Connection/Disconnection: Words that have never felt more important or topical than right now.
As a human race, we are hardwired to ‘connect’ and until recent times the freedom to be and feel connected may have been taken for granted. Life before COVID: where seeing each other’s smiles, feeling each other’s touch, simply being in each other’s space was just ‘normal’.
Now we must 'disconnect' from the world to save lives.
Art as never before is now our visual connection that continues to grow with significance. The act of creating and enjoying art, cannot be taken away. The #BrisbanePortraitPrize is in its 3rd year of infancy and is an initiative designed to establish a ‘connection’ between Artists, Sitters and our city of #Brisbane, celebrating the diversity of skills and contributions made with an impressive showcase of contemporary portraiture.
For me, Katrina Goldsworthy, meeting, engaging with and experiencing extraordinary people is a great privilege in my life. The Brisbane Portrait Prize provides the perfect ‘excuse’ to meet and mingle with some of the best. My Sitter for this year, Lorraine Martin AO, is nothing short of inspirational and getting to know her and her story has been a joyous experience I’ll never forget.
Lorraine, 80 years young, is a highly acclaimed Business, Education and Training superstar, having enjoyed the majority of her memorable accomplishments through the 80’s and 90’s’. The highest of which was being named an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) on Australia Day 1994 for her service to business and commerce in education and training. Once she founded her first company, Lorraine Martin Business Colleges, the only way was up. Over the course of her career she sat on over 30 committees and boards, was honoured with over 15 state, national and international awards and her company was responsible for hiring and managing over 3000 volunteers for Brisbane’s World #Expo88. Across all these achievements her key passion remained unchanged – Mentoring, supporting and inspiring women in the world of business. And that she did.
Now onto the painting. First a summary, then onto the video tribute below.
Once again, I was joined by ‘my team’ to help create the vision. I firmly believe that: effort in = efforts out, so I must thank my daughter Emily Goldsworthy (#EegoStyling) for providing her hair and makeup talent and family friend Carly Jarvis (#MarlyArtDesign) for her photo and video contributions of our shoot together.
My genre is: acrylic painted on ethically tanned organic kangaroo hide, stitched to create texture, shadow and dimension, then adhered to canvas. These labour intensive portraits take weeks to produce and create a 3D appearance on a 2D surface. Each unique tanned hide is selectively picked to suit the subject. The process gives the same effect as a tattoo on skin.
This portrait is immersive and oriented towards the everyday.
The glass ceiling metaphor (background)
• Lorraine HAS broken the glass ceiling achieving results women have
never attained.
The Geisha doll symbolises strength, reflectiveness and sorrow:
• Lorraine opened the first private English Language Centre in Queensland, accepting students from all over the world.
• The Geisha doll was Lorraine’s daughter Jean-Marie’s favourite doll. Jeanie tragically lost her life at age18.
The ‘Australia’ lettering (background) represents 1988 Expo:
• Lorraine was the Face of Expo employing over 3,000 people.
Badges of honour worn with pride: 1994 Australia Day Honours “Officer of the Order of Australia” (AO) for services to business, commerce in education/training.
• Founding member Worldwide group: Women Chiefs of Enterprises to mentor, support and inspire women business owners.
In closing, I sincerely hope the World recovers enough to be reunited with familiar #connections of old and for the present time I hope you enjoy connecting with the art world, this portrait and meeting my friend, Lorraine Martin.
Please enjoy the below video tribute of our portrait experience together, Lorraine Martin AO She/Her from start to finish.