Beth, Looking Forward
Elizabeth Barden
- Sitter: Beth Mitchell
- Medium: Oil on Linen
- Dimensions: 20 x 20 cm
- Representation: The artist represents themselves
About the artist
Elizabeth Barden says it has always been her fascination to paint people, noting that she is “I confess, a people watcher’. She has been a six time finalist in the prestigious Portia Geach Memorial Prize, a finalist in the Lethbridge 10,000 Award and twice a finalist in the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize. Her work is represented in private and public collections nationally and internationally, including her portrait of Christine Anu Waiting For Zipporah in the Australian National Portrait Gallery.
About the sitter
Beth Mitchell is an Australian fine art photographer specialising in feminine, figurative underwater imagery. She actually shoots her photographs with an underwater camera, with her and the subjects immersed in the water. This involves carefully constructing props and securing them with anchors under the water to have them drifting at the right height. She also works on the images post production. Mitchell says of her work: “I am emotively captivated by the underwater environment. Seemingly idealistic images of femininity, perfected by polished technique, yet they whisper deeply into contemporary societal dialogue. My images explore and echo classic and contemporary art themes, as well as stories of strong Australian female achievers.” Her works are characterised by ethereal femininity, visual depictions of mental health and explorations of beauty.
