| Men's Wear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | John Brack |
| Year | 1953 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 81.0 cm × 114.0 cm (31.9 in × 44.9 in) |
| Location | National Gallery of Australia, Canberra |
| Website | http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=86648 |
Men's Wear is a 1953 painting by Australian artist John Brack. The painting depicts the interior of a menswear store, including the proprietor and some mannequins, standing in front of displays of ties and trousers. A mirror in the background reflects a silhouette of the artist.[1]
It seems to be a simple image of an ordinary shop, but its simplicity is deceptive. There’s a complex interaction of lines of sight, for a start; and the jokey inclusion of the silhouetted figure opens up the interior space to the space outside the shop, outside the pictorial space even. And there’s a play - inspired, perhaps, by Magritte - between man, mannequin and silhouette that creates ambiguity. It’s a sort of surrealism of the high street.
— Kitty Hauser, [2]
Brack painted the work while he was Art Master at Melbourne Grammar School. It is one of a series of paintings, including The Barber's Shop (1952) and The Fish Shop (1955) of small high street businesses.[2]
The painting was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 1982 and is now part of its Australian Art collection.
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