A TASMANIAN artist has won the major prize at this year’s Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival – the $10,000 John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize.
An exhibition of works by talented artists from across the region and beyond opened at Penola High School on Thursday evening as part of the launch event for the festival, which continued throughout the weekend with diverse entertainment.
Art Gallery of South Australia’s (AGSA) Tony Magnusson had the difficult job of deciding winners for the major award, along with the top local entry and design prize.
“Tony is the curator of European and North American arts at the AGSA and was very enthusiastic about the high quality of entries for the John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize, local art prize and design prize,” exhibition coordinator Amelia Balnaves said.
The John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize continued to attract a wide range of entries this year, from emerging and established artists throughout Australia inspired by the works of famous late Penola poet John Shaw Neilson.
This event was created 27 years ago and has been growing each year.
The major prize of $10,000 was again generously sponsored by The Balnaves Foundation.
Tasmania’s David Hoyt was this year’s winner with his piece Along A River, inspired by the poem of the same name.
Mr Magnusson said the standout oil on canvas piece attracted his attention as it evoked a powerful sense of place.
“This riverine landscape responds sensitively and subtly to the poet’s lines ‘Green leaves – a patch of world along a river, the drab and silver draping every limb’,” he said.
“It is superbly composed, leading the viewer’s eye in from the smooth stones and gum leaves in the foreground to the luminous, shimmering centre, populated by the shape shifting forms of fallen tree limbs.”
Mr Hoyt said he was eager to enter the competition after seeing details online and the poem spoke to him as the landscape depicted was very similar to where he lived.
As in past years, the local art prize was open to artists residing within the Limestone Coast region with a prize of $1000, sponsored by well-known local artist Lois Hodge.
This year’s winner was to Keith resident Jaime Prosser for her work The Loving Tree Bidding The Stars To Come Down, inspired by the poem The Loving Tree.
“This oil on paper unites land and sky, form and space with a deftness of touch that is thoroughly beguiling,” Mr Magnusson said.
“It is picturesque without being mawkish, this work could be interpreted as a psychological landscape, whose power is derived from its reconciliation of opposites – light and dark, matter and atmosphere, life and death.”
Ms Prosser said she enjoyed the challenge of combining her art work with a piece of poetry.
“As soon as I read the poem, the idea for an image came straight to me,” she said.
“It is great to be able to support local competitions and it is very gratifying to win.”
The John Shaw Neilson Highly Commended Prize, sponsored by Penola High School, went to artist Dagny Strand for her piece “Akai (Red)” inspired by the poem The Girl With Black Hair.
“Enlivened with touches of red and green, the subject seems preoccupied by her thoughts, unwilling to return the gaze of the viewer in spite of her striking outfit and hairstyle,” Mr Magnusson said.
“This portrait demonstrates how powerful colour accents can be when selectively and judiciously applied to what is an otherwise monochrome pictorial scheme.”
The $1000 design prize, sponsored by Penola and Districts Business and Tourism Association, was awarded to Mary Jane Boaretto Pureza for her colourful, dynamic and fun design.
“It has a sense of joy and liveliness, it’s simple and iconic and will adapt to various formats and requirements of the design prize,” Mr Magnusson said.
Her work will feature on the cover of next year’s Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival booklet.
