Doug Moran Portrait Prize

Real Australians Say Welcome

This portrait of provocative artist Abdul Abdulla has been selected as semi-finalist in the $150,000 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2015.

Kilgour Art Prize

I'm absolutely thrilled to be elected for the second consecutive year as a finalist in the Kilgour Art Prize. This $50,000 annual prize for figurative and portrait painting awards is assessed by two independent judges and Sarah Johnson, Curator Newcastle Art Gallery. 

The exhibition is on show at the Newcastle Art Gallery from 8 November through to 25 January 2016. 

Occasionally iconography exists that is so prevalent, so much a part of the zeitgeist, it is difficult to maintain perspective on how ridiculous it really is. 

Think of Santa, so obese he’s not in any shape to climb down chimneys, let alone make it around the world in a single night. At least not without having a stroke, anyway. And what of the Playboy Bunny? Inspired by the staff uniform at Bunny’s Tavern, itself named after the proprietor Bernard “Bunny” Fitzsimmons, the ultimate showgirl was unveiled in 1960 and somehow the ears, tail, collar and cuffs transcended their own preposterousness to become a global icon. 

Imagine if Fitzsimmons had been nicknamed, say, Chook?

Eutick Memorial Still Life Award

Very pleased to be a finalist in this year's EMSLA, for the 6th consecutive year. As with each year, I'm surrounded by such august company: Louise Feneley, Robert Fenton, Julie Keating, the jaw dropping Angus McDonald (as he is officially known), Julian Meagher, Deb Mostert and Craig Waddell - and many more. 

The show is on at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, and begins Friday 6 November 2015

About the painting: You would think that being a fraudster, forger and occultist during the height of the Inquisition would be enough to earn the ire of the Pope.  

One of the great grifters, Giuseppe Balsamo wove tales of buried treasure, sold fake “Egyptian” amulets, forged documents, pimped his wife, and despite no having qualifications successfully passed himself off as a physician - to none other than Benjamin Franklin during his Paris sojourn. But none of these were the reason Balsamo (now self styled as Count Alessandro di Cagliostro) was arrested and imprisoned in the infamous Castel Sant’Angelo.

Balsamo’s great crime was being a Freemason. In the 18th century Freemasonry offered an alternative network to that of the church. Like any good business leader, the Pope determined to limit the competition by cracking down. Balsamo he died in prison, demonstrating the hefty price that accompanies some club memberships.

Fisher's Ghost Art Prize

I am very happy to have been selected for the 2015 Fisher's Ghost Art Prize, with my painting Land of the Free. I think this is my 4th time in this prize.

Over the summer, during the interminable February heatwave in my sweltering studio, I repainted a couple of pictures initially made about year earlier. This was one of them. The initial picture was the first time I had tried to capture oxidised bronze, and over the course of the year, I got a whole lot better at it. So the repaint - which was really a whole brand new picture over the top of the old - actually took much longer than the first version. But much, much better. There was a richness to the tones, depth to the object, focal points, depth of field, three dimensionality. And cleaner overall. So getting selected for this means a lot, as it's been quite the journey. 

There is a saying: its the journey, not the destination. Well, indeed. But I do wonder where this picture will end up.

Whyalla Art Prize

I am very pleased to announce that my painting Home of the Brave has been selected as a finalist in the $25,000 Whyalla Art Prize. It will be on display at the Middleback Arts Centre from September 26 to 14 November, along side works from such clever souls as ‪#‎datsuntran‬ and ‪#‎tseringhannaford‬ 

Although now its freezing out, this picture will always be associated in my mind with last January's blistering heatwave, when I spent many days sweltering in the studio trying to capture the nature of oxidised bronze. 

Here's a little bit about the painting: The ebb and flow of Imperial fortunes can be traced by the monuments they leave. Bronze affirmations mythologise successes (and failures) until, in time, these myths come to define the events themselves. 

Defence of these myths reach absurd levels in New York, with the apartments now occupying Wall Street’s former financial bastions protected by barriers and armed guards, because the symbolism of the name is more potent than the mundane reality. 

Here, the statues advertising the capitalist mantra are barricaded from their disciples; victims of a congregation so enraptured they have long since lost perspective of their original beliefs.
©Matthew Quick 2015

Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery

I am very honoured and excited to be selected as a finalist in this year's Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, with my piece Domestic Goddess.

This is a killer prize, with an incredible line up of judges; Dr Alessi, Senior Lecturer Visual Art & Design, Latrobe University; Jennifer Kalionis, director of the Castlemaine Art Gallery; John McDonald, Art Critic and the Sydney Morning Herald; Peter Guy as representative of the Guy family and Julie Millowick, Vice Chair of the Bendigo Art Gallery.

But even better, the finalists each year represents Australia’s finest contemporary artists, and has included in the past a jaw dropping line up of talent, including Sam Leach, John Beard, Tony Lloyd, Kate Shaw, Juan Ford, Aida Tomescu, Ivan Durrant, Chris Bond, Yvette Coppersmith, Julia Ciccarone, Kate Bergin, Louise Hearman, Gareth Sansom and Jan Nelson.

Mosman Art Prize, Finalist

Absolutely thrilled to be selected from 850 entries nationwide as a finalist for the prestigious 2015 Mosman Art Prize. And even better to be hanging alongside such illustrious alumni as Marcus Callum, Maz Dixon Artist, Ben Smith, Peter Smets, Robert Malherbe, Jasper Knight, Anh Do and Rodney Pople.

Artwork featured in Neon Magazine, Germany

The magazine Neon has been published since June 23, 2003 monthly in Hamburg publishing house Gruner. Sibling of the venerable Stern (Publishing speak calls it a "line extension," the core target group are people between 20 and 35 years with a high level of education and above-average income. Until 2006 the magazine was subtitled "We were supposed to grow up" and covers topics from the Sociology, Politics, Fashion, Relationships and sexuality, Travel, Career and popular culture. So, pretty much everything really.

Artwork for new CD

New York Alternative Hip Hop group Oxymorrons are using Status Update for their forthcoming album, Complex But Basic. 

Finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize

The work The View from Above has been selected as one of the 40 finalists in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize. The Two Dimensional category is one of numerous awards and categories within the Sunshine Coast Art Prize 10th anniversary celebration, with over $125,000 in cash prizes available for artists.

The exhibition is hosted by the Caloundra Regional Gallery, 22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra QLD, and opens Thursday 20 August, the official launch and winner announced is Friday 4 September and it closes Sunday 11 October

Finalist in the Nilumbik Art Prize

The work The Emperor's New Clothes has been selected as finalist in the The Nillumbik Art Prize. On display in the Barn Gallery in the spectacular and historic Montsalvat artist's colony, the prize celebrates artists and works from the Nillumbik region and recognises contemporary works of excellence. 

Exhibition opening: Thursday 4 June, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
And the show runs 4 June – 2 August 2015

Finalist in the Calleen Art Prize

The work Status Update has been selected from the hundreds of entries a finalist in the 20150 Calleen Art Award. The 2015 Awards judge is Dr Andrew Frost, art critic, writer and broadcaster. The winning work will join the Calleen Collection at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery. 

he exhibition is on at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery, 77 Darling Sreet, Cowra, NSW from 03 May - 14 Jun 2015. 

This is national painting prize was  established in 1977 by Mrs Patricia Fagan OAM and since its early beginnings the award has developed into a significant art prize worth $19,000 in 2015. 

Magazine Cover

The painting Pure Rationalism has been featured on the front cover of US magazine Nonprofit Quarterly. As a metaphor for teetering fragility brought about by the imbalance between debt and usustainable consumption - a fact Laurence Kotlikoff, Boston University Professor of Economics, has likened to a six decade Ponzi Scheme - there could be no more appropriate place for this painting to appear.