A painter, printmaker and sculptor, Rick Amor makes personal and emotionally charged works, often incorporating a haunting ‘solitary watcher’. Some of his paintings of suburban and inner Melbourne now number among the defining images of the city. In creating this portrait of author David Malouf AO (b. 1934), Amor says he aimed first, to produce a good likeness; and secondly, ‘in a world full of enormous heads’, a quiet picture of a diffident man of intellect. The modest scale of the portrait imparts a sense of intimacy and calm, offering a gentle portrayal of the sitter. Malouf is best known for his novels: An imaginary life won the 1979 NSW Premier’s Literary Award; Fly away Peter was named the Age Book of the Year in 1982; The great world won the Miles Franklin Award in 1990; Remembering Babylon was shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize; and The conversations at Curlow Creek was nominated for the Miles Franklin Award in 1997.
Commissioned with the assistance of funds provided by the Circle of Friends 2012
© Rick Amor
National Portrait Gallery Circle of Friends (8 portraits supported)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Australian author David Malouf discusses the creation of his portrait by artist Rick Amor.
Artist Rick Amor and author Shane Maloney relate divergent experiences of the creation of Shane's portrait.
