Samuel Rush Condon Portrait of Adam Spencer

Mathematician and comedian Adam Spencer is well known as a presenter on television and radio. ‘I’ve always been a fan of Adam’s work on TV and find him very entertaining and highly intelligent,’ explains Samuel Rush Condon, who says he chose his Archibald subject ‘because he has a great face’.

After Spencer agreed to being painted, the pair met at a Sydney hotel. Says Condon: ‘I took photos of him in the lobby cafe, then drew his portrait while Adam was in front of me, taking around half an hour over coffee and a cryptic crossword that Adam was explaining how to complete. I then took the drawing and photos back to my studio where I completed the painting.

‘I wanted to capture a moment of contemplation and introspection – Adam not performing, but with his guard down. I think I’ve captured that moment successfully, especially in his eyes.’

Condon was born in Victoria in 1985 and has a Master of Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drawing) from the Victorian College of the Arts. This is fourth time as an Archibald Prize finalist.