Click here to view Elizabeth's paintings...
Exhibition launch of Elizabeth Stoney's portraits by Cr Darren Ray: 7pm Tuesday June 7 – Glass atrium, entrance to Ian Potter Gallery, Federation Square. June 6-14. From dawn to dusk.
Port Phillip artist Elizabeth Stoney's luck was riding high the day that Gerard Vaughan walked into Studio 104, a live portrait studio she operated at South Melbourne Market for six months.
”I was still painting his portrait when I thought to ask him what he did. When Gerard ‘fessed up that he was the National Gallery of Victoria's director, I froze. My heart went right to the bristles of my brush. After apologising, he laughingly commented that he should have claimed to be the doorman. I then took three deep breaths and tried to imagine he wasn't there.
“But Gerard seemed to appreciate his portrait and he suggested I stage a working exhibition out of doors in Federation Square. His recommendation was enough to swing its management into renting me the glass atrium for nine whole days.”
Dr Vaughan will also participate in the launch of The Inside Story , Ms Stoney's exhibition of over 100 portraits at 7pm, Tuesday June 7. “I'm delighted to help launch this exhibition. I'm impressed by the energy Elizabeth brings to her paintings and I like the fact that she's willing to paint portraits of everybody and anybody.”
Ms Stoney is taking up residence on Monday June 6 and aims to paint ten portraits a day of people coming by. She's hoping that some of the action will be broadcast on the big screen.
“The first person I painted last year was Dick Gross who was then the mayor of Port Phillip. I've since painted most of the councillors and some famous people such as Adam Elliot, Tracy Harvey and Hugh Rimminton. Most, though, are of ordinary people who heard about it and booked or just happen to come by.
“It's such an honour if someone agrees to sit. All I ask is that they try to maintain eye contact with me for about 40 minutes to an hour and forgive me when it's done. The self-imposed time restriction produces a very immediate portrait and a haptic style of painting that relies almost completely on the energy of the sitter. Over the past eight months, I've learned that vision is nothing but a trick whereas the soul is honest. Rather than the physical representation of a person, I'm more interested in painting the feelings that exist in that area of space between the sitter and me.
“At base, everyone just wants to be appreciated and when they sit in that chair they slowly begin to glow. Now I laughingly call it the electric chair.
“I like to think that I'm painting the inner person. Everyone has an amazing story. So this is why the exhibition is entitled The Inside Story .
“When people see themselves in this strange way, they come back over and over again to stare anxiously at this image of 'something of them'. Perhaps they sense that they could never have commissioned it, I don't know. Often I feel that they are shown something in the intimacy of the process. It's unnerving and not many will honestly admit to actually liking their portrait,” she said.
Ms Stoney says she's dreamed of this project for a while.
“I've wanted a situation where I could paint portraits without the spectre of the dollar looming between my sitter and me. I am facing a marathon of up to ten portraits a day in Federation Square and I want to see what happens when I am so exhausted that I can't think, only feel. In this way, I want to extract my analytical self as much as I can from the portrait-making process. I'm trying for a truthful, tangible account of what is happening in that space between the sitter and me,” she said.
Ms Stoney now works out of Middle Park Fine Art Gallery and Studio run in conjunction with Judith Stoney, her mother.
“While my only institutional art training is in traditional Chinese calligraphy, I've been lucky to grow up surrounded by painting. I thought everyone's mother was a painter because mine was. I'm still working up the guts to enter the Archibald,” she said.
Port Phillip mayor Darren Ray, who is speaking at the launch, said he was impressed by Ms Stoney's ability to connect with people at an almost subliminal level.
“I've now seen what she's made of me and lots of other people and I'm in awe of her ability to get to what makes them tick. After an hour with Elizabeth, you feel you've known her your whole life. She ‘peeled back the layers' the first time we met. And I have to say – it was refreshingly confronting,” he said.
The South Melbourne Market, which is run by the City of Port Phillip, supported Ms Stoney's tenure at Studio 104 and has put $2000 towards the exhibition.
“ The Inside Story had its genesis at South Melbourne Market and this is a great way of taking the market to the city,” Cr Ray said.
The Inside Story is also sponsored by Middle Park Fine Art Gallery and Studio, Vera Ha, Innocent Bystander, Shosh (South Melbourne Market), Automotive Fleet Management.
Elizabeth Stoney can be contacted for comment on 0425 751 515.
Print quality images can be emailed on request.
Enquiries: After hours
Carmel Shute
Media Officer
Tel: 9209 6163
Mobile: 0412 569 356
Darren Ray
Mayor
Ph: 9527 5364
Mobile: 0413 334 523
Council webpage: http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au
Click here to view Elizabeth's paintings... |
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Each sitter has been asked how they'd like to be remembered:
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Darren Ray
Darren Ray, 38, Mayor, Port Phillip: "someone who gave a f--k"
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Assimina Semertjis
Assimina Semertjis, 38, Science Teacher : "as your buddy"
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Elizabeth Stoney's 105 paintings displayed within the glass scaffolding of the Atrium at Federation Square were all painted at Studio 104 at the South Melbourne Market. They are all oil on canvas [16" x20"]. Please keep an eye on this website for more updates and by next week, all images of the portraits will available for viewing here. Please feel more than welcome to attend on any of the nine days, but especially, come to the launch! It should just be a great night and I hope all the sitters enjoy meeting you and each other....
