Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes

Overview

Faces. Faces and fields. They don't always spring straight to mind when you're talking about great art. But they're stomped all over the history of art, obsessed as it was with the human body and the unreal rustic idyll. These are also the ingredients of the Archibald, and Wynne prizes, about to go on show with the Sulman at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Archibald entrants compete in portrait, the Wynne in landscapes, and the Sulman in paint both big and small. This collection of collections will judged by the  non-artist Trustees and the general public, already having been judged by a benign autocracy of art storeman.

This year's Archibald finalists include the stunning Klimt-like family portrait of previous winner Kathryn del Barton, a Love and Rockets-styled self portrait by Kate Beynon and Ben Quilty's fine-cut Margaret Olley. The exhibition also has a flm program, featuring Basiquat and The Lady Eve by epic O Brother Where Art Thou influence Preston Sturges. The weighty Archibald is orbited by satirical Bald Archies and more elevated Salon de Refuses exhibitions, too. So there's lots of fodder for you to indulge in an epic day of art, and of judging for yourself.

Image: Nicholas Harding, Hugo at Home