1. What is the background to the Walters Prize?
Walters Prize is biennial award named in honour of artist Gordon Walters. It is award to New Zealand contemproray artists who made excellent comtribution to NZ contemporary art during recent 2 years. The prize includes $50,000 and an all expense paid trip to New York and to exhibit at Saatchi & Saatchi’s world headquarters. It is established by founding benefactors and principal donors Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs to serve the purpose of encouraging NZ contemporary art.
2. List the 4 selected artists for 2010 and briefly describe their work.
2010 finalists are:
Dan Arps: Explaining Things shown at Gambia Castle, Auckland (7-24 December 2008). His work is mixed media and really it was mixed mixture of media that made me think about what he really was talking about and I found out the title of the work is “Expaining Things” then I realised that is what Arps really expected from the audience. This is some of his word in article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald
"I've been thinking that these objects have all been divorced from their original purpose. As symbols they are kind of broken. So I guess they don't really make an easy sense, and in that they focus attention on our process of making sense of something."-Dan Arps
Fiona Connor: Something Transparent (please go round the back), 2009, glass, timber, metal and plastic fittings, acrylic, vinyl transfer shown at Michael Lett, Auckland. This work is a replica of the gallery ceiling but placed in ground. The white constructive object is sometimes looked too natural to be there that at first I did not notice that was the work. This is some description of her work presented at Michel Lett’s gallery space: from the article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald
The gallery's front entrance was replicated, in both appearance and scale, 14 times throughout the gallery space. The installation filled the entire gallery space and (please go round the back) encouraged viewers to enter the gallery through the back entrance and see the work reversed.
Saskia Leek: Yellow is the Putty of the World shown at Ivan Anthony Gallery, Auckland (25 November - 23 December 2009) She has done a series of oil paintings that are in small size compare to rest of others works. She mainly used pastel colours and often layered them smartly in canvas to create such a pretty and tranquil picture. She depicts many subject matters from fruits to sailing ship. Here is her quote from the article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald
"I never ever throw anything away. When I start a new show I sometimes put old paintings out that didn't work when I started them and I rework them. Often you can see this [reworking] in the background."-Saskia Leek
Alex Monteith: Passing Manoeuvre with Two Motorcycles and 584 Vehicles for Two-Channel Video shown at ST PAUL St, Auckland (19 June - 7 July 2008) It is a video installation where two screens playing simultaneously following two motorcycle at front view and at rear. It show dangerous ‘lane splitting’ and speed that makes audience feel the very sense of nervous and also excitement.
3. Who are the jury members for 2010?
The jury members for 2010 are Jon Bywater, Rhana Devenport, Leonhard Emmerling, and Kate Montgomery
4. Who is the judge for 2010 and what is his position in the art world?
The Walters Prize judge for 2010 is Vicente Todoli. He was the Director for the British national museum of international modern art, Tate Modern, which is one of most prestige art museum, until just recently he resign.
5. Who would you nominate for this year’s Walter's Prize, and why? Substantiate you answer by outlining the strengths of the artists work. How does this relate to your interests in art? What aspect of their work is successful in your opinion,
in terms of ideas, materials and/or installation of the work?
I want to nominate Fiona Connor. To me her work is very interesting. Who would think to copy architectural structure of the gallery where the work will be located? I really like her witty name of the work Something Transparent (please go round the back). I am pleased of the craftsmanship of the installation also. I like this work because I like installation art that really communicates the audience and that anticipates audience.
Reference List
Artists with eyes on prize (2010, Jul 24). The New Zealand Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10660949
Rawlins, J (2010), Fiona Connor, Flash Art, volume no. 267 p.102
The Walters Prize 2010. (2010). Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/events/2010/july/the-walters-prize-2010.
Tamaki, T. Walters Prize 2010 (n.d.) Retrieved August 31, 2010 from http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2010/jul/auckland-cbd/walters-prize-2010
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| Saskia Leek |
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| Fiona Connor |
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| Dan Arps |
Didn't really know they had such a thing like the Walter's prize in the art world to be honest, so hearing this is quite new information to me. Prize of $50k, paid expenses to New York, Saatchi & Saatchi world headquarters; One hell of a prize. But congratulations to to the 3 artists to even get nominated for such a prize. But yeah, the artist's work. Alex Monteith work was the one that caught my attention. Use of a film is probably the one thing i wouldn't know to be used as art but idea is great and its using today's technology
ReplyDeleteFiona Connor, Something Transparent (please go round the back)
ReplyDeleteI really like this work because my major is interior and architecture design in korea. so I am interested about installation and when I saw works in The walters prize 2010, this work gave to me strong impression.
That is amazing pieces of public art in Auckland. I've never seen about like that before. it was made with mysterious space which was set by using a piece of trickery done with mirrors by Fiona Connor. Her work's material which can reflect to opposite side, can make marvelous space and we can feel that as if we are in space which has many flanks at her work, one space. Seventeen glass windows and doors are presented long distance that we can't go. After I saw her work, I realized that when I think about space design not only big of huge space can be good. Small space can make big space and small space have hidden many spaces like her work.