Is Art subjective? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart demands removal of “unflattering” portrait

[Serendipia]

 

Australia's richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, is making waves (and not the good kind) after asking the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), to ditch a portrait of her from an exhibit.

 

This artwork, by award-winning Aboriginal artist Vincent Namatjira, is part of a bigger piece called 'Australia in Colour.' Apparently, Rinehart's not a huge fan of how she's portrayed – think surprised expression, missing jawline, and, well, let's just say her nose is getting more attention than usual.

 

The exhibit, which opened in March, features other big names like Queen Elizabeth II, rock legend Jimi Hendrix, and even some Aussie icons like Vincent Lingiari (an Aboriginal rights activist) and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

 

Rinehart, who runs her dad's massive mining company, Hancock Prospecting, reportedly went straight to the top dogs at the NGA to get the painting removed. But the NGA's all about sparking conversations with their art, and they're happy people are talking! ️

Meanwhile, the artist, Namatjira, says he paints folks who've made a big impact on Australia, for better or worse. He wants people to look at his art and think about these powerful figures, even if they don't love the way he portrays them.

 

So, what do you think? Is Rinehart overreacting, or does she have a right to dislike how she's depicted? Let's hear it in the comments!

 

• https://time.com/6978709/gina-rinehart-australia-national-gallery-namatjira-portrait-indigenous/
• https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/15/gina-rinehart-demands-national-gallery-of-australia-remove-her-portrait
• https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/16/style/gina-rinehart-namatjira-portrait-australia-intl-scli/index.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/16/gina-rinehart-portrait-vincent-namatjira-artist-national-gallery-of-australia
• https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-16/artist-responds-over-national-portait-vincent-namatjira/103858250

 

Image: Filedimage| Dreamstime.com