ARTIST WINS PRIZE FOR USED WASHCLOTH

The Darling Portrait Prize is a prestigious Australian art prize for portraiture. This year’s winner was a used washcloth. Perth artist Nena Salobir used an old cloth to wipe off her mascara and lipstick after a night of partying last New Year’s Eve, leaving a vague, smeary facial impression of eyes and lips. (* Imagine the Smiley Face T-Shirt scene from Forrest Gump, only with makeup.) She thought it looked like art, titled it Self Portrait on Washcloth, and it won the Darling Portrait Prize 2024 Art Handler’s Award. The award comes with a $2000 cash prize. The cloth is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
(See it here: https://www.portrait.gov.au/content/dpp2024-art-handlers-award)
* Second prize went to something submitted by a sheep rancher called “Pit Stains.”
* With $2000 she can finally get some actual makeup wipes.
* I’m imagining a piece of clothing art called “Scaredy Pants.” Yick.
* I started by saying “The Darling Portrait Prize is a prestigious Australian art prize for portraiture.” Change that to “WAS a prestigious art prize.”