Louise Hearman, Untitled #1366, 2012, AFL, football, painting, Melbourne
Summary
Just as AFL is a highly physical game for the players, so too is it a dynamic 120-or-so minutes for referees. Louise Hearman’s ‘Untitled #1366’ depicts a referee bent over, arms flung back, running headlong as if seeking to regain his balance. The ungainly pose is underscored by the painting’s singular focus and use of strong, saturated colour, which combine to express the intense human drama that is part of the game.
This painting is one of three by Hearman that came into the collection in 2013, following the Basil Sellers Art Prize, at the Ian Potter Museum of Art. In 2012, Hearman was shortlisted for the award, which was established in 2008 to encourage and promote sustained engagement between contemporary art and sport.
