The inaugural launch of the Printmaking Prize in 2021 was greeted with enthusiasm from the printmaking community and we were astounded by the quality and skill level of the entries. The prize is aimed at established and emerging printmakers as well as cross-disciplinary artists exploring print media. Prizes are awarded to traditional and digital printmakers. Entries open in June each year.
We share Rebecca Beardmore’s comments regarding her choice of winners below:
“The Excess Figure of Oppressive States of Mind is suggestive of a pictorial tableau style painting or photograph (formally well resolved in its use of colour and composition) but the scene is strangely populated and whimsical and the additional framing bounds it like a miniature theatrical set. I found this image really captivating.”
“Sorry Boy was more akin to drawing but when zoomed in, you could see evidence of the digital mark making tools. I love the sensitivity of this one. The muted colours are punctuated by the bruisy rich tones in the hand and face. The layering and composition of this study were really quite sophisticated.”
“The Onion Farmers House is whimsical, otherworldly. The detail in the linework and the textural surfaces is exquisite, from starry skies to mountainous rocks that look like Banksia seed pods. I loved the way this artist plays with scale, the miniature to the gigantic. Beautifully rendered.”
“The Complexity That Is Unity is a screenprint that looks simple but is really quite complex in its layering of colour. The colour palette is bright but balanced with some darker muted tones. The composition is dynamic and the shapes really push and pull with the flatness of the medium. I felt this work really stood out.”
