Hasemann defended Swimming Queensland’s involvement in lobbying the gallery on Friday after questions were raised about the intersection of Rinehart’s use of money and power to influence culture and sport. Rinehart has a fortune estimated at $37.6 billion.
‘Australia in black and white’ by artist Vincent Namatjira on display in the National Gallery of Australia. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
“It evolved into something I could never have imagined,” Hasemann told ABC Radio. “I’ve never been to a gallery. I’m a sports administrator. I don’t know why we have to defend ourselves. We privately did what the gallery encourages us to do: encourage debate.
“[We asked them] ‘pretty please will you mind taking it down?’ If they don’t, that’s their right.”
Hailing from South Australia, Namatjira is the great-grandson of watercolourist Albert Namatjira and the first Indigenous artist to win the Archibald Prize. In 2020, the same year as he won the Archibald Prize, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in honour of his contribution to Indigenous visual arts.
His monograph, Vincent Namatjira, recently published by Thames & Hudson, features three portraits of Rinehart, including one of the portraits the billionaire mining mogul is demanding the NGA remove.
Gina Rinehart is seen talking to swimmers Cate Campbell (second from left), Bronte Campbell and Kyle Chalmers during the 2018 Australian swimming trials.Credit: AAP
In a chapter on power, Vincent discusses in depth his portraits of public figures, including Rinehart. Painting in a naive style, he aims to disarm the powerful in his portraits.
“I am really interested in people in positions of power; people who have incredible wealth and influence,” he states.
“When I see politicians, world leaders, royalty and other power players on the news, I see this huge disconnect between their world and the day-to-day reality of life in a remote Aboriginal community.”
The Rinehart controversy is rare in the Australian art world. Historically, complaints have been made by fellow artists, not the sitter.
Gallery visitors view the artwork by Vincent Namatjira at the National Gallery on Friday. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
William Dobell’s 1943 Archibald Prize-winning portrait of artist Joshua Smith was challenged in court by a group of artists, led by Mary Edwell-Burke and Joseph Wolinski, who claimed the work was a distorted caricature, not a portrait.
They lost but the artist and sitter regarded the experience as soul-destroying.
Then in 2004, Craig Ruddy won the Archibald with a portrait of actor David Gulpilil which also won the Art Gallery of NSW People’s Choice award. A week later, another Sydney artist, Tony Johansen, attempted to sue the gallery, claiming that Ruddy’s piece was a drawing, not a painting.