Warren Breninger Self-portrait - January 1998

Warren Breninger has been doing series of self-portraits for many years. Although he usually produces drawings and watercolours, he has recently moved into acrylic and oil, which is when he thought about entering the Archibald again. He first entered in 1976 but this is the first time he has been selected.

This is also the first time he has ever pictured himself in his reading glasses. “They seem to echo the fact that the portrait is encased under Perspex,” says Breninger. “I like putting the barrier there. It makes people look more closely because they are so used to the naked canvas.”

“This portrait is full face – as most of my portraits are – with virtually no context. It is someone confronting themselves.”

Breninger likes his paintings to evoke the way he works: quickly, loosely and expressively.