Q: can someone please help me, im having trouble and cant think of any answers. the question is : Describe the role of the Archibald Portrait Exhibition plays in the life of an Australian Portrait Artist. its for my art assignment. thanks
A: Just think - if you were an artist who painted portraits for a living, what would the Archibald prize mean to you? Portrait artists need to have people asking them to paint their portrait. But no one can ask you if they don't know you exist. But if you were well-known, there would be lots of clients wanting you to do their picture, for a number of reasons. 1. Having your picture painted by a well-known artist is great. 2. It's worth the money you pay. 3. The picture becomes more valuable with time. etc. How does an artist become more well-known? The answer is obvious: you take part in competitions and try to win. The prize is usually quite a bit of money, so you can live and paint and not have to work some other job. You can also buy art supplies like brushes and an easel. What competitions are there? Aha! There's the Archibald. If you were to paint an amazing portrait of someone famous (that's what the brief is) and win, your problem will be solved. Even if you do not win the big prize, there is the packers' prize and the people's choice prize. Wow - three goes at the same apple. So the role the prize plays in an artist's life is the opportunity to increase one's public exposure, provide the possibility of quite a lot of money and the prospect of more clients and fame. Hope this helps.