Sigrid has always had a strong connection with the art world and has helped to promote artists through her involvement with the Moet Chandon award, Heide and in her role as ambassador for the National Gallery of Victoria.
In October Sigrid will MC the
Lorne Sculpture prize. Numerous Archibald paintings have been
painted of Sigrid and this year, Sydney artist, Michael Snape, is
painting Sigrid. A portrait of Sigrid by Andrew Sibley hangs in the
National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Sigrid,
Art & The Blue Room
“Blue Room Seduction and the GTA Girl” by artist Rachel Rovay
- 2003
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Artist, Rachel Rovay
talks about her work
With “Blue Room Seduction and the GTA Girl” I am endeavoring to connect the past and the present through a pop imagery through a particular filter. That is the digital photographic manipulation of the female form to deliver the perceived “fairy tale” perfect woman.
Strongly influenced by Sigrid's inspiring performance in the play, led me to investigate the concept of exploitation and the notion of current media manipulation of sexuality.
In conversation with Sigrid, I decided to explore the notion of fantasy and reality, (sexuality & beauty) as it is presented to the general public through fashion magazines, newspapers, television and theatre.
In the 1940’s Hollywood photographer, George Hurrell, created glamorous portraits of such icons as Jane Russell and Joan Crawford by lengthening their eye lashes, smoothing wrinkles and highlighting hair. 1950’s America portrayed female sexuality through magazines such as Beauty Parade, Wink and Flirt, presenting exaggerated pin up illustrations of woman against garishly painted backgrounds. Fashion magazines, TV networks and newspapers today are about selling aspirations. The concept of cloning human images in the media to digitally enhance and manipulate truth creates a beguiling world where the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred.
The transformation of “the ideal” through digitally retouching and image manipulation is a process that is now very common. These are the influences that form the basis of the portrait.
The structure of the current portrait consists of attaching (“cloning”) Sigrids face to the unreal torso of a fantasy figure from a PS2 (playstation) computer
G.T.A. (Grand Theft Auto) that has become a classic PS2 game worldwide. This work also offers a provocative approach to the 21st century female manipulation of sexual imagery.
The resulting work represents an amalgamation of perceived sexuality, influenced by the female characters portrayed by Sigrid in The Blue Room play.
When I say black I mean
very colourful - 1980
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Portrait of Sigrid with line image inspired by
daughter Jaz - 2002
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Last year I painted Sigrid as an Icon with the presence of her daughter (“Portrait of Sigi with line image inspired by daughter Jaz” Selected for the Portia Geach Prize 2002).
There are many other aspects to Sigrid and I have decided to continue my investigation of a private person and public persona I have come to know over two decades of friendship.
For the first sitting I invited Jaz – Sigrid’s 10-year old daughter – to join me in the studio to draw her mother. We produced sketches, allowing her to experiment with a variety of media. Although Jaz was rather disappointed with the resulting sketches and, as she put it ”they did not look like mum”’ I was delighted with what I had learned through the innocent revelations about aspects of the subject’s life, revelations that other wise would have remained obscured by the machinery of glamour and iconography. Technically, I have endeavored to capture the glamour and grandeur of this Australian icon and to express the rhythm and energy through cohesive brush strokes and repetitive patterns and shapes. I utilized the Byzantian iconic imagery to suggest the adulation of the public.
About Rachel Rovay
Rachel Rovay was born in Jerusalem in 1955 and immigrated to Australia in 1970. She gained a Diploma of Design and Fine Art from Monash University and a Diploma of Education from Melbourne University. Since her first show in 1979 Rachel has held eight solo exhibitions and participated in a great number of group exhibitions, including the Sulman Prize and the Dobell Prize for Drawing. Recently her work was selected for group exhibition at the United Nations Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. This exhibition also toured nationally around Australia. Her works are in the collections of Footscray City College and the Jewish Museum of Australia.
Tom and Ben sleeping -
1987
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