From Sporting icons to politicians, comedians, celebrities and even a billionaire, no one has been spared in this years Bald Archy. Australia’s most famous satirical art prize pokes fun at pretty much anything that made headlines over the past 12 months, with the finalists unveiled today in Canberra.
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00:00A now infamous performance, Ray Gunn's breakdancing on the world stage in Paris, satirised and
00:09immortalised in paint and on canvas by no less than five finalists in this year's Bald
00:14Archie.
00:15Obviously we expected a few and we got them.
00:19Polly's always line up, there's I think three Peter Duttons and one Elbow.
00:26Also in politics, Lydia Thorpe's royal protest is featured, as is a rather worse for wear
00:31Barnaby Joyce.
00:33The royals themselves were made fun of, while billionaire Gina Reinhart made a few appearances,
00:38and the country's Olympic athletes and sporting heroes were celebrated.
00:43The annual art prize, which is a parody of the Archibald, is open to any artist, as long
00:49as their work depicts someone or something of significance which happened in the past
00:53twelve months.
00:54It attracts a wide diversity of artists, from novices to very seasoned and experienced artists.
01:01In true satirical style, and in the spirit of founder Peter Beatty, who died in 2019,
01:06organisers say the main condition is that entries have to be funny, not hateful.
01:12One of my favourite sounds when the Bald Archie prize is running is hearing the laughter and
01:17gasps of exclamation from people as they move through the gallery.
01:22The Bald Archie, which boasts a $10,000 prize, is famously judged by a self-accrested cockatoo
01:28named Professor Maud, who made her winner's pick this year by squawking in front of her
01:33favourite piece.
01:34Often she likes a shade of blue, but it's whatever makes her laugh.
01:40The almost year-long tour of the works has now kicked off in Canberra, before it heads
01:44off around the country, where it's hoped many of the works will sell along the way.
01:48Meanwhile, Maud's winner will be announced later next month.