- The Mug Punter #2
- 18 February 06
- Drawing
- 10 Comments
#2 in the Mug Punter series has been completed. This portrait is of the Hon Peter Costello MP, Australia's treasurer. Many political commentators believe he will be the successor to Mug Punter #1. His critics say that he lacks the bollocks to mount a challenge, despite his bovver boy bravado and perpetual smugness.
He's been having rather a poor time of it of late as Mug Punter #1 shows no sign of quitting or handing over the reins of power. Additionally the recent cabinet reshuffle will give more prominence to some other possible leadership challengers.
All of that is background to explain why he walks around in this portrait with a black eye - he could've been a contender, he's punch drunk, yet he remains publicly content. Go figure.
That notion needed to be extended so I drew a boxing glove to force home the point that he's under siege from all sides of politics, but especially from those within his own ridiculously and falsely named Liberal Party.
I'm very pleased with the glove, I think the rendering is one of my better efforts,and the red lace adds something to it. A splash of red being one of the common factors across the series, noting that the theme for the series is gambling with our future.
While Costello's treasurership has in the main meant the economy has been in the black, he's part of a crew that have left the social fabric of this country well and truly in the red.
So ladies and gentlmen let me introduce - in the red corner - the Mug Punter #2.
Medium: Graphite & coloured pencil
Size: 540mm x 370mm
NEWSFLASH: After 3 attempts at burying Kerry Packer (formerly Australia's richest man), he's finally in the ground - the last occasion courtesy of the Australian taxpayer and a state funeral. Yes, I through my taxes, have paid for the funeral service of a mega billionaire who built up his wealth through various tax shelters and tax havens. Well Mug Punter #1 and #2 your priorities are skewiff in my humble opinion. WTF is this country coming to. <<Older Main Newer>>
comments
Detlef, I am extremely impressed with how your Mug Punter Series is emerging! Can see a great Solo Exhibition coming up with perfect timing of course! Nice to see the touch of red in the glove ... the thread is a good one to carry through
Posted by Anonymous on 18.02.06 at 11.18am
How could this happen? Why couldn’t the lucky recipients of his fortune pay for the funeral?
This theme is developing nicely and I love the common ‘thread’ (get it?
of red.
PS We also have a falsely named Liberal government running the show here in British Columbia, though our federal Liberals do a closer imitation of the idea.
Posted by andrea on 18.02.06 at 12.50pm
I never thought that you had such political issues in your country. Maybe a kangoroo would be better as Prime… Here too , as Andrea said, we have some idiots at the head of our Governments… And we have 2 for each Province. Imagine… Twice the twitts… Sorry… A moose would do better. Or a beaver…
Posted by Merlinprincesse on 18.02.06 at 01.06pm
Stunning glove - and you are so right about that red ... its an astute move too… I once walked around an open exhibition noting that many of the disparate pictures that had sold had but that the others did not have was a splash of warm colour; more often than not - red.
So maybe that’s like a subtext to the series… what sells… red sells.
And who can tell the difference between tomato sauce and blood?
Posted by Caroline on 18.02.06 at 11.42pm
This is wonderful work. The detail is brilliant.
Posted by catnapping on 19.02.06 at 05.16am
Excellent - especially the red lace. And the glove is alive - I love all those wrinkles. And that’s some shiner that guy has.
Posted by janey on 20.02.06 at 10.11am
When I saw those eyes by themselves in a previous post I could have sworn they were of previous pm PK.
(I can’t bring myself to mention his moniker, or that of his predesessor, the pair of them mainly responsible for the meteoric rise in the fortune levels of the above mentioned Kerry Packer, even though they were nominally at the front of a ‘labour’ gov’mint.
I think all political parties are badly misnamed.
they could all be called the criminal cabal, maybe being numbered or lettered or something to differentiate them a little.
such as criminal cabal 1, versus criminal cabal 2 for the job of stealing from the masses while recieving thier admiration and a damn fine salary and a never ending benefits package.
ah, now that sounds the ticket.
mug punters all of us.
where’s the peak oil party.
let’s keep our eyes on evo morales to see if they always do the banana.
(go in green and straighten and come out yellow and bent.)
good on your drawing skills, and I’m waiting for the next installment.
regards scott
Posted by Scott Hollingsworth on 21.02.06 at 08.20am
I’d like to see Peter Costello in the ring, or maybe a car park, with John Prescot. That could be a good match. The way the (amazing) boxing glove is placed beneath the portrait lends itself to a certain hand gesture. Well it does for me anyway!
...::::)
Posted by modroom on 22.02.06 at 03.48am
Hi Detlef. I’ve been sort of distracted for the last few months and haven’t been paying attention to your work but I’m back. This is fabulous ... as usual! I love the intense detail that you achieve and the touch of red in the laces draws the eye. Great stuff!
Posted by Robyn on 22.02.06 at 07.52pm
“WTF is this country coming too”??? TURKEYS are running it!
Posted by Hellcat on 25.02.06 at 09.21pm