Rinehart portrait wins Bald Archy

Updated

A portrait of mining magnate Gina Rinehart and her daughter Ginia has taken out this year's Bald Archy prize.

The Banquet of Gina and Ginia, by artist Warren Lane, depicts Ms Rinehart eating a large chocolate cake with her fingers and with chocolate around her mouth.

Mr Lane says he was inspired by a similar painting from the 17th century.

"It is based on a painting by Jan Victors who is a Dutch painter who painted a similar painting in about 1640," he said.

"I just swapped the characters around to Gina Rinehart and her daughter. It was a banquet scene, so I thought that was appropriate.

"And apologies to Jan Victors as well, I don't think I did it justice.

"It's just appropriation. Comedy in art. There's no hiding that is exactly what this is."

Mr Lane says he hopes Ms Rinehart will see it as a joke.

"I am joking. I think she'll see it that way. Hopefully," he said.

The Bald Archy winner is traditionally chosen by a sulphur-crested cockatoo.

Earlier today, the creator and director of the Bald Archy, Peter Batey, told the ABC that the award was designed to challenge the idea of art prizes in Australia.

"We are posing the question of who are the judges and what does it actually mean," he said.

"If you win second prize at the whoop whoop show for a picture of some violets in a jug you can claim to be an award-winning artist, so it just wipes out the meaning of it all."

Lane will take home $7,500 for his winning portrait.

It is the Bald Archy's 20th anniversary this year, and there were 44 finalists.

The competition started out as a spoof of the prestigious Archibald prize.

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, sydney-2000

First posted