Acrylic on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the front.

The above listed work is one of 4 portraits of Anthony Albanese MP, that I painted in 2018 for that year’s Archibald portraiture prize entry. The brief for the Archibald is essentially, to paint an Australian of note or significance ( and you can interpret that any way you like ). As my then art studio was just around the corner from his electoral office, I had determined he was enough of an Australian of significiance for me to paint, as I knew he had been depty PM under Julia Gillard and I didn’t have very far to walk to his office, so it was as they say, a “ no- brainer “… so I had made an appointment with his Marrickville office on the 7th of March, 2018, to meet, do some sketches and take some photos of him that I could paint from…and the first question his office asked me, was did I live in his electorate? …and living just around the corner, that was a very easy yes. Keeping in mind at this point in time, Anthony is not PM, he is not yet even opposition leader…he’s simply the member for Marrickville…and I live just around the corner, in his electorate…
…so as I’m sitting there in his office waiting area… observing his staff at work, I become quite quickly aware by their behavior, that the majority of his staff are quite possibly volunteer’s… and that’s quite contrary to what I had expected…it tells me that politicians contrary to popular belief, often have a limited budget to work with…
…and then, rather than me being escorted in to meet him, he actually comes out to meet me in his waiting room and invite me into his office…which is not at all what I had expected…
…so there we are in his office, and I’m doing a quick sketch while informally chatting, I present to him my artist sketch pad, upon which I’ve scrawled “ I sat for my Archibald portrait today, for Brett Williams, 7th March 2018 “ ( and this is a requirement for the Archibald ) …and he scrawls his signature on it. We talk briefly about his Italian heritage and his single parent, housing commission childhood…and I have to say, it’s extremely humbling…and moving for me…but, I push these feelings aside, as I’m acutely aware I need to see emotions on his face…emotions I can take photos of and paint from for my portrait paintings…
…but as I start snapping away on my smart phone, I become acutely aware his face is quite unemotional and unresponsive…and, I can see for him, it’s just another day at the office…but, I’m prepared for this…and I say “ so , Anthony I’ve got this idea, right?? …if I throw a word at you, can you just enact it for me??...like …Passion!!! …( take photo )…and now …despair!!! ( take photo )…and now…desire!! ( take photo )!” …but instead of enacting any of these emotion suggestions I’ve just thrown at him, he is just sitting there, laughing at me!!!...and you can see him in the photos just laughing at me…but, I can see he totally gets where I’m coming from, cause he then says…” you know Brett, when I’m doing public speaking, I use my hands a lot “ …and as soon as he uses his hands, his face comes to life and I get the best photos…and these are the photos I will get the best paintings from…so, as well as the painting, you will also receive a copy of Anthony’s signature, stating he sat for his portrait, for me with the date( April 7, 2018 ) and also copies of the photos taken by me, on the day ( 68 )… …and if you are interested in the entire Anthony triptych ( the 3 portraits ), please let me know… and yes, I am also open for portrait commissions…