In 2005, aged thirty-four, Archie Moore undertook a residency for emerging First Nations artists organised by Campfire Group at FireWorks Gallery, Meanjin/Brisbane. He produced seven large, unstretched canvases that turned on his sharing his first name with the famous American comicbook character. The paintings emphasise the difference of his childhood experiences—experiencing bullying and abuse; poverty, shame, and low self-esteem—with those of the American white middle-class teen. After Moore won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale last year, it’s an interesting moment to look back at these ‘early works’. Thanks to The Commercial, Gadigal/Sydney.
Archie Moore (1970, Kamilaroi/Bigambul) has shown in the 2016 Sydney Biennale; at UNSW Galleries, Gadigal/Sydney, in 2021; and Gertrude Contemporary, Naarm/Melbourne, in 2022. In 2018, Griffith University Art Museum presented a survey of his work, Archie Moore 1970–2018. His work United Neytions is permanently installed at Sydney International Airport. In 2024, he represented Australia in the Venice Biennale, winning the Golden Lion for best national pavilion. The work was acquired by the Australian Government and gifted to Queensland Art Gallery, Meanjin/Brisbane, and Tate, London. He is represented by The Commercial, Gadigal/Sydney, and is based in Meanjin/Brisbane.
Image: Archie Moore ‘Archie in The Reminder’ 2005. Courtesy The Commercial, Sydney.
