Peter Churcher John and Tikki

Tikki Taylor and John Newman are Australian showbiz legends. Performers from an early age, they met in 1953 while performing in the musical South Pacific. In 1964 they opened Tikki and John’s Music Hall in Melbourne, which they ran for 31 years. Then, together with their three children, they opened Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant. Now both in their 70s, they still write and produce their own shows with their family. In 1993 they were awarded the Order of Australia Medals for services to the entertainment industry.

Peter Churcher was commissioned to paint John and Tikki by their family. ‘At the end of it,’ he says, ‘it felt like a really nice portrait of a couple who have spent a lifetime together. I think it captures the human dimension of the love and devotion they have for each other.’

‘They are a Melbourne institution. They are still involved in making costumes and props. Tikki will sometimes sit up late at night, sewing sequins onto a dress for her daughter – hence the dress on her lap. In fact, all the things in the painting have special significance. They are surrounded by their memories.’

Churcher is the son of former National Gallery of Australia director Betty Churcher, whom he painted for the 1996 Archibald. He was also a finalist in the Archibald Prize in 1997 and a finalist in the Sulman Prize in 1998.