The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch) 2014

TIM STORRIER born 1949

The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch) 2014

bronze (maquette)
80.0 x 53.0 x 40.0 cm
numbered to base: AP I/IV
stamped with foundry mark to base
edition: Artist's Proof 1/4 (aside from an edition of 8)

Provenance:
Acquired from the artist, private collection, Sydney

Related Works:
The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch), bronze, 210.0 cm height, edition of 5The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch) 2012, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 183.0 x 122.0 cm; exhibited in The Archibald Prize (Winner), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 March - 3 June 2012

Estimate: $40000 - 60000

Result Hammer: $44000

After winning the Archibald Price in 2012 with the self-portrait The Histrionic Wayfarer (After Bosch), Tim Storrier chose to immortalise his vision in bronze. A natural progression in his artistic practice, Storrier’s stamina for meticulous detail within his two-dimensional works has allowed his vision to be amplified within a sculptural realm.

Based on Hieronymus Bosch’s (c1450-1516) triptych, The Wayfarer 1510, it is apparent that Storrier has translated the essence of Bosch’s gaunt and dowdy figure into a well-equipped 21st century traveller. Storrier refers to the figure as:

A metaphysical surveyor… [examining] the interior landscape of one’s dreams… When you take the face away, it immediately creates an intrigue of some sort, possibly a mystery…. [It is] a reference to mortality… after somebody is deceased there’s nothing but a pile of rags, their clothes. So it does have that reference as well, the fragility of time and existence.(1)

In contrast to Bosch’s Wayfarer, who slowly limps onwards, Storrier’s Wayfarer is cast in motion, striding forward in unapologetic fashion. The 21st century Wayfarer carries a backpack containing his worldly possessions: a palette caked in dried oil paint, a stretched canvas, paint brushes, a ruler, bedding, papers, a compass, and maps all sit in organised chaos. Storrier’s beloved dog, Smudge, sits astute atop the collection of items looking back at the path already travelled; a subtle nod to Storrier’s enduring themes of nostalgia and memory throughout his oeuvre.

The journey to bring the Wayfarer out from the canvas and into the third dimension began in early 2013. To realise his vision, Storrier began an extensive process of exploration and collaboration to create what could not otherwise be seen on the canvas. Numerous drawings were supplied to artisans who integrated them into a three-dimensional representation. The present work forms part of the edition of eight maquettes, a process that is customary when creating a large-scale bronze sculpture, used to refine the object before proceeding to the larger example. Storrier appropriates the idea of mortality through the use of bronze, giving the sense of continuing immortality.

The present work showcases Storrier’s scrupulous eye for detail and the exhaustive craftsmanship needed to bring the surveyor to life. It captivates the key facets of his practice, further solidifying his steadfast position within Australia’s art history.

FOOTNOTES

1. ’Archibald Prize 2012 Winner’, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, accessed 7 May 2024: https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2012/29250/

Clementine Retallack

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