Archibald Prize 2010

Paintings, prints & wall hangings is part of an ongoing series of work, which Michael Lindeman began in 2007 during a residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program in New York.

The large-scale, multi-canvas, text painting precisely replicates a newspaper column and is derived from actual published classified advertisements of paintings for sale, which he has been collecting for some time now.

It is a conceptual painting, which wryly addresses issues surrounding cultural meaning and the commodification of art.

‘The painting contains a distinct paradox,’ says Lindeman. ‘It is banal, an elevation of the everyday. However, by presenting it in a gallery context it becomes quite radical, absurd and humorous in the manner of Duchamp’s work.

‘By using text that references Australian suburbs and regional locations, the work shares an intellectual connection with the Value added series by the late Australian conceptual artist Ian Burn,’ adds Lindeman. ‘Burn’s Value added works charted similar territory by combining paintings purchased from junk shops with his lyrical description of each work. Like Burn, my work resuscitates and presents amateur painting in a new light.’

Paintings, Prints & Wall Hangings invites the viewer to become an active participant in the work by encouraging them to imagine the advertised paintings. This takes the work into a deeper conceptual realm. At the same time, it retains a seamless hard-edged aesthetic.

Born in Sydney in 1973, Lindeman has a Master of Fine Arts, from the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW. Since 1998, he has had numerous solo exhibitions in Sydney and has also been involved in curated group shows throughout Australia, Los Angeles and New York.