Archibald portraits reveal much about Australia's world view

John Frydenberg ("Mr Coal") as
 portrayed by Simon Bosch.

Among the 50-odd portraits in this year's Archibald, two are stand-out, although not in a good way. Both depict sitting politicians but together they reveal us, or what is embarrassingly close to becoming an Australian world-attitude: dominate, exploit, go. Eat, shoot, leave (the rubbish).

Contemporary portraiture peers into the sitter's soul. Abandoning the bombast and braggadocio of traditional portraiture, it seeks some inner truth, even frailty. To browse the Archies, therefore, is to be brushed with sadness and self-doubt as much as charm, cheek and chutzpah. This is its redemption.

Read Elizabeth Farrelly’s story in The Sydney Morning Herald - “These two portraits reveal much about Australia's world view.”