Michael Shannon
My Mabel waits for me
With its strong black outlines and rigid shapes filled with
vibrant colour, this work was a controversial choice as the winner
of the Crouch Prize in 1953. Shannon, who had abandoned the
idea of becoming an architect in favour of art when he attended
Saturday art classes, pursued his studies at the National Gallery
of Victoria School and the George Bell School and later, in London
and Paris.
Although well known for his cityscapes that often reflect a
birdseye or roof top view, here Shannon has portrayed a single
dwelling and empty vehicle outside of which a woman and young child
wait. The painting caused a storm of derision from the
general public who decried it for the perceived meanness of the
subject matter, and for its lack of realism. Even the
selecting Judge, Gordon Thomson, then Deputy Director of the
National Gallery of Victoria, recognised that it was likely to
raise much controversy. Thomson thought that the title had
embarassing connotations, but he concluded in his selection
commentary that the work deserved the prize on account of its
'strong approach to nature… full of life and color', and its
unmistakeably Australian subject matter.