Artist Claus Stangl picks a community favourite for his Archibald debut

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

he arresting quality of art ist Claus Stangl's portrait of L-FRES I-l The LION at th is year's Archibald P rize cannot be doubt ed. Jt exudes a sense of tranquillity. Of stillness. Peacefulness. Equanimity. P erhaps even wisdon,.

And yet, quite paradoxically, look closer and you'll detect a hint of datnpne ss on the headgear, as if the subject has been working out. Wait is that sweat trickling down his face and neck?

" Yes, it is," L - FRESl-l reveals to l ndian Link "The painting highlights the mentality of in1migrant cu ltur e - the constant work non -sto p nundset."

Sweat and determination pave the path from dreams to reality, and the migrant experience teaches us that the best way to face new situations - and obstacles - is with equanin1ity.

Artist Claus Stangl claims however that it was not L-FRES H 's heritage that initially attracted him. Indeed, it 1night have been his nan1 e FRESH stand in g for Fo r ever Ri sing Exceeding Sudden Hardships.

"Although 1 find hi s dual identity interesting, my first thought about him was not that he is of Indian or Sikh heritage, but that he is an interesting Australian," Claus muses. "l think that is what t he Archibald Prize is about - interesting Australians brought to life by interesting artists."

Claus did an "a mazing job", says L-FRESH. "When I saw the finished product, I was blown away ! He's a great artist."

"It is pretty special to be a finalist at the Archibald," Claus says of his 1naiden attempt at Australia's mo st prestigious art prize

The pair 1net in 201 9 when L- FRESH was working on his anthem for the Sydney King s ba sket ball tea 1n W e Are King s They were introduced by Claus' fiance , n1usic supervisor on the project. Claus was then looking for a n Archibald subject.

"We bonded over a long coffee, chatting for two hour s," L-FRESH renunisce s.

Claus chimes in , "It was a starti ng point for me to under stand what he's about, bis n1usic , his Jife. I found him to be a motivated, focussed per son, and wanted to bring that out."

H e learned also about L-FRESH 's faith and the five Ks , but decided to keep the symbolism out as it would be "too expected".

When L-FRESH revealed he keep s fit by boxing, Claus decided to use that to depict the essence of hard work.

J wanted my portrait of him to be striking, strong and simple."

For their date at the studio, L-FRESH rocked up with his skipping ropes and strap and worked up a sweat. Claus did son1e "super-quick sketches" while photographer Nick Lawrence clicked away.

"Showing L-FRESH without his turban made the image n1ore intimate," Claus notes.

L- FRESH, otherwise known as Sukhdeep Singh B hogal, spells it out: "At boxing, l can't wear protective headgear over 111y full dastar so I take it off, and train in my patka."

(As it turned out, the navy blu e of the background and the orange of his patka did become sy mbolic - they are traditional Sikh colours, blue being the colour of th e warrior and of protect ion and orange representing wisdom.)

Typically fo r Claus, it was the only sitting they had.

H e explains, "I like to work large-scale; l feel i t generates more of a reaction. Because 1 take time w i th my po r traits, it would not be fair to my sitters, so I end up taking the help of photography. L-FRES H 's portrait is 2111 tal l and l. Sm wide; it took 127 hours to create!"

The unusual side-on pose, Claus admits, " revealed itself" and became quite powerful.

"Side profiles can be iconic - figures fron1 monarchy face east on stamps and coins, but L-FRES H looks in the opposite direction , in what is a different perspective."

I t also allowed hin1 to capture the light from behind , giving the portrait a regal, powerful finish.

"I see it as a comment against colonisation," L-FRESH offers, his bumble patka a proud rebuff to the crown featuring 'our' Koh-i-n oor.

Claus, who moved to Australia from L ondon in 2008, bas been painting most of his life. Last year, he decided to give up a 16-year career in advertisi n g as art director ( his last job was with Facebook as creative st rategi s t), and comm it to art full -t im e " Th e Archibald has been the best news I've had in two years," he laughs. " It validates my mission and goa l. "

Portraits hav e been a favourite part of his work. " I'm fascinated by people prin1arily. With eac h portrait I have opportunity to e nter another human b e ing's world. For instance I found L-F R ES l-1 to b e positive, war1n, filled with humility and incredibly intelligent. H e's many things, not just a musician; he's a thought leader. fie has a law degree, he h as performed at the UN, he's insp ira tiona l, a role mode l for different types of people H e's quite a special guy. I'm lu cky."

Painting peop le in the n1usic industryincluding execut iv es and managers - bas been a particular passion , even before C OVID made it a challenging time for them.

Claus also agrees that we may finally be seeing the Archibald embrace diversity. "I think it is becom i ng honest in its representation of Australian society. And it is important for bodies lik e it to do so. I'm so grateful to live in this growing, emerging, evolving culture."

Did L -FRESH ever think he would be in the Archibald?

"It is not a goal for me as a 1nu sician, but this was the third t im e I was asked to s itincludin g this year by another artist."

Claus gushes, "And there will no doubt be many more opportunities. H e's an interesting guy. He deserves it."