment caught in between. I wanted to catch the intensity that he often conveys in his expression or just a look. When the painting was still sitting in my studio I had a plasterer doing some work in there. He said to me, "Your paintings are awesome. That politician guy is scary. Every time I look up his eyes are staring at me and they are so real."



The awful thing about the opening was the chappy who sponsors the whole thing (Mr Adam and good on him for it) actually believes the government should be doing it - or at least paying for a permanent portrait gallery. Every opening (I've been in each since 1998) he tells us so. So it turns into a bit of a bitch session against politicians. Rodney brought along Katherine Rich so the two of them had to endure the audience enthusiastically applauding this man chastising them and government - not that I thought it was bothering them particularly. For me, his words couldn't have fallen on less sympathetic ears. The artists all paid an entry fee regardless of whether their painting was hung or not and the gallery will pocket commission on any sales. The gallery I usually exhibit at doesn't rely on the government. Any commercial enterprise could sponsor a NZ Portrait Gallery. But, really, artists seem to be predominantly elitist, gimme, whingers. And their private patrons would gladly pass the task onto government. Another band of state-lovers who just don't understand that government funding corrupts the best intentions. We don't need it. If it's good, if it has value, someone will pay - willingly.