By Luke Voogt
Guy Pearce has a gaze that draws people in, according to Anne Middleton, whose portrait of the Geelong-born actor won the Archibald Prize People’s Choice award.
“It was always about his gaze,” the Melbourne-based artist told the Indy on Monday.
“He’s extremely personable and approachable but there’s a real intensity to his gaze which I found quite intriguing.”
Middleton comes to Geelong Gallery today as a touring exhibition of Archibald Prize finalists stops in Pearce’s childhood home.
“He was quite excited to hear it was going to Geelong,” Middleton said.
“Because of all his family connections there it’s really lovely for him.”
A “mutual friend in the music industry” introduced Middleton to Pearce, who took a liking to her botanic art and attention to detail, she said.
“He loved my work which I was thrilled about.
“He’s been approached many times to sit but this was the first time he had. It was a real honour.
“Immediately when he came into the studio he had a big beaming smile and a very warm generous manner.”
The painter and Hollywood actor bonded over dogs, Middleton said.
Her Australian terrier died last year while Pearce lost his dogs to his divorce, she said.
“We both had this incredible sense of grief about the loss of our dogs.”
Pearce spoke to Middleton about having a child at 49, the loss of his father and breakdown of his marriage, she said.
“He’s remarkably perceptive and we had conversations during the sittings about a number of things.”
Their discussions added “depth” to the portrait, she said.
“I could see in his face this depth of emotion. Guy was very open about some of the difficulties of his life, which helped shape him as a person.”
They also bonded over their shared age (51) and childhoods in Victoria, she added.
Pearce’s partner and Game of Thrones actress Carice van Houten came to the first sitting, Middleton said.
“She was really sweet and warm.”
Middleton uses baroque oil-glazing techniques to give an impression of depth in her paintings.
“You’re looking through layers of skin and almost looking into the soul of the subject,” she said.
“Guy loved that idea and really wanted to run with that – getting a sense of peering into his soul.”
Middleton was thrilled to win the People’s Choice award earlier this year.
About a quarter of the 10,000 public comments on the finalists’ paintings referred to her portrait, she said.
“It’s very gratifying as an artist that my portrait resonated with so many people. It stirred them emotionally which is what I wanted.”
The Archibald Prize exhibition opens at Geelong Gallery tonight and will run 10am to 5pm each day until 18 November.
“I love visiting Geelong and I’ll probably spend some time on the gorgeous beaches in the coming months,” Middleton said.
