Archibald Prize won by John Olsen

Ok, so its painting, but its THE major Aussie art prize (remember the kerfuffle over it being won with a -gasp- DRAWING last year?). John Olsen is one of the Grand Fathers of Australian art, a formidable figure up there among the greats like Fred Williams and Brett Whiteley. Some critics described Williams as a 'sentimental favorite' - which probably can't be disputed. Would sentiment have influenced the judges? I don't know. I'm not sure what I think about the winning painting, 'Self Portrait, Janus Faced' (click image for larger version). I've only seen it in poor reproduction, where William's masterful manipulation of color and rich surface is all but lost.

I was frustrated to read (here) the very specific description of the painting's meaning, which to me, while interesting, dislocated the subject from many rich layers of meaning. Janus in Olsen's poem and painting, is simply looking backwards and forwards, past and present. My initial thoughts had been of the Roman temple, war and peace, and the many other layers that are implied by the Janus image. Does Olsen's own statement make my impressions invalid? Perhaps. Perhaps too, an abstract artist ought not say too much about their work. To define its meaning too precisely makes it as didactic as any Victorian realist.