Pat Hudson’s winning portrait of Cardinal George Pell titled ‘Nothing to Say’. (Supplied)
The 2005 Bald Archy Prize winning portrait of George Pell and Tony Abbott. Artist: Tony Sowersby
Political figures featured heavily among the contenders. ABC News: Ian Cutmore
A controversial painting depicting Cardinal George Pell with a face formed from male genitalia has won Australia’s most irreverent portraiture prize.
Titled ‘Nothing to Say’, the painting is the work of artist Pat Hudson, a first time entrant in the Bald Archy, which is a parody of the more serious and revered Archibald Prize.
“It’s a great honour and a big surprise,” Hudson, from Templestowe in Victoria, said.
The 2016 contenders were unveiled in Canberra in February and the artist said he painted the portrait in response to the controversy surrounding Cardinal Pell at that time.
A portrait of Cardinal George Pell with a penis as a nose and a devil’s tail.
At the time it was unclear whether the Cardinal would testify at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
He later gave evidence via videolink from Rome over his handling of alleged abuse by Catholic Priests within the church in Australia.
Cardinal Pell is not the subject of any allegations of abuse before the commission.
Read the full ABC story – and more pictures – HERE
Deborah Rice, ABC
