Three Newcastle artists are among 30 finalists in the $50,000 Kilgour Prize, which recognises Australia’s best portraiture and figurative paintings.
The Kilgour Prize is a prestigious Australian art award administered by Newcastle Art Gallery and funded by a bequest from artist Jack Noel Kilgour.
Newcastle Art Gallery received 476 works from artists across Australia, which is an increase of more than 100 entries from 2020 and the highest number overall in its 16-year history.
Merewether-based artists Nick Fintan and John Earle have been selected among the 30 finalists, as well as Carrington resident Gillian Adamson. She has been named a finalist in her first year of entering.
“I’m beyond excited to be a finalist in the Kilgour Prize!” Adamson said.
“There are some incredible artists who will also be in the exhibition, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Adamson’s entry, Jesus in the Wilderness, is a small painting of Jesus in a suburban backyard with a Colorbond fence and a Hills Hoist.
“The work explores how the wilderness is depicted in the Bible as a place of temptation and where one could be tempted by the devil.
“Today, the wilderness is seen as a place of healing and restoration. This work is seeking to find the appropriate modern-day metaphor for the wilderness.
“I’m very inspired by my roots; my mother’s family are working-class Catholics from Newcastle, and I have a strong connection to the times and spaces they have occupied.
“I’m fascinated by houses of my grandparents’ era and the use of religious iconography in the homes of that time. I’m particularly inspired by other people’s simple lives that have been well lived.”
She said she hadn’t thought much about winning the prize and was more excited to take her grandma to Newcastle Art Gallery to view her work on the wall.
Merewether artist Nick Fintan said he was excited to be selected as a finalist, adding that the Kilgour Prize was a great way for artists to establish themselves and their artwork in the community.
“My portrait is of James Drinkwater, who is actually another Newcastle artist,” Fintan said.
“He and I were briefly at the same art school in Sydney, and when I moved to Newcastle with my family, I didn’t know many people here, so I contacted James to say hello and ended up painting a portrait of him.
“Being selected as a finalist is very exciting. It’s all about being recognised by the community and by people that may not be familiar with your works. It really legitimises and reaffirms an artist’s work.”
All 30 finalists will be judged by a panel of experts, including Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton, Campbelltown Arts Centre Head of Curatorial Adam Porter and Head Teacher of Fine Art at Newcastle Art School David Trout.
Along with the top prize for most outstanding work, an additional $5000 is awarded to the painting voted most popular by the general public.
Morton said the Kilgour Prize displayed some of the best contemporary Australian portraiture and figurative paintings.
“The Kilgour Prize encourages Australian artists to pursue and push the boundaries of portraiture and figurative painting,” Morton said.
“This year’s selected artists present diverse interpretations of the brief, resulting in a very dynamic exhibition with works focusing on everything from experiences in lockdown through to scenes of everyday life.
“The quality of the works will make the selection process all the more difficult, but that is a wonderful challenge to have.”
The exhibition will be on display from August 13 until October 31. People’s Choice voting is open until October 6.
The winner will be announced on August 13, and the People’s Choice prize will be awarded on October 11.
2021 FINALISTS:
Lisa Adams, Gillian Adamson, Matteo Bernasconi, Jackson Booth, Catherine Boreham, Julie-Ann Brown, Simon Brown, Daniel Butterworth, Emily Jayne Carroll, John Dahlsen, Archer Davies, Rachelle Dusting, John Earle, David Fairbairn, Nick Fintan, Christine Fontana, Miriam Fraser, Michael Lindeman, Nunzio Miano, Robert O’Connor, Nathan Paddison, Lori Pensini, Alice Pulvers, James R Randall, Zeljka Reljan-Music, Grace Kemarre Robinya, Paul Ryan, Jason Tolmie, Mick Turner and Mark Tweedie.
Hayley McMahon
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