Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

"Clianny, a portrait of Sydney dealer and collector Chandler Coventry by Melbourne artist, Geoff la Gerch,,, is a successful photo-reali.rr work of which many examples were seen in the exhibition 'Illusion and Rt!ality' shO¾'II a; the Q14ee11sland Art Gallery in May / 077. l a Gerc/11•, by the se11.1itive use of 1111expected olars and the skilful application of paint with an airhrush, has created a trunsparent bur reJ7ecti11g screen i11 the rnnglasses which accurately distorts through the lens, the area around tht eyes, and mirrors houses behind the artist in a mini-Estes-shopwindow sty le. By the use of enormous scale (the portrait is nearly ].5 m square). the artist aggressi1•ely imparts to the mbject an uncomfortable super-real quality. The result is that the viewer has the impression of being in a situation of Close confrontation with Coventry exposed through a magnifying glass." Russell Kerrlson, Assistant Director