Grace Cossington Smith art award 2018
By Mary Faith, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery Director
The Grace Cossington Smith art award, honouring our distinguished Old Girl, is now a biennial event. It is open to artists across Australia who create work that is two dimensional and responds to the theme of ‘Making Connections’.
Selected from a shortlist of 37 artists, the winners of the three Grace Cossington Smith art awards were announced with the launch of the 2018 exhibition on Saturday 3 November 2018. The opening was a joyful celebration of the work of the artists. The winners were selected by Alison Clark, Team Leader Arts & Culture at North Sydney Council and Dominik Mersch, Director of the Dominik Mersch Gallery in Rushcutters Bay with Mary Faith Director of the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery. We are most thankful for the support of Susie Stathakis and Di Jones Real estate Wahroonga in funding the local artist award and to Fuji Xerox for designing and printing the beautiful catalogue.
The exhibition of finalists is open until Saturday 24 November 2018. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 10 am-5 pm, and Saturday 9 am-4 pm. Entry is free.
THE AWARD WINNERS
Grace Cossington Smith art award, $15,000, acquisitive: Catherine O'Donnell
Yates Court, pencil on paper, 46 x 65 cm
courtesy the artist and MAY SPACE
Grace Cossington Smith local artist award, $2,500, non acquisitive: Stephen Hall
(Sponsored by Susie Stathakis and Di Jones Real estate Wahroonga)
Asking Answers Revealing Questions Punctuating with Sighs
(suite of 10 etchings), etching, aquatint, 37 x 30 cm each
Grace Cossington Smith early career artist award, $2,500, non acquisitive: Jane Theau (AOG, Dennison, 1980)
In Touch (Screens 1), thread and tarlatan, 100 x 80 cm
Statement from the GCS art award judges Alison Clark and Dominik Mersch
It is wonderful to see the works come to life in the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery. Congratulations to all the artists for the impressive standard of work that made selection of the three awards so challenging. We admired Catherine O'Donnell for her confident, careful attention to detail and precise pencil work in her small, intimate drawing. Catherine's representation of her subject creates a universal connection to the urban environment that is humanised and layered with mystery through her rendering of the curtains and window spaces.
Stephen Hall's series of etchings are powerful with a strong narrative that is personal, yet speaks to us all through his expressive line. The format of Stephen's entry enables a connection through touch and feel as we turn the pages.
Jane Theau has engaged in an innovative use of materials with her drawing in space. She has observed the interesting connection of contemporary society and their mobile devices.
Click here to visit the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery website for more information about this and other exhibitions.