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POrtia geach memorial award

Celebrating female Australian artists

The Portia Geach Memorial Award is a celebration of female Australian artists. It’s Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize for female artists and has greatly contributed to the development of female artists in this country.

It was established by Florence Kate Geach in 1961 in memory of her sister, Portia Geach and is awarded each year to the best portrait painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters or the Sciences.

2012 Applications

Applications for 2012 will open in June.

To be placed on the database for a notification of applications opening, please email your details to trustawards@thetrustcompany.com.au,with the subject line stating the award name.

2011 Winner and Highly Commended Artists

Kate Stevens was announced as the winner of the 2011 Portia Geach Memorial Award for her work entitled Indian Dream, a portrait of animator, video and street artist Willy Bernardoff. The announcement was made on Thursday 22 September at a VIP event held at the National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney.

The judging panel also highly commended Michelle Dawson's Sparrow Man.

52 artworks were selected from the 248 artworks submitted to be a part of the 2011 Exhibition. The Trust Company congratulates Kate, and all of the artists who have been a part of this year's exhibition. The winner was awarded $18,000 in prize money.

The 2011 judging panel consists of John Beard, renowned Australian Artist, Dinah Dysart, Independent Writer, Editor and Arts Adviser Elenora Triguboff, Publisher / Editor of Art and Australia and Jane Watters, Director of National Trust S.H.Ervin Gallery. 

To read the judges’ Report please click here.

Winner

Kate Stevens, Indian Dream

Commenting on her win, Kate said that she was over the moon at winning the country’s most prestigious portrait award. Kate entered last year where her work was hung but this year was her year.

Artistic Statement:  This painting is about the dream of India- the romanticisation of the East; the epic road trip as a rite of passage; the idea of something surpassing the actual experience of it. It is about pin-ups and Bollywood soundtracks; about boys and bikes; about longing and wanderlust, and beauty and dust and distance.

Highly Commended

Michelle Dawson, Sparrow Man

Artistic Statement: Rene Bolten is a man of acute observation, as an artist, teacher and friend. It is a gentle scrutiny that does not cast judgment but rather looks beyond the surface and seeks out the essential truth and beauty of the subject, be it a person, animal or onion.

A selection of this year’s artworks is below:

Joanna Braithwaite, Happy Hour

Artistic Statement: The Laughing Kookaburra starts its afternoon conversation at about the time of day when Happy Hours commence all around Sydney. The lively and almost mocking calls of the Kookaburra are a reminder of yet another day starting and passing. Australian Birds have been a recent painting obsession of mine and the Kookaburra is a firm favorite.

Debby Angus, Glen Boss

Artistic Statement: Glen boss is one of the finest jockeys in Australian turf history, having won the Melbourne Cup three times on the same horse, Makybe Diva.

He is small in stature, but with a large personality.  He has a very direct way of dealing with things and I have tried to capture this with the confronting nature of my caricature portrait.  By reducing the background to a subtle grey shade and only painting the head I hope to have shown the subject’s strength of character.

Deidre But-Husaim, Still Life, 5 Days

Artistic Statement: A dialogue about beauty and what it is to each of us as individuals has been at the core of my art practice for many years. In the past I have made figurative works from images of people found through various types of media. These people have been unknown to me; this has been my preferred way of working allowing me ‘blank canvasses’ to work from.

Then came the cluster of natural disasters that have recently happened around the world, from the Australian floods and fires to the Tsunami in Japan. I find it difficult to comprehend the huge numbers of people that have lost their lives and loved ones in these horrific events. This has deeply affected me.

I now find myself wanting to paint only people I know, people that are tangible and present, ‘real’ to me, each and everyone an individual. Each person was painted over one day in my studio, they all are known to me, they are all artists, they are all very much alive and in no way blank canvasses.

Fran Callen, Drawing Chrissy Writing Lyrics (portrait of Chrissy Amphlett)

Artistic Statement: This portrait holds clues that suggest the narrative that created the moment. Chrissy, though fragile from her recent battle with breast cancer is vibrant, enigmatic. She buzzes with an intense creative energy and a deeper strength. Poised on the edge of the couch she writes lyrics as I sketch and paint her, surrounded by drawings. Her dog, Holiday, watches.

Her husband, Charley Drayton, listens behind her to the first recording of ‘Summer Song’, by their band ‘the Tulips’. Warmth emanates from the scene within their Manhattan Recording Studio.

There’s a sense of wonder, an enigmatic presence exuding from this electrifying, provocative performer, caught in the creation of her art-form, as I begin to create mine.

Christine O’ Hagan, Rebecca Gibney

Artistic Statement: This is my painting of Rebecca Gibney portrayed in a location so totally different as the television public perception of her as her very famous role, Julie Rafter, in the top rated television series “Packed to the Rafters”.

Our first meeting was at her home and straight away we struck an accord that was to endure through the process.  The portrait was painted with a limited palette, with only three sittings and the use of reference materials between sittings. From the initial sketching out on the canvas to completion, some six months had elapsed. This work has been the most challenging for me to date having learned a great deal on this artistic journey.

Kathrin Longhurst, Self Portrait as Poster Girl

Artistic Statement: This painting came about as a response to a comment someone made to me many years ago referring to my East German heritage. I was told that all East Europeans were just “gold diggers” and “dumb to have believed the communist regime’s propaganda”. It made me think about stereotypes and how our background and upbringing will taint our outlook on life and how people view us. It also sparked a search for my roots and heritage, conducting interviews with both my parents and friends and relatives in former East Germany, researching literature and documents on my former home country. The result has been a completely new body of work, referencing communist propaganda art and symbolism mixed with modern ideas and aesthetics. This self portrait is part of that series of “Poster girls”.

In this self portrait I am depicted as an idolised working class hero, a poster girl, proudly holding up the red flag, confidently looking towards the horizon into the future. It’s a satirical take on art work that I was surrounded by when I grew up and a reference to my roots and heritage from a society that doesn’t exist anymore.

2011 Finalists

"The works selected for inclusion in the 2011 Portia Geach Memorial Award represent the wide diversity of approach to portraiture from traditional depictions to contemporary representations of the sitters. The judges responded positively to the works that demonstrated real sincerity and connection to the subject, however painterly integrity was of the utmost concern" said Jane Watters, speaking on behalf of the 2011 judging panel.

The Trust Company would like to congratulate the 51 artists chosen to display their works at the 2011 Portia Geach Memorial Exhibition. The Portia Geach Memorial Award will showcase the exceptional talent we have among female artists in Australia today. The total number of works to display is 52.

Artist	Title of Artwork	Portrait Subject
Deborah Angus	Glen Boss	Glen Boss
Wendy Arnold	Topsy-Turvy	Self portrait
Melissa Bates	Designer in Contemplation	Ilia Saiki Chidzey
Kate Beynon	Self Portrait- After Frida	Kate Beynon
Carole Best	Presidential man - The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG	The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
Wendy Bills	'Kita and 'The Birds' at Terrigal Skillion'	Kita Kerford
Joanna Braithwaite	Happy Hour	Self portrait
Krista Brennan	Carpe Diem	Guy Troughton
Cynthia Breusch	Portrait of Christopher McVinish, Artist'	Christopher McVinish
Ellie Bunt	Ellie	Self portrait
Deidre But-Husaim	Still Life (5 days)	Nigel Koop, Sera Waters, Ryan Waters, Bridget Currie & Daniel Torchio
Filippa Buttitta	The Sporting Spillane (Portrait of Debbie Spillane)	Debbie Spillane
Fran Callen	Drawing Chrissy Writing Lyrics	Chrissy Amphlett
Sophie Cape	Master and Commander	Admiral Paul Watson
Ann Cape	Sophie Cape	Sophie Cape
Louisa Chan	Romancing the three kingdoms	Self portrait
Gaye Chapman	Bloodshot Nocturne: me & my talismans staring into a brown study	Self portrait
Ah Too Chew	Benedicta	Benedicta
Laura Courtney	self portrait - after Jan Van Eyck 'Man in Turban'	Self portrait
Mary Crock	Meditator, Mediator, Blind Man with a Vision.	Professor Ron McCallum AO
Bridget Dolan	Can Can	Bridget Dolan
Yvonne East	Food, Sex and Decay	Yvonne East
Nitza Flantz	Immigrant Affinities	Nitza Flantz & Richard Flantz
Jennifer Gabbay	Fragments of Myself	Self portrait
Jessica Geron	Our Time	Self portrait
Isabel Gomez	John Morris and Maggie	Mr John Morris
Marilyn Hickey	Self portrait	Self portrait
Judy Hungerford	The Story Teller.	Self portrait
Laura Jones	Self Portrait (The Track)	Self portrait
Kathrin Longhurst	Self Portrait as Poster Girl	Self portrait
Alison Mackay	From the Waist Up	Richard Morecroft
Mahala May Magins	Contemplating Two, Self-Portrait Mahala May Magins	Self portrait
Marie Mansfield	Francis Giacco	Francis Giacco
Morna  McIlraith	"Cousin"	Vanessa Jeavons
Kerry McInnis	Ann Thomson	Ann Thomson
Carolyn McKay	Captive Text	Brian Joyce
Michelle Dawson	Sparrow Man	Rene Bolten
Michelle Dawson	The Visitation	Self portrait
Wendy Murray	Marie Cook Meditating	Marie Cook
Christine O'Hagan	Rebecca Gibney	Rebecca Gibney
Amanda Penrose Hart	Ego Vobis Valedico	Hon Roderick Pitt Meagher
Judi Power-Thomson	Trusted Friend	The Hon Prue Goward MP
Donna Rankin	Desire The Horse	Holly Rankin
Sally Ross	Nell	Nell
Robyn Stanton Werkhoven	Jenny Kee with Waratahs	Jenny Kee
Xenia Stefanescu	Self portrait	Self portrait
Kate Stevens	Indian Dream	Willy Bernardoff
Victoria Watts	Senex, a portrait of my Father	Arthur John Watts
Sally West	Talking Rabbitohs and Rosalie Gascoigne with Reg Richardson	Reg Richardson
Maryanne Wick	Self Portrait (Reflection of a Night Painter)	Self portrait
Jan Williamson	Gladdy Kemarre - Utopia	Gladdy Kemarre
Michelle Zuccolo	Self Portrait

The 2011 judges are Jane Watters, Director of National Trust S.H Ervin Gallery, Eleonora Trigboff, Publisher / Editor of Art and Australia; and John Beard, renowned Australian artist.

The 2011 exhibition will open to the public on the 23 September until the 6 November 2011, at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks Sydney.  The gallery hours are Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00am – 5:00pm with an entry fee of $7 for adults, $5 concession and $4 for National Trust members.  

In a first for the prize, the exhibition will tour to the Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah next year from 3 February to 18 March, 2012.

Previous Winners

Previous exhibitions 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004

Previous winners of the Portia Geach Memorial Award include:

• 2010 Prudence Flint, Scrambled egg
• 2009 Christine Hiller, The Old Painter
• 2008 Jude Rae, Self Portrait 2008 (the year my husband left) 
• 2007 Maryanne Coutts, Melbourne
• 2006 Lucy Culliton, Self with Friends
• 2005 Jude Rae, Large Interior (Micky Allan)
• 2004 Nerissa Lea, The Sheik & Me, Self Portrait with Imagined Portrait of Chad Morgan after Frida Kahlo
• 2003 Wendy Sharpe, Self Portrait with Tea Cup and Burning Paintings
• 2002 Vicki Varvaressos, Self Portrait with Painting
• 2001 Mary Moore, At Home
• 2000 Nancy Borlase, The Sisters: Marie and Vida Breckenridge
  
  

 

The Trust Company is trustee for the Portia Geach Memorial Award. For more information please contact Christina Piazza, Scholarships and Awards Coordinator on 1800 622 812 or trustawards@thetrustcompany.com.au