Judges comments…
Sangeeta Mahajan’s Navid is a moving portrait of longing and displacement. The subject of this compelling photograph is not a visitor in this universal migrant story. Although wearing assumed dress, a ruff collar and shirt, he is a cultural being nursing an instrument which articulates the voice of his ancestors, close yet distant. Despite the existential threat to cultural identity and tradition in a foreign land, he holds on to that which he cannot release. The artist has deftly staged this image like a director to create an unforgettable work that is dramatic and bittersweet.
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Judges comments…
Both startling and inventive, Scar Tree Lines by Cara Shields transposes the Wiradjuri cultural tradition of incised dendroglyphs and the unfussy and straightforward medium of linocut. Her skilfully arranged assemblage of designs creates a bold sense of movement much like ancestral stories and the features of Country might be represented on the lining of a possum skin cloak. The artist clearly understands how visual tradition might be treated in a contemporary way, introducing spare colour and texture to create a work that honours the past and signals the future.
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Judges comments…
The judges were impressed by the high level of skill evident in this hard-edged geometric abstraction. Min Ray has effectively used colour and shape to not only create a visually stimulating experience but to also realise a depth in the work which encourages the viewer’s eye to explore further.
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Judges comments…
Space invaders is a truly imaginative and epic figurative work that gives the viewer so much to ponder. It’s a both playful and disturbing screenshot of the disruption of human intimacy by techno distraction and an emphatic distillation of our continued proximity. Referencing both classical alter pieces and 20th century cinematic futurism and more contemporaneous South Korean social commentary the Humans of Space Invaders ‘ are on the move together to an unknown destination but seem to be paying little attention to where and what that place may be. We commend the artist for the ambition of the work and the highly personal iconography he has realised. This work would be comfortable in any international art fair and provokes thought and deeper contemplation by the viewer.
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Judges comments…
Alicia Cornwall has successfully captured the busyness of this still life’s colourful, pattern-rich fabric in the foreground with the waratah in its vase resting above it. The contrasting quietude of the neutral background and interesting negative space around the flower and foliage contributes to the harmonious balance in this work.
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Judges comments…
Drawing authentic inspiration from his position as a nightwatchman in the industrial Brisbane suburb of Pinkenba, Michael Cawdrey’s parked tanker emphasizes a stillness under a vast evening sky as the city sleeps in contrast to the continued activity of industry. This seemingly simple yet complex scene possesses an untraditional beauty and celebrates the often unconsidered vital operations that keep us connected and resourced.
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