Finalists Selected for Art Show’s Signature Piece Art Award

Ten Finalists Selected for the NZ Art Show’s Signature Piece Art Award

The NZ Art Show has selected 10 outstanding artworks as finalists for this year’s $5,000 Signature Piece Art Award.

The 10 artworks will be displayed in the specially designated Signature Piece Art Gallery, as part of the tenth annual NZ Art Show to be held at the TSB Bank Arena on Wellington’s waterfront from Friday, 26 July to Sunday, 28 July 2013.

The Convenor of the Selection Panel, Wellington artist Lynne Sandri said, “The selection panel were hugely encouraged by the quality of the work submitted this year. The artists chosen have all pushed their work further to master their discipline and medium. This is still more evident in the work of seven of the ten who have exhibited at the NZ Art Show in previous years, and reinforces the role of the Show in helping artists develop their art and their careers as artists.”

Carla Russell, the NZ Art Show’s Executive Director, said the Signature Piece Art Award is not only our principal award; it is a people’s choice award. “The winner is decided by a public vote during the Show. Winning the Signature Piece Art Award has provided artists with additional recognition and profile, and helped them to establish their careers as full-time professional artists.”

The 10 finalists and their selected works are:

§ Sean Crawford’s sculpture, ‘Lament of the Sentimental Gentlemen’, taxidermy wild black rabbit and laser cut steel. Sean, from Carterton (Wairarapa), creates sculptural art combining old and new technology, and distinctive materials. A former plumber, he has a Bachelor of Design with Honours and has exhibited for over ten years, with commissioned works held in NZ and overseas collections.

§ Ben Timmins’ painting ‘Entrance’, oil on Kadamu wood grain with a copper frame. Currently living and painting in Paekakariki on the Kapiti Coast, Ben won the Signature Piece Art Award in 2011 and 2012.

§ Sue Lund’s ‘Time in Paint’, mixed media. Wellington artist Sue Lund has exhibited extensively in Sydney and, since 2003, in Wellington. She paints both abstract and representational works, mostly using acrylic paint but is best-known for her multi-coloured life sized mannequins.

§ Charlie McKenzie’s resin infused hand painted fabric ‘In Depth’. Charlie lives and works on the Matakana coast, an hour north of Auckland. Bold and strong in colour, his artworks are dramatic statement pieces. He has exhibited at the NZ Art Show for a number of years.

§ Steve Thomson’s photograph ‘Guardians …Male…Female A diptych’. Steve works mainly with large format analogue photography and he won the 2010 Signature Piece Award. His work has not only won critical acclaim but is appreciated by Lord of the Rings stars Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler who have his work in their collections.

§ Mia Hamilton’s wood and wool construction ‘Monet goes Pixel’. A NZ Art Show exhibitor since 2008, Wellington artist Mia Hamilton’s art has two themes: ceramic bowls and larger ceramic works she describes as ‘jewellery for walls’ and larger installation art based on childhood recollections or childhood art.

§ Jeroen Ten Berge’s acrylic on canvas painting ‘Moonlit Barns’. A Wellington-based artist and first time NZ Art Show exhibitor, Jeroen trained in graphic and typographic design at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague and is an accomplished illustrator who specialises in designing book and e-book covers.

§ Peter Leask’s photograph ‘Putangirua’. The Wellington-based photographer has exhibited at the NZ Art Show since 2010. For the past two years, Peter has focused his photography on the south-eastern coastline of NZ’s North Island. The landforms and how they have been moulded and shaped, and broken by tectonic forces and the elements inspire his images.

§ Harry Culy’s digital inkjet large format photograph ‘Wildlife’. Harry is a Wellington-based artist specialising in photographic artworks. He is currently studying at Massey University College of Creative Arts, is a world class skateboarder and has travelled extensively – this is the first time Harry has exhibited at the NZ Art Show.

§ Rebecca Phillips’ acrylic painting on MDF panel ‘Solomon’s Splendour’. Rebecca is also Wellington-based and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Massey University. Her paintings often feature flowers; this is her first NZ Art Show.

The objectives of the Signature Piece Art Award are to: recognise artistic excellence in the visual arts; highlight the work of promising artists for the future; encourage, develop and promote emerging artists to new artistic levels; and give the public a voice as to whom they would like to reward.

“This is the fifth year we have offered the Signature Piece Art Award. The Award provides yet another way in which the NZ Art Show can assist and support artists and the arts community.

“We’re looking forward to announcing the winner once votes have been counted on the Wednesday after the Show,” Carla Russell said.

ENDS

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