Maureen Williams
Century 21, Prize donor

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Prizegiving photographs by Gary Levin

JUDGES COMMENTS:

Thank you for the invitation to judge the Blackheath Art Prize. As I entered the exhibition, I was really impressed by the quality and diversity of approaches both in subject and technique. It is sign of a healthy creative art scene. Picasso once remarked, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” It is wonderful to see such wealth of creativity and talent on display here.  Congratulations to everyone who entered. Keep creating.

First Prize: Misty Pond

Artist: Alison Indigo

Medium: Pastel

Judge’s comments:

Look beyond the ghastly reflective Perspex, beneath is a fabulous imaginative pastel landscape. The size is impressive, illustrating Indigo’s skill – pastel is an unforgiving medium. There is a poetic sensibility underpinning the composition, reminiscent of David Hockney -naïve but sophisticated. Beautiful use of colour, lyrical marks with depiction of the pond, trees, reflections, fence posts creating a dynamic composition.

Second Prize;  Nuite Americaine

Artist: Thierry Ollivain

Medium: Photograph

Judge’s comments:

Striking photograph of cactuses in a green house. With the strong composition and dramatic light captured using the ‘American Night’ technique, Oillvain is carrying the torch of documentary greats Ansell Adams and Max Dupain.

Highly Commended : Euabalong

Artist: Peter Burger

Medium: Oil

Judge’s comments: 

Continuing the poetic response to landscape forged by artists Olsen and Ogburn in the 1960s, Burger has captured the dry Australian landscape.
Building up of layers using earthy palette, lyrical gestural marks of trees, shadows, rivers that meander through the landscape. He has captured the heart of drought stricken land.

Highly Commended: Ochre Rock

Artist: Virginia Gow

Medium: Acrylic

Judge’s comments: 

Striking Ochre cliff face that commands two-thirds of the painting. Confident and lyrical brush marks dance across the strong composition creating depth and presence

Highly Commended: Morning Arkaroola

Artist: Ward O’Neill

Medium:  Oil

Judge’s comments:  

Beautifully painted landscape. The central mountain with bright orange morning light is majestic and surrounding valley alluring. It has spiritual quality.

Highly Commended: Rooftops Over St Ives

Artist: Ann Warnes

Medium: Oil

Judge’s comments:  

Skill and understanding of colour underpins this deceptively naive streetscape. Warnes painterly technique and astute eye has captured the winding streets, angular architecture with quirky windows, chimneys, birds on roof and the grey tones of the overcast Cornish village.

Commended: Colossal

Artist: Patricia Abela

Medium: Phormium tenax

Judge’s comments: 

The sculptural installation of a basket is evocative. There is a cultural exchange, sharing of knowledge in its creation – the sourcing, weaving and knotting of natural material. The structure hanging from the wall cast shadows that add another dimension.

Commended: Seedcase

Artist: Jan Melville

Medium: Assemblage

Judge’s comments: 

Beautifully presented assemblage consisting of three compartments made of thick handmade paper. Inside is intriguing imagery – etchings printed in earthy colours woven with collage of found items (feathers and seedpods). Nature and the hand of the artist are present.

Commended and shared People’s Choice:  Darcy

Artist:  Angelika Sassenberg

Medium:  Pencil

Judge’s comments: 

A fabulous drawing of a Kangaroo with attitude. Humour underpins this drawing with the fighting Kangaroo depicted with arms crossed, tribal tattoos and earrings. The technical skill is very impressive especially the mark making in the creating of the fur on the body and the face.

Commended:The Birds Were Not Angelic

Artist: Leeanne Trew

Medium: Oil

Judge’s comments: 

Following in the tradition of CoBra, Trew’s painting is highly expressive and childlike at first glance. The bold colours, thick juicy application of oil and imaginative depiction of birds is both gusty and striking.

Commended: Landlines 1& 2

Artist: Glenice Ware

Medium: Mixed media

Judge’s comments: 

The diptych is a powerful journey through the Australian landscape. Rich earthy colours on unprimed canvas, rough edges enhancing the minimal composition reminiscent of the open spaces of the outback. The drawing travelling across the surface with thread is akin to Paul Klee “A line is a dot that went for a walk”.

Commended:  First Light: Sublime Point Reserve

Artist: Sanja Zemljacenko Herrmann

Medium:  Oil

Judge’s comments: 

A quintessential painting of the Blue Mountains – the morning light filtering through the leaves casting shades on the bark, with the bush as a theatrical backdrop. Her work continues the Australian landscape tradition of W Lister Lister’s The golden splendor of the bush (agnsw collection) and displays strong technical ability and mastery of colour.

The People’s Choice (shared with Angelika Sassenberg’s Darcy – see above): Creation
Artist: David Wardman
Medium: Watercolour