LAST DAYS: 6° OF SEPARATION & PATRICK FRANCIS SOLO

It’s the last chance to catch our two portrait exhibitions this Saturday: 6° OF SEPARATION and a solo exhibition by Melbourne Now artist Patrick Francis close on Saturday 23 August at 5pm.

6° OF SEPARATION is an exhibition of portraits painted from life of prominent Australian personalities who sat for a portrait in the Arts Project Australia studio. Curated by Sim Luttin, the project connects prominent leaders in the community with Arts Project Australia and its artists and features portraits of politicians, artists, actors, writers, satirists, entrepreneurs, musicians, footballers, and entertainers.

Portrait sitter John Clarke said of his experience, “The emergence of a self-portrait from the study of others is familiar to me. An understanding of the usefulness of a favourite form is very familiar to me. The huge power of an instinctive response is familiar to us all. Seeing these recognisable approaches at work in a group of visual artists I didn’t know was an unusual delight.”

Featuring artwork by over 12 Arts Project artists, sitters included Michael Caton, John Clarke, Fiona Corke, Abi Crompton, Bryan Dawe, Peter Fay, Mick Harvey, Judy Holding, John-Michael Howson OAM, Martin King, Teagan Lowe, Lukas Markovic, Alexandra Murray-Leslie, Therese Rein, Norman Rosenblatt, Jason Smith, Ricky Swallow, Laura Trevor, Hon Heidi Victoria MLA, Kalman Warhaft and Katherine Wiles.

Coinciding with 6° OF SEPARATION is Patrick Francis’ solo exhibition, which runs off the back of his highly successful inclusion in Melbourne Now at the National Gallery of Victoria and SAFARI in NSW earlier this year. A prolific painter, Francis draws on popular culture and art history to create enduring works of off centre sophistication. Over ten of his current works will be exhibited.

Arts Project Australia celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2014 and these two exhibitions feature in Arts Project’s extensive 2014 exhibition and event program.