Artist Jamie Preisz has been congratulated by his subject Jimmy Barnes for his Archibald Prize winning portrait.
Preisz titled his painting ‘Jimmy (title fight)’.
‘Jimmy has never been afraid to stand up and fight; he’s fought for his career, his family and even his life,’ says Preisz in a statement.
‘His dad, Jim Swan, was a prize-fighter in Glasgow and that formed part of my inspiration to depict him as a boxer. After losing my sister to suicide, I was touched deeply when I saw an interview with Jimmy speaking about his own suicide attempt. To me, he was fighting against the stigma of mental health issues by speaking so publicly about his own struggles, especially to generations of men who don’t feel that having emotional intelligence is a masculine quality.
‘The red drapery in the background is a reference to Caravaggio’s Judith beheading Holofernes, a painting often considered to represent triumph over tyranny. The drapery also suggests backstage – a place Jimmy knows well.’
Jimmy said, “A big congratulations to Jamie Preisz on winning the Packing Room Prize for his portrait of me. He’s a really talented young artist and I’m glad to have been a part of his journey”.
A big congratulations to Jamie Preisz on winning the Packing Room Prize for his portrait of me. He’s a really talented young artist and I’m glad to have been a part of his journey. #archibaldprize #packingroomprize pic.twitter.com/ai5XBgdn1N
— Jimmy Barnes (@JimmyBarnes) May 3, 2018
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