Galleries and Museums will be closed on Tuesday 24 December, Wednesday 25 December, and Thursday 26 December, 2024.
Bridie Gillman Artist statement: Painting has become a meditative act of recalling my experiences of a place through abstract response; an emotional reaction rather than a representation of place. 'Some sort of growth' is in response to my studio surroundings. By looking closer, spending time and responding, I am hoping to nurture a deeper connection to the environment I am situated in.
Judge's comments: The artists sense of the materiality of paint, the play of colour, darkness and light make it very strong and visually arresting painting. The colours reference the natural environment and you get a sense of the artists awe and love of nature, however, its abstract quality resists clear and direct communication. It is a work to become immersed in, to sit with, and to contemplate.
Beverley Teske Artist statement: 'DEAD SOLDIER' is the fifth piece in my 'The Real Cost of War WW1 Series' honouring our brave Australian soldiers. An old saying referring to an empty bottle as a "Dead Soldier" was the inspiration behind this installation. 61,555 bottle caps, collected from hotels, restaurants, mine sites and everyone I know all around Australia over a period of 18 months. 1 for every Australian soldier lost.
Martin Edge Artist statement: I frequently walk down Gympie Road with my friend Winston. I have lived in Strathpine for over twenty years. I enjoy the winding path and many pine trees that follow the length of everywhere I need to go.
Judge's comments: This painting perfectly captures the joy of everyday life. The artists use of bold colour, shape and form has made for vibrant scene that has transforms the idea of walking down the street into fun-filled adventure.
Annie O’Rourke Artist statement: This work is one of a series depicting women in the unfamiliar role of perpetrators of destruction and violence. Typical perceptions of women were exploded in the early 20th century when militant suffragettes burnt down public buildings and took part in protests. Even today, the outrage motivating these actions disrupts the common perception of women as carers and peacemakers.
Judge's comments: I kept returning to this work. The approach to the handling of the paint is very innovative-the limited colour palette and semi-translucent layers give the work a sepia tone that lend the painting a sense of history and echo the historical photographic content that the painting draws from-the suffragettes. This reworking of history in a contemporary way prompts the viewer reflect on contemporary feminisms.
Kathryn Blumke Artist statement: ‘Scarborough Quilt 2’ is inspired by the red cliffs of Scarborough which jut against Moreton Bay. As part of my PhD Visual Art research I investigate the abstract landscape, visualising feeling and the feminine.
Judge's comments: The scale of this work is ambitious. I appreciate the way the artist has reference the colours of the Redcliffe area create a work in hard edge geometric abstraction that expands the idea of landscape painting. There is also a beautiful tension between the fluidity of the watercolour and the hard edge of the geometric pattern that makes the work vibrate.
Sam Scoufos Artist statement: This is from a new series that I started in collaboration with my 3-year-old daughter. We love playing hide and seek together and it always makes me chuckle the places she ends up hiding. We work together on finding the locations, usually I will find a visually pleasing place to take the image and then I let her hide within the frame. It's great to see the spontaneity that comes from this.
Judge's comments: This photograph is technically outstanding. The colours are luscious and the verdant leaf pattern on the shower curtain sets up a fun play between interior and exterior spaces. There is a moment of excitement when your eye travels to the small feet poking out from below the shower curtain and the game of hide-and-seek that is playing out in the image is finally revealed.
Peter Biddulph Artist statement: Firing unglazed Ironstone and Los Altos clays in strong reduction in a gas kiln causes the clay to react with the atmosphere in the kiln and emulate weathered surfaces. The interplay of the seemingly weathered surface on the precise geometrical forms of these double walled vessels, creates a tension between the ordered, predictable curve of the form and the random marking of the surface.
Judge's comments: The two pieces that comprise this work are technically exquisite. They are poised and elegant, their forms strike a perfect balance between function and abstraction.