23 MARCH - 19 MAY

The Salon des Refusés was initiated by the S.H. Ervin Gallery in 1992 in response to the large number of works entered into the Archibald Prize not selected for hanging in the official exhibition. The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s most high profile and respected awards which attracts hundreds of entries each year and the S.H. Ervin Gallery’s ‘alternative’ selection has become a much anticipated feature of the Sydney art scene.

The term Salon des Refusés comes from a group of French artists of the 1860s who held several breakaway exhibitions from the tradition Salon overseen by the Academy. In 1863, the French Academy rejected a staggering 2800 canvases submitted for the annual Salon exhibition. Among those refused were Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, Henri Fantin-Latour, James Whistler and Édouard Manet, who entered his now legendary painting, Le déjeuner sur l'Herbe. This particular work was regarded as a scandalous affront to taste. The jury also argued these artists were “a clear danger to society and that the slightest encouragement would be risky.”

Since there were very few independent art exhibitions in imperial France, the taste of the buying public was dictated almost entirely by the Academy. Most members of the public invested only in artists sanctioned by the Salon. Rejection by the Academy therefore threatened many artists with professional extinction.

The protests that followed the Academy's 1863 decision were so public and so pointed that eventually Napoleon III himself appeared at the Palais de l'Industrie and demanded to see the rejected works.  He then instructed the Academy to reconsider its selection and when it refused, the Emperor decreed that the rejected paintings go on display in a separate exhibition. And so the phrase Salon des Refusés entered into the world's artistic lexicon.

Each year our panel is invited to go behind the scenes of the judging process for the annual Archibald Prize for portraiture and Wynne Prize for landscape painting and figure sculpture at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to select an exhibition from the many works entered in both prizes not chosen for the official award exhibition. The criteria for works selected in the Salon are quality, diversity, humour and innovation. Our panel viewed 868 Archibald Prize and 763 Wynne Prize entries at the Art Gallery of New South Wales to select the 57 works for this alternative exhibition.

The 2013 selection panel comprises David Cook, Curator, Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd, Jackie Dunn, former Director, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, and Jane Watters, Director, S.H. Ervin Gallery

The Salon des Refusés exhibition at the S.H. Ervin Gallery has established an excellent reputation that rivals the selections of the ‘official’ prize exhibition and is often cited as a more lively and discerning selection.

IN THE MEDIA

'More than face value', John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald, 20/4/2013

PUBLIC PROGRAM 

Holding Redlich People's Choice Award  

In 2013 the Holding Redlich People's Choice Award celebrates 15 years of recognising & rewarding the talent by Australian portrait painters.  

Blue Mountains artist Christopher McVinish has won this year’s Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award with a portrait of actor Colin Friels. Inspired by Friels portrayal of the American artist Mark Rothko in the play 'Red', McVinish approached Friels after seeing the play. 

Holding Redlich People's Choice Award In 2013 the Holding Redlich People's Choice Award celebrates 15 years of recognising & rewarding the talent by Australian portrait painters. Blue Mountains artist Christopher McVinish has won this year’s Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award with a portrait of actor Colin Friels. Inspired by Friels portrayal of the American artist Mark Rothko in the play 'Red', McVinish approached Friels after seeing the play.Holding Redlich People's Choice Award In 2013 the Holding Redlich People's Choice Award celebrates 15 years of recognising & rewarding the talent by Australian portrait painters. Blue Mountains artist Christopher McVinish has won this year’s Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award with a portrait of actor Colin Friels. Inspired by Friels portrayal of the American artist Mark Rothko in the play 'Red', McVinish approached Friels after seeing the play.Ian Robertson, Holding Redlich Sydney, said the firm was once again proud to sponsor the arts in Sydney and in particular the Salon des Refusés. “We congratulate Christopher McVinish, winner of the 15th Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award 2013, for his commanding portrait of Australian actor Colin Friels.” 

LIST OF WORKS

ARCHIBALD

Principal Sponsor