In the age of phone selfies, why does the painted portrait still enthral us?

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Despite our daily lives being awash with photographs, the painted portrait still has a vital role to play in telling stories of human experience and character, and creating intimate connections between people.

The Lester Prize, one of Australia’s richest prizes for portraiture, received 720 entries from across the country, depicting Australians in myriad ways from the abstract to the realistic.

But, in spite of the differences between the paintings, she said there were certain qualities to look for in a portrait. "You get that sense of someone's presence, someone's energy and spirit from that portrait. You get a sense of how the whole work comes together to tell that story about that individual."While to the outsider it might seem impossible to compare a painting that barely depicts a face with a detailed piece of photorealism, Ms Grist said it was the stories that counted.

"Often what you're reacting to as a human being is not necessarily the likeness, but all the other information you get about a human body," Ms Grist said."[Information] like the pose, the sense of that person's energy and character and where they are and how they're interacting with their environment and how they've been portrayed through the techniques that the artist has used.

"It is interesting, and one of the lovely things about portraiture is it's so alive, and it's so 'of the moment', because all of these people have been embedded in their time. "If it's a commissioned portrait with an artist engaged with a person, there is a duration and a time spent with that person, that I think translates to the way that that life is captured.Like Ms Grist, Dr Brink said that in an era awash with screens, modern life has meant the human connection forged by personal portraits were more important than ever.

 

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Because, unlike reporting, it involves work, skill and talent.

Because it’s painted….by….hand. Does the current ABC actually have any substance anymore? I give up.

It doesn't

Good painting allow us to connect with divine. There is a reason that top quality art is among the highest prices objects in existence. I myself can easily lose myself in a painting that touches me.

Because of the skill of the artist. Something the judges of the Archibald Prize should keep in mind.

Dunno. You tell me.

This 'portrait' has been enhanced/doctored, there's a blurring in what's real and what not nowadays.

Because a selfie is not a piece of art.

What an awful painting. I wouldn't put that in an outback dunny.

Because in most cases - the latter-day Archibald being a notable exception - painting a portrait involves actual skill.

gents, painted dick portraits dick pics.

It's a skill . Selfies aren't.

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