PRIZEWINNERS

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	2013 members easter exhibition Judge: Cath Barcan photographer (for more on Cath see her website )


Adele Bruens , Vice President, at the prizegiving	Judge Cath Barcan	Winner of First Prize: Jody Graham
Click on the images below to enlarge.	Judge's Comments: As an artist and as an educator I am honoured and delighted to judge the Blackheath Art Society’s Easter Art Exhibition. I would like to thank Kathryn and Adele for their warm welcome and the highly organized and professional interactions I have had with them. The work submitted for the exhibition is of a high calibre, and reflects the diverse talent and commitment of the local creative community. There is no particular ‘house style’, and this is always the sign of a thriving art organization. Traditional approaches sit along side contemporary styles, and it is a tribute to the professionalism of the organisers and the installation team that they have managed to integrate so many works of such diversity into the space, and come up with what is a very good looking show indeed. The strength and diversity of the work on display of course makes the job of judging the work even harder. Another judge may have nominated another 12 works, as there are plenty of strong works to choose from. I have tried to respond both subjectively and objectively and aimed to select work that demonstrates a range of media and approaches. Nonetheless, some themes inevitably appear in my selections, including confidence and skill in materials and techniques, the evocation of place, and a sense of mood, be that mood edgy or celebratory. Many of the work I have selected speak to the artists’ relationship to the local environment.
	First Prize: blackheath 3 Artist: Jody Gaham Medium: Mixed media Judge's comments: This modestly scaled work is an instantly familiar streetscape to Blackheath locals and visitors. The artist has skillfully described a precise place using broad gestures, and she has captured the subdued palette and diffused light that typifies the Blue Mountains for much of the year. All three works convey a sense of weather and atmosphere that contribute strongly to a sense of place. The artist has managed to record detailed observations with an economy of gesture, colour and mark making and has demonstrated a skillful and evocative control of tone and colour. Part of the interest in this work lies in its’ succinct visual language, yet layered sense of both space and place. This work, and its two companion pieces, can be revisited often by the viewer, who will discover a little more, or something different at each viewing.
	Second Prize: late date Artist: Sherrie Ehrlich Medium: Watercolour Judge's comments: This work has both a gentle but persistent presence, and demonstrates a strong skills base and command of materials and techniques, which have been harnessed by the artist in a fresh way to tell a contemporary story. The artist has used detailed pencil work, and delicate watercolour washes to describe complex surfaces such as items behind reflective glass windows. She managed to succeed in a dilemma that pursues artists across all media and at every level of practice: knowing when to stop. In this way the work succeeds as a detailed representation, without feeling overcrowded or overworked. An air of melancholy marks the scene, and the waiting protagonist, although alone, is observed by model women on pedestals, and mournful toys in the shop display. As a viewer, we too can’t help staring at the woman, and the composition and intricate rendering in the work, compels the viewer keep looking at the scene to try and unpack her story.
	Highly Commended : red reflected Artist: Tracy Dods Medium: Acrylic Judge's comments: This image inverts the world as we know it, and encourages reflection in more than one sense of the word. The representational skill of the artist takes us to a particular moment in time, that is vivid and intense, but also fleeting and ephemeral. The upside-down world forms the largest part of the reality that the artist presents, and this transports the viewer to a world that is magical and unexpected, or fleeting and transient. The vivid use of colour celebrates the intensity of lived experience and the rich potential of memory. Like a photograph, the image captures a moment in time that will never be repeated, the labour of painting, like the act of photography is a bitter sweet reminder of the continual progression of time.
	Highly Commended: road to sofala Artist: Barbara Holmes Medium: Oil Judge's comments: Barbara Holmes this painting is packed full of texture which creates a visceral sense of moving through the landscape. The restricted palette and dominant texture evokes a sensory experience for the viewer, by creating an image that feels like it can be touched and tasted. There is nothing tentative or polite about this work, and the techniques used acknowledge the fact that the land is made of dirt and mud and palpable organic matter. In this way, the painting gives a sense of the close up experience of landscape, whilst depicting a broader vista.
	Highly Commended: remembering coles bay Artist: Ruth le Cheminant Medium: Polymer paint Judge's comments: This is a feel good work, made with vibrant and confident gestures, and an unapologetic celebration of colour and the act of painting. The fact that this work is painted in vivacious and even pretty colours does not in any way diminish its’ impact. Rather, it speaks to the individuality of the artist and reminds us that art is allowed to be a joyous and energetic response to our world. For me, it passes the litmus test of good art; that is it draws me back to re-examine it and find new or further meaning or visual pleasure. It may refer to a landscape, or the impression of an event, and the title hints at this, but it is not necessary to know the artists’ inspiration in order to enjoy the work. It can and does also exist for it’s own sake.
	Highly Commended: i still love you Artist: Mandy Schoene-Salter Medium: Photography Judge's comments: This elegant photographic utilises natural window light in a way observed by a long tradition of artists, and could be compared to a chiaroscuro effect harnessed by painters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt. The simple centrally-focused composition is animated by the relationship of the subject with the background, and the use of both text and texture in the image. Although shot in colour, the image is staged in near black and white, an effective device that highlights the models’ shock of pre-Raphaelite red hair. The missing ‘o’, zero, or circle is obscured and replaced by the model, but this does not stop us reading the enduring sentence ‘I still love you’, in a merging of the sentence and the subject.
	Commended: light crossing II 2012 Artist: Angie Gleeson Medium: Solar plate Judge's comments: This small print does not reveal itself immediately but requires close and careful study. It utilisies a muted palette reminiscent of a hand tinted photograph, and combined with the inverted and ambiguous space depicted, this creates a dreamlike quality to the image. The small scale chosen by the artist adds to the sense of mystery and intimacy.
	Commended: canna lily Artist: Kath Harrington Medium: Water media Judge's comments: This image has a strong graphic quality that catches the eye and demands attention. The work is a simple celebration of the beauty found in flora, and a lesson in the colour schemas that nature provides for artists to use. It is traditional in the best sense of the word, and rather than challenge or confront, this work is about formal visual pleasure, and the beauty of the natural world.
	Commended: still life with striped jug Artist: Fran Hayes Medium: Oil Judge's comments: This pleasing still life is a successful combination of observation and impression. Built around a warm and vibrant colour scheme, this image is combines loose brush strokes with a tight compositional structure. The artist moves between abstract and concrete representation, and playfully explores both flat and dimensional space, with a joyous use of colour and a confident execution.
	Commended: over valleys deep Artist: Ian McKenzie Medium: Watercolour Judge's comments: This evocative small work commands considerable presence through subtle means. A restrained palette and the use of techniques that create a sense of layers and texture give a sense of depth, detail and delicacy to this work. An impressive sense of scale is also conjured. The dimensional quality achieved in this work would translate very well to printmaking.
	Commended: macdonnell range canyon Artist: Ian Olsen Medium: Watercolour Judge's comments: This image follows in a long tradition of watercolours of central Australia, the most famous exponent being Albert Namitjira. The composition leads us deep into the landscape, and the artist has combined the intense and gentle colours of that particular country. It is often assumed that this landscape is dominated by contrast and intense colour. The artist has captured this, but also the softness of light and colour that can be found in this region.
	Commended: misty afternoon Artist: Geoff Smith Medium: Photography Judge's comments: This photograph has a silent and timeless quality, capturing the stillness and solemnity of the bush in mist. It has an understated appearance, which rewards the viewer with delicacy and detail upon closer observation. Whilst not describing a recognizable landmark or well-known view, it nonetheless evokes a sense of place familiar to those who have spent time in the bush in a cold climate

	People's Choice: pink hyacinth Artist: Dirk Romeyn Medium: Acrylic