Creative Artist - Issue 10_

Images

Below left: Liam Benson,

The Crusader 2015

Below right: Aydemir

Casula Powerhouse Art Centre (CPAC) has

announced the i nalists for the 2016 Blake Prize,

Australia’s longest standing and most prestigious

art prize, which encourages conversation about

spirituality and religion through art. The Blake

Prize exhibition will be presented for the i rst time

at CPAC, from 13 February until 24 April 2016,

featuring the work of 8o i nalists hailing from across

Australia, Ireland, the USA, Switzerland, France,

Germany and New Zealand.

CPAC Director Kiersten Fishburn said: “There was

an extremely high calibre of entrants for the Blake

Prize by some of Australia’s most regarded artists.

Some artists have clearly come from a place of

deep faith, others have used this as an exploration

with many seeking to i nd ways to articulate a

deeply personal spirituality. The extraordinary

diversity of expression is also rel ected across

the mediums used this year – from traditional art

techniques, to video works.’’

The winner of the 64th Blake Prize – presented

biennially – receives $35,000, and the Emerging

Artist Award, an acquisitive prize, is awarded $6,000.

In addition, CPAC will also of er the inaugural Blake

Residency program a one-month residency at CPAC

and a solo exhibition which will be unveiled at the

2018 Blake exhibition program. This year there were

594 entries for the Prize with the 80 i nalists selected

by the curatorial team at CPAC.

The winner of the Blake Prize will be judged

by CEO of World Vision Australia, Reverend Tim

Costello; artist Leanne Tobin; and Professor

Amanda Lawson and announced on Friday 12

February 2016. Tobin is an artist and descendent

of the Boorooberongal and Wumali clan of the

Darug; two of the many clans of the traditional

Aboriginal people of Greater Western Sydney.

Professor Lawson is Executive Dean of the Faculty

of Law, Humanities and the Arts at University of

Wollongong.

More than sixty years since it was founded, the

Blake is still one of the most respected, diverse

and open-ended art prizes in Australia today. It is

committed to contemporary art practice, as well as

cultural diversity and human justice. It is designed

to spark conversations around one of the most

contentious issues of our time: spirituality

and religion. It has inspired complex debates

about faith, its history, personal meaning, and

community. The Blake Prize is about continuing

to challenge contemporary artists to provide

thoughtful, considered responses to the state of

the world today.

The Blake Prize exhibition is presented free of

charge from 13 February 2016 until 24 April

2016 at Casula Powerhouse Art Centre. Following

the exhibition at CPAC The Blake Prize will tour

to a number of galleries around Australia to

be announced. More information on CPAC and

visiting details can be found at http://www.

casulapowerhouse.com

THE VIBE

Finalists announced for 64th Blake Prize

NOW

SHOWING