JAMIE PREISZ CONTEMPORARY REALIST PAINTINGS
Jamie Preisz
Jamie Preisz is a Sydney based Contemporary Realist painter with an interest in portraiture and an aversion to confining his style.
'I dread becoming an artist who is known for painting the same thing over and over.'
At only 29 years old, his impressive list of solo shows and accolades continues to grow. Well known for winning the 2018 Archibald Packing Room Prize with his portrait of Jimmy Barnes, he has also been recognised as a finalist in the Mosman Art Prize, Waverly Art Prize and Kangaroo Valley Art Prize.
I am pleased to present two paintings by Jamie Preisz, exclusively through Sarah Birtles Art + Advice: Incognito and Submerging Artist.
Incognito
With each new body of work Jamie sets himself technical challenges. Icognito incorporates two challenges. First, the use of pastel colours outside the artist's predilection for black and midnight tones. Second, capturing the perfect moment an object sank into a 25 litre tub of paint, never to return the same.
Preisz uses traditional oil painting techniques to detail the reflective surface of a mysterious mask as it sinks into an opaque musk-stick hued background. In a contemporary twist all four edges of the canvas are painted in the most intense cerise achieving a glowing pink halo. A tongue-in cheek reference to the colour war between artists Kappor and Semple.
In 2016, Anish Kapoor secured exclusive rights to the artistic use of Vantablack, the blackest synthetic material ever created. Incensed by this selfish acquisition, Stuart Semple created "the pinkest pink" and made it available for anyone to purchase online - except Kapoor.
Kapoor did eventually get his hands on the pinkest pink, posting gloating images across social media with the tag 'Up yours #pink'.
Jamie comments wryly on the work, 'A lot of my work are self portraits in a way and I like the Phantom of the Opera vibe to this one. Sometimes I feel like the Phantom locked up in my studio painting away for hours.'
This stunning work was selected by Alexie Glass-Kantor as a finalist in this year's Mosman Art Prize is now exclusively available for purchase.
Submerging Artist
I am also pleased to present Submerging Artist,
a large scale self portrait painted in soft watery tones. A contemporary counterpoint to Millais' masterpiece Ophelia (1851).
Interestingly, both works centre around baths and cold water. To create the effect of Opheila drowing, Millais asked his model to pose in bath full of water. To keep the water warm some oil lamps were placed underneath but Millais became so engrossed one day he failed to notice the lamps went out. His model took ill and he was forced to pay the medical bills.
Jamie Preisz Submerging Artist, 2020 Oil on linen 150 x 100cm