Philippe Le Miere’s ‘Alice the First-class Marksman’ is a mash-up of two icons from Australian modernism: Charles Blackman’s Alice of Wonderland and Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly. Le Miere conjoins Kelly’s horse and body with Alice’s head, creating a surrealistic image. She is part centaur – her head impossibly round the wrong way; things are still topsy-turvy in the outback.

Bright, bold and eye-catching, ‘Alice the First-class Marksman’ invites new perspectives on Australian modernism. It brings together an unlikely duo, childhood heroine and infamous bushranger, to explore how Australian art history fixated on myth, finding personal resonance in the epics of history and literature.

This work is a pochoir (posh-waar) print. Emerging in late nineteenth-century Paris, pochoir printmaking involves layering and hand-colouring each component of the image. This unmechanized process gives each edition its own ‘aura’ while requiring significant time and skill. By the 1930s, pochoir had largely faded with the rise of more efficient, mechanized printing techniques. Master printmaker Jeffrey Makin was the first to connect Le Miere's experimental process with this nearly forgotten early twentieth-century practice. Subtle disturbances in the painted surface, with elements slightly misregistered, enhance its textural appeal. Once embraced by Matisse and Picasso, pochoir is now revived by Le Miere, uniting art and craftsmanship to imbue each piece with the essence of an original painting.

For collectors of Le Miere, Pop art and Australian modernism this work is a compelling ride.

Philippe LE MIERE (1975 - )
'Alice the First-class marksman' 2026
acrylic on paper
Edition of 25
Image Size: 32 x 24 cm
Dimensions: 42 x 30 cm
Signed: Signed, titled and editioned in margin
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Condition: Excellent
(c) The Artist or Assignee