Ted Love
Ted Love
YEAR. 2014
MEDIUM. conte, acrylic and oil on cement fibreboard and wooden pallet
DIMENSIONS. 121 x 121cm
EXHIBITION HISTORY.
2014 Winner, Emerging Artist Award, Busselton Art Awards, ArtGeo Gallery, Busselton, WA
COLLECTION. City of Busselton
"This is a portrait of Ted Love, a local rural character and farmer in the Mundijong area. He was a figure in my childhood as the sole proprietor of a neighbouring dairy farm. He reflects his land, weathered, falling apart in places but well loved and respected. There is a dwindling interest in the primary producers who have sustained us, people like Ted who have pursued a career on the land. Painted directly onto Hardieflex, typically a building material, this work reflects the utilitarian approach that has defined his life. Despite over 50 years of age difference his concerns for the future were no different from mine. Ted Love is a respected elder in my rural community, in choosing him as the subject of my portrait, I wanted to celebrate him as the living embodiment of a work ethic. I admire his optimism, independent outlook and natural understanding of the land."