FC Holden

ADAM CULLEN (1965-2012)

FC Holden

synthetic polymer paint on linen
182.5 x 274.0 cm
signed with initial lower left: A
signed with initial lower right: C
inscribed on stretcher verso: FOR BRIAN [illeg.]

Provenance:
Commissioned from the artist, private collection, Sydney

Estimate: $30000 - 40000

Result Hammer: $30000

The late Adam Cullen polarised art and pop culture audiences with a body of work which could simultaneously be described as irreverent, incendiary, incisive, thought-provoking and grotesque.

A uniquely Australian artist, Cullen rose to national prominence at the turn of last century, winning the prestigious Archibald Prize for portraiture with a distinctively caricature-like interpretation of actor David Wenham (born 1965). Prior to this, he was well established as a member of Sydney’s grunge art scene. In her now iconic 2004 monograph, Ingrid Periz describes Cullen’s oeuvre most succinctly, ‘his paintings show no self-consciousness about mixing high and low cultural elements.’1 In Cullen’s own words, ‘[his] work deals with what we can’t or won’t think about.’2

The pair of Adam Cullen paintings presently under consideration demonstrate both the skill, and the paradox apparent in Cullen’s practice. In FC Holden we see a jaunty, cartoon-like, but entirely sincere auto-portrait which is redolent of middle class, 1960s Australian suburbia. The FC series Holden, which was produced between 1958 and 1960, riffed on the design of the immensely successful 1955 Chevrolet with its two-tone paint job and exaggerated length. These five door Holden wagons were optimistically marketed as ‘Station Sedans’, in an attempt to add a veneer of sophistication. The present painting was a private commission for the current owner, a devotee of Cullen’s work who wished to immortalise his beloved automobile. Though not a common motif in Cullen’s repertoire, this idolatry treatment of the humble family car is consistent with his abiding fascination with Australian sub-culture…. Think boxing, horse-racing, flora, fauna, mythology, television, drinking and carnivals.

 The relative conservatism of FC Holden is belied by our subsequent lot, Corpus Christi (Only Woman Bleed) 2008.  On face value, this admittedly lurid triptych which carries the provocative inscription ‘ONLY WOMAN [sic] BLEED’ depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in a manner which is not too different to that of Cullen’s predecessors, Roy De Maistre (1894-1968), Arthur Boyd (1920-1999) and Justin O’Brien (1917-1996), nor thousands of other artists who have sought to reprise one of Christianity’s most significant events. However, the painting created immense controversy in 2008 when it was included on the shortlist of finalists for the Blake Art Prize. The Sydney academic Dr Christopher Allen resigned from the judging panel in protest at the work’s inclusion, later admitting that he was not a fan,

‘I’ve never even met him – I just don’t like his work. It has a kind of deliberate ugliness which has been exploited as a gimmick. This isn’t a personal preference, it’s a judgement.’3

 The painting’s inclusion as a finalist in the Blake, in spite of Allen’s opposition, was hailed as a triumph for liberal expression and the power of art to articulate contemporary thought. Regardless of one’s personal disposition to Cullen, it is clear that his art, and indeed his legacy, have a momentum and a vitality which still resonates with collectors more than a decade after his premature death. This is evidenced by the mainstream interest in and acceptance of the The Cullen Art Series Hotel, his biography, the subsequent film adaptation, and numerous posthumous exhibitions of his work such as that conducted by Manly Art Gallery & Museum in late 2023.

 When it’s all said and done, Adam Cullen’s great achievement was to challenge the view that art’s only role was, ‘to be beautiful while reinforcing archly conservative notions of good taste and decorum.’4

 Footnotes

1. Periz, I., Adam Cullen: Scars Last Longer, Craftsman House, Sydney, 2004, p.12
2. Ibid, p.11
3. ‘Religious Art Prize Judge Quits in Disgust’, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 August 2008, accessed 13 February 2024, https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/religious-art-prize-judge-quits-in-disgust-20080806-gdsp8w.html
4. ‘Howzat: The Judge of a Liberal Arts Prize Reveals Himself as Out of Step’, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 August 2008, accessed 13 February 2024, https://www.smh.com.au/national/howzat-the-judge-of-a-liberal-arts-prize-reveals-himself-as-out-of-step-20080808-gdspk8.html

Cameron Menzies

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  Cameron Menzies, Chairman & Head of Private Sales

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  Asta Cameron, Art Specialist

  acameron@menziesartbrands.com
  +61 (0) 400 914 088

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  Clementine Retallack, Front of House Manager & Associate Art Specialist
  
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