McLean Edwards Tim Storrier

Tim Storrier has been a force in Australian contemporary art since winning the Sulman Prize in 1968 at age 19 – the youngest artist ever to receive the prestigious award. In 1994, he was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for services to art.

Though Storrier’s themes are constantly changing, he is renowned for mysterious, poignant landscapes that capture the melancholy vastness of the Australian outback. His famous blaze lines and fire paintings, which began to evolve in the 1980s, explore the stark, arid beauty of the country with its limitless, nocturnal starry sky and endless horizon.

‘Tim is such a complex guy: extraordinarily intelligent, a charming and generous host, worldly – and always curious,’ says McLean Edwards. ‘But he also has limited time for trivial or self-indulgent people. So he can come across as somewhat dismissive or aloof. I painted him much as he sees himself: sartorially resplendent, bemused, challenging and a little regal. I suppose I see him that way too.’

Born in Darwin in 1972, Edwards studied at the Canberra School of Art and had his first solo exhibition in Canberra while still in year 12. He currently lives and works in Sydney. Edwards has been a past finalist in both the Archibald and Wynne prizes on numerous occasions. His work is held in major public and corporate collections throughout Australia and internationally.