Man and Pack

Highly commended

2025
oil on canvas
110 x 150 cm

The man in the painting is my friend Carlos. He is not Australian and has never served. I explain to him what a pack is and what it’s used for. I tell him to also think of it as a burden, a weight: something that was once useful but now causes more harm than good. Carlos gets it. After a few photos, I tell him it would look better if he’s naked. I think it displays vulnerability. After a few more photos I tell him not to position himself as if he is trying to use the pack but to almost seek comfort from it. Carlos poses with the pack, holding it in ways I never would. It feels right. After many different poses and angles, I pick a reference photo. It’s the best photo. I’m not sure why. Carlos loves the pack and asks me questions about it. I hate it. I want to get rid of it but can’t. I took two weeks to finish the painting. Back pain was the main motivation for stopping. Back pain partly caused from carrying the fucking thing.