Tim Minchin

The Archibald prize is considered the most important prize for portrait painting in Australia. Previous winners have included many Australian artists of international standing including Brett Whitely, John Olsen and William Dobell.
The prize is awarded by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, a panel which includes two established artists, John Beard and Lindy Lee.
The awarding of the prize was reported widely including the Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/giant-slayer-proves-big-things-come-in-small-packages-20100326-r1e6.html) and the Age (http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/tim-minchin-portrait-wins-archibald-prize-20100326-r1e9.html)

This painting was intended to address ideas of scale and intimacy in public portraiture. The painting was the smallest ever to have won the archibald prize. The painting is finished with a coat of reflective epoxy resin which both invites the viewer to look closer and imposes a barrier between the viewer and the layer of paint which holds the portrait. This is the first time a painting using a technique like this has won the archibald prize.