The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, presented by Woollahra Council, today announced 56 emerging and established artists as finalists for the 20th annual Prize and exhibition. The 2020 finalist works, by artists from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Italy, will be presented for the first time in the Woollahra Council’s new purpose-built gallery space, as its inaugural exhibition opening in early 2021.
The 56 finalist artist sculptures – each measuring up to 80cm in any dimension – were selected from a record 844 entries by a judging panel comprised of Director Curatorial and Digital, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Dr Lara Strongman, Art Historian/Curator and Industrial Archaeologist Joanna Capon OAM and celebrated artist and fashion designer Jenny Kee AO.
Woollahra Mayor, Councillor Susan Wynne said: “We are thrilled to have received a record number of entries this year as we mark the 20th edition of this celebrated prize. To see such an enthusiastic response to the Prize, during such a difficult year only strengthens our commitment to cultural development and reinforces the decision we have made to open our first art gallery next year – Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. The quality and diversity of the 2020 Finalist works are outstanding, and we cannot wait to welcome visitors into the new gallery with an exhibition that has something for everyone.”
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Lara Strongman said: “This year’s selection of small sculptures represents a snapshot of the great diversity of art practice in Australia today. From glorious kitsch to conceptual rigour, by way of politics and humour, the Award is a showcase for the creativity of Australian artists—both established and emerging.”
The exhibition will be on view, free to the public, in early 2021 in the new gallery space, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. To mark the 20th anniversary there will be an increased total prize pool of $29,000 across four categories. The Prize categories are the main Acquisitive award of $25,000; a Special Commendation award of $2,000; the Viewers’ Choice award of $1,000; and the Mayors Award of $1,000.
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Joanna Capon OAM commented, “I was impressed by the quality and diverse themes of the entries in a number of different media which embraced a variety of references including the pandemic, ecology, hope and humour.”
Key themes and trends include:
- Politics
A number of finalist works respond to the current political and social climate with China Mask/ Incense Holder, Peony, No2 reflecting artist Scotty So’s experience of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the Déjà vu of the 2003 SARs crisis in Hong Kong through the materiality of porcelain and Politics? by second time finalist Michael Harrell, who first entered the prize as a 15 year old in 2017, which is a multi-layered work considering themes of power, censorship and temptation with nude depictions of Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. Samantha Mackie’s A Reliable Source – Set in Stone #1 considers the decline in significance of encyclopedias and what we consider to be reliable sources of information.
- Environment
Many finalist works explore and celebrate of our relationship with the natural world. Respected artist Caroline Rothwell’s Faucet Palm juxtaposes our living natural system and the industrial circulatory system of the 21st century while Jacquie Blight’s Breathe considers the balance found in natural ecosystems. Sue Hoare’s Bluebottle transforms discarded plastic bottles to comment on the contamination of oceans and celebrated performance artist Lauren Brincat’s Butcher’s Dance captures the energetic movement of air.
- Identity
Several artists explore issues around identity including Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmara artist Josh Muir’s Seeing which considers the freedom of childhood naivety and his own journey of self-discovery and Mechelle Bounpraseuth’s My parents come from Laos, the land of condiments. Every bottle, every jar reminds me of them which uses a series of sculpted condiment bottles to reclaim and decolonise her Laotian cultural heritage.
- Materials
Many of the finalist artists test the boundaries of a wide range mediums including Crystal St Clair Gilmore’s Four Graces Of Fairfax Road which pushes the limits of icing fondant as a sculptural modelling-medium; Caroline Wright’s Knitted Gem which blends knitting and ceramics in an ode to slow craft; and Italy based artist Seungwan Park’s use of machine cut marble in his Romanesque bust titled Coexistence-Apollo.
The 20th anniversary Woollahra Sculpture Prize finalist artists are: Christine Appleby (ACT) Tamara Baillie (SA) Jacqueline Blight (VIC) Mechelle Bounpraseuth (NSW) Lauren Brincat (NSW) Clare Britton (NSW) Lisa Carrett (NSW) Emma Coulter (VIC) Kate Coyne (NSW) Carol Lehrer Crawford (NSW) Beth Croce (VIC) Anne Delaney (NSW) Jan Downes (NSW) Ann Ferguson (VIC) Jason Fitzgerald (QLD) Natalie Guy (NZ) Michael Harrell (NSW) Sam Harrison (CAN) Shaun Hayes (ACT) Jenny Herbert-Smith (NSW) Sue Hoare (VIC) Kate Howard (VIC) Cara Johnson (VIC) Jules Jones (NSW) Lisa Jones (NSW) Maria Teresa Kuczynska (NSW) Jo Lane (VIC) Barbara Licha (NSW) Keith MacDonald (VIC) Samantha Mackie (NSW) Stuart McLachlan (NSW) Lilach Mileikowski (VIC) Ray Monde (NSW) Josh Muir (VIC) Elena Murgia (NSW) Mika Nakamura-Mather (QLD) Christina Newberry (NSW) Philip Noakes (WA) Denese Oates (NSW) Amanda Page (VIC) Seungwan Park (ITL) Michelle Perrett (NSW) Sandra Pitkin (NSW) Rodney Pople (NSW) Lisa Porter (UK) Caroline Rothwell (NSW) Rhonda Sharpe (NT) Patricia Smart (NSW) Scotty So (VIC) Crystal St Clair Gilmore (NSW) Jess Taylor (SA) Jane Theau (NSW) Diane Thompson (VIC) Debbey Watson (NSW) David Wood (NSW) Caroline Wright (NSW).
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Jenny Kee added: “I loved the creativity, quality & amazing diversity!“
Further detail about the winner announcement and new gallery space will be announced in the coming months. For more detail see https://sculptureprize.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/
Featured image : Lilach Mileikowski ‘The Procession’