“Peter Russo – Fair Go Mate” (SOLD)
SKU:
A$0.00
per item
“Peter Russo – Fair Go Mate” is about my response as an artist to lawyer Peter Russo and how he handled the wrongful incarceration of Dr Mohamed Haneef.
I was happy to see lawyer and friend Peter Russo defending Mohamed Haneef, and was entertained by the way he responded to the questions of the press – he’s not one to exaggerate. I had to wait for the whole media thing to settle down a bit before I contacted Peter and asked if he would sit for me, his response was - ‘I think you’ve got the wrong bloke’ but he agreed to sit for me anyway.
I wanted to paint Peter’s interesting face but more importantly I wanted to paint his personality especially as it was shown in the Haneef case. I needed to include the motivational elements in the painting as well as the more literal portrait, this is a man that people could connect with. Peter Russo became the champion of the ‘underdog’ - a position most Australians identify with.
Dr Haneef’s name was released and he was publicly shamed before any evidence to support the charges was found. There was a very obvious presumption of guilt. I was under the impression (and so was the general public) that they must really have a good case against this ‘Indian’ Doctor, they wouldn’t dare publish his name and photo if they weren’t sure.
The composition is one that shows the ‘bulldog’ pose Peter uses when he’s in court, his image is pushing across the visual plane but doesn’t encourage you to look away, instead you return to look deeper into the painting finding that behind the words are Haneef in the ‘paddy van’ and some Queensland law books. It’s an odd composition that really fits the man and the case that brought him most recently to the public eye.
Generally known for my landscapes, this portrait is a return to my early years when I painted a lot of portraits, they were mainly of family members but sometimes a quick sketch would earn me a beer in a Ballarat pub.
Peter’s personality played out on his face is the most rewarding landscape I have ever painted.
I was happy to see lawyer and friend Peter Russo defending Mohamed Haneef, and was entertained by the way he responded to the questions of the press – he’s not one to exaggerate. I had to wait for the whole media thing to settle down a bit before I contacted Peter and asked if he would sit for me, his response was - ‘I think you’ve got the wrong bloke’ but he agreed to sit for me anyway.
I wanted to paint Peter’s interesting face but more importantly I wanted to paint his personality especially as it was shown in the Haneef case. I needed to include the motivational elements in the painting as well as the more literal portrait, this is a man that people could connect with. Peter Russo became the champion of the ‘underdog’ - a position most Australians identify with.
Dr Haneef’s name was released and he was publicly shamed before any evidence to support the charges was found. There was a very obvious presumption of guilt. I was under the impression (and so was the general public) that they must really have a good case against this ‘Indian’ Doctor, they wouldn’t dare publish his name and photo if they weren’t sure.
The composition is one that shows the ‘bulldog’ pose Peter uses when he’s in court, his image is pushing across the visual plane but doesn’t encourage you to look away, instead you return to look deeper into the painting finding that behind the words are Haneef in the ‘paddy van’ and some Queensland law books. It’s an odd composition that really fits the man and the case that brought him most recently to the public eye.
Generally known for my landscapes, this portrait is a return to my early years when I painted a lot of portraits, they were mainly of family members but sometimes a quick sketch would earn me a beer in a Ballarat pub.
Peter’s personality played out on his face is the most rewarding landscape I have ever painted.