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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Andrew Southall

1995
Rick Amor

drypoint on wove paper, edition A/P 4 (sheet: 38.0 cm x 28.0 cm, image: 30.5 cm x 20.0 cm)

Andrew Southall (b. 1947), based in Victoria, has made his recent paintings with acrylic house paints, poured from the can onto canvases on the floor. ‘Most people who see my recent work for the first time think Jackson Pollack; fair enough; it’s practically an occupational hazard’ he writes. ‘I am not paying homage to Jackson Pollack; my paintings are not painted like Jackson Pollack painted his or at least the ones most of us readily identify; nor do they derive from similar sources, not if you look closely, do they look anything like the Jackson Pollacks you think they look like.’ He explains that his paintings ‘aren’t just action, and see what transpires. A lot of the actual time I spend on a painting is spent on the peripheral of the bare canvas lying on the floor of the workshop. I wait I think I look, something will happen. Like any of the painting I have done over the years I have the all-rights, the gee that really works, the fuck me’s what a ripper, the cockups, the may be redeemable with a bit of courage, and the out and out failures. And just below them the blissfully few that fill me – only momentarily - with the awful recognition I’ve just wasted all that material and money on what, on nothing; enough money we could have had a fantastic weekend away in a city hotel.’

Gift of the artist 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Rick Amor/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Rick Amor (age 47 in 1995)

Andrew Southall (age 48 in 1995)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Rick Amor (21 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency