CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Local artist, Richie Benowski (29) says he didn’t spend eight years at art school to have to dignify your basic human understanding of aesthetics.
“I didn’t expect you to understand it. I don’t give a fuck if anyone buys it” he spits, venomously.
“That’s not why I do it… To appease the insecurities of bogans in white collars”
While Richie’s newest painting of Barack Obamas appears to be blatantly plagiarised and hard to look at, he says there is a subtext involved in everything he does. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t get it because sometimes even he doesn’t get it.
Having today learnt he didn’t make it into the Archibald Prize, Richie says he isn’t even outraged because of course he wasn’t going to get in because he doesn’t toe the line. Literally, by not entering a portrait of an Australian sitter.
“You corporate types have to dignify everything with a price tag. Just take it in. It’s fucking art”
However, Richie’s parents says they really do hope you like his paintings, because they have costed them around $190,000.
“He says he doesn’t care if anyone buys them. I fucking do” says his old man, Brian.
“What’s the point otherwise. Why have them painting in galleries with price tags?”
“I’ve burnt just about every bridge I have in the art world, trying to help this kid monetise the last decade of his life”
“He keeps calling me uncultured. The kid eats two minute noodles every dinner”
