Geoffrey Dyer Margaret Scott

A Tasmanian artist born and bred, Geoffrey Dyer likes to paint other Tasmanians “in the cutting zone”. Although born in England, writer, poet and public speaker Margaret Scott has lived in Tasmania for many, many years and is, believes Dyer, “a great ambassador for the state”. Her books include Effects of light: the poetry of Tasmania and Port Arthur: a story of strength and courage.

“She’s a wonderful character, a magnificent orator and a real humanist,” says Dyer. “She’s always very busy. She’s very supportive of the arts in Tasmania – in fact, she bought a painting of mine many years ago.”

Predominantly a landscape painter, Dyer only paints portraits for the Archibald Prize. “I’m not a realist – more of an impressionist or expressionist but every time I do a portrait my style seems to change to suit the sitter”, he says. His portrait of Bob Brown, hung in the 1993 Archibald, was like “a giant gum in the landscape” whilst his portrait of Italian-born industrialist and supporter of the arts Claudio Alcorso, hung in the 1997 Archibald, used a more delicate, European style.

“The portrait of Margaret is probably my most academic painting,” he says. “It’s a very classical painting, a very simple setting with her sitting on her favourite couch. I wanted a nice sense of flesh against the simplicity of the background. There is, I hope, a sense of dignity. The last things I painted were the feet and the eyes because I wanted to make sure that there was a nice intensity. I’d go to bed at night and think about her foot!”

Born in 1947, Dyer studied at the Tasmanian School of Art in Hobart. He has also been represented in the Wynne Prize on numerous occasions.