Jonathan Dalton Day 77

It was Jonathan Dalton’s birthday when his wife mentioned that they had been in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic for 77 days, knowing he was born in 1977 and that the little numerical coincidence would appeal to him.

‘That same day, I saw a reflection of our family on the black TV screen – all huddled together in our little cave, safe from the outside world. Reminded of other more decorative caves, I sourced a box of crayons from 1977 and encouraged our daughter Sophia to draw on the wall. The lines are hers, except for a little horse I copied from the Lascaux caves,’ says Dalton, a Dublin-born, Sydney-based artist, who has been an Archibald finalist for the past six years.

‘The letter blocks spell out a phrase that translates as “Life is short, art is eternal”. Despite everything, art persists. The two lone blocks, K and J, are for my eldest daughter, Kim Josephin, who is currently studying in Sweden.

‘In another happy coincidence, my wife, Sarah Lloyd, turns 40 on the day the Archibald opens in Sydney. This painting is her 40th birthday present. She won’t know until she reads this.’