Adam Frederick Cullen (9 October 1965 – 28 July 2012) was an Australian artist, most known for winning the

Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...

in 2000 with a portrait of actor David Wenham. He was also known for his controversial subjects and his distinctive style, sometimes referred to as "grunge". He is the subject of the feature film '' Acute Misfortune'' (2019), co-written, directed and produced by Thomas M. Wright, based on journalist Erik Jensen's 2015 biography of the artist, ''Acute Misfortune: The Life and Death of Adam Cullen''.

Early life

Cullen was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

on 9 October 1965. He graduated from the City Art Institute (now UNSW Art & Design) with a Diploma of Professional Art in 1987 and received a Master of Fine Arts from the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

in 1999. He was a cousin of the actor and artist Max Cullen.

Career

Cullen's home and studio was located at

Wentworth Falls Wentworth Falls (Postcodes in Australia, postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoo ...

, in the Blue Mountains of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. Cullen's work was exhibited in solo and group exhibitions both in Australia and internationally. Cullen was well-established as a Sydney "grunge" painter when he won the prestigious Archibald Prize for his portrait of actor David Wenham in 2000. In 2002 he represented Australia at the 25th São Paulo Art Biennial.

Style and themes

Cullen often employed the image of infamous and iconic Australian bushranger Ned Kelly in his artwork. He also portrayed the killers of 1986 murder victim Anita Cobby, and illustrated the underworld figure and convicted criminal Mark 'Chopper' Read's fairy tale book called '' Hooky the Cripple''.

Reception

He has been described as one of Australia's most collectible contemporary artists.

Prizes

Archibald Prize

He entered the

at least nine times, was hung at least eight times, and won once, in 2000. He was a finalist in 1997, 1999, 2001-2004, 2006 (with his painting ''Edmund'', depicting gallery director and art historian Edmund Capon), in

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

and

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Other prizes and honours

Cullen was exhibited in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize show of 2000-2001 with a portrait of comedian Mikey Robins. He was the winner of the Mosman Art Prize in 2005.

Later life and legacy

In 2011 he was given a suspended jail sentence for drunk-driving and weapons offences. A psychiatric report recommended treatment for

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

as well as a long-term alcohol rehabilitation program. He died on 28 July 2012, after having been seriously ill for some time. Erik Jensen's 2015 biography of Cullen, ''Acute Misfortune: The Life and Death of Adam Cullen'', won the 2015 Nib Literary Award as well as being shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award and the Victorian Premier's Prize for Nonfiction. '' Acute Misfortune'', directed by Thomas M. Wright, based on Jensen's book, with the screenplay co-written by Wright and Jensen and focussing on Cullen's volatile relationship with his biographer, was released in 2018.

References

External links

The Cullen Hotel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullen, Adam 1965 births 2012 deaths Archibald Prize winners University of New South Wales alumni Archibald Prize finalists Australian portrait painters 20th-century Australian artists People with bipolar disorder