Prince/Zavros 4, 2012, Michael Zavros
Charcoal on paper, 122xm x 86cm
Provenance: Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane.
Exhibited: Griffith University Art Gallery, Brisbane 2013.
Michael Zavros is one of Australia’s foremost artists known for his photorealistic paintings and drawings. His attention to detail and delicate touch creates luxurious works eerily reminiscent of photographs, and his subjects range from still lifes, animals and figures. The recipient of many significant awards and residencies, in 2012 Michael Zavros was awarded the inaugural Bulgari Art Award through the Art Gallery of New South Wales (1).
‘The Prince’ collection focuses on the most masculine of American figures, the Cowboy. The mythology behind the Cowboy as a role model is so powerful, that it’s been used throughout advertising and cinema to represent the all American ideal. In this collection, Zavros revisits the magazine works of Richard Prince in his distinct highly detailed style, filled with nostaglia, emotion and precision. In the 1970s and 80s, Prince worked for Time-Life in the tear sheet department where he created artworks out of fragmented photographed magician images. His theme was the hard working, raw Malboro Man (2).