A local artist who saw “striking” resemblances of Prime Minister Julia Gillard to one of our nation’s more unique animals said the “nonsense” caricature makes him chuckle every time he looks at it.
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John Murray is a landscape artist from Lightning Ridge and doesn’t usually paint people but said he couldn’t resist creating this clever caricature of Ms Gillard.
“I often use animals to create humour and one day I was looking at Julia on the television and thought there is not much stretch between her and an emu, I just needed to put red hair on it,” Mr Murray said.
“Her nose also looks like a side on view of an emu’s beak...I don’t mean to take the mickey out of her but it’s good to be able to laugh at ourselves.”
And laugh Ms Gillard did.
“I sent the picture to her office and I got a letter back saying that she loved it,” Mr Murray said.
Ms Gillard isn’t the only politician that Mr Murray has used a brush to have some fun with.
“I have painted a few previous versions of budgie smugglers and could not resist doing one of Mr Abbott after seeing him in all his glory in the media recently,” Mr Murray said. “This painting was entered into the Bald Archies but got the big rejection letter and since then has taken on a life of its own.” Mr Murray’s career began on completion of his Diploma of Art, from the National Art School, Sydney in 1975. He travelled extensively in India, made and sold t-shirts in Austria and in 1983 arrived in Lightning Ridge where he still lives and runs a gallery.
The caricature of Ms Gillard is on display at the Macquarie Photography Prize and Fine Arts exhibition at St Brigid’s Hall in Dubbo until May 8.
