Fintan Magee

WORKSPACE

My mural concept is representative of women in the arts and industry in Marrickville, holding light fittings that subtly represent industries that underpinned the Marrickville economy. The lights serve as a symbol for hope, change and hard work and creativity, as the old wool sheds employed around 70% women, referencing the working class and feminist roots of the area. This mural is my exploration of typical figurative style, evoking an inherent sentimentality and softness exploring how creative opportunities for women have changed over the years and the Archibald prize hit gender parity for the first time in 2018 by women taking all three major art prizes - the Wynne, the Sulman and The Archibald. Find out more about the subjects of his artwork, Wendy Sharpe and Rachael Lafferty.  

Fintan Magee is a Sydney based leading social realist painter, specializing in large-scale murals. Magee’s work is driven by his recognition of the power of murals to communicate political and social viewpoints. His figurative paintings are deeply integrated with the city and explore themes of diversity, migration and transition, waste and consumption, loss and the environment.

 

WENDY SHARPE

Wendy Sharpe is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and awarded artists. These include winning the Archibald, (she has been a finalist 7 times) the Sulman and many other prestigious awards and prizes, including a commission as an Australian Official War Artist from the Australian War Memorial (the 1st woman since WW2). She has held over 60 solo exhibitions around Australia and internationally

 

RACHAEL LAFFERTY

Rachael Lafferty, from Sydney’s Inner West, is a painter, sculptor, art car builder and singer-songwriter. She has made site-specific work for Sculpture By The Sea, Hidden Rookwood and Marrickville Edge, and has fabricated sets and props for numerous film and tv productions. She is a firm believer in female empowerment in the light industries. In this image she is working at Tortuga Studios, one of the inner west's longest running and largest creative spaces.