The Warwickshire Artists annual exhibition 2013 was held at Althorpe Gallery, Althorpe Street, Leamington Spa the first two weeks of October.
Prizewinners were chosen by Tammy Woodrow from Leamington Pump Rooms Art Gallery and Gordon Fyfe from Keele University.
Prizewinners were chosen by Tammy Woodrow from Leamington Pump Rooms Art Gallery and Gordon Fyfe from Keele University.
Below are the winning artworks and the judges comments.
1st Prize: Sheila Millward 'Still Knocking'
The judges thought this work to be particularly original in its re-interpretation of a familiar religious story.
They felt that the collage of found art, in juxtaposing driftwood and an old engraving, worked at more than one level.
It conveys the original allegorical meaning that finding redemption merely requires the sinner to ‘open the door’. And it adds a new layer of meaning by inviting us to imagine that we, the viewer, might discover Hunt’s Biblical message in the accidental association of the remains of a door and a worn Victorian reproduction of the original.
They felt that the collage of found art, in juxtaposing driftwood and an old engraving, worked at more than one level.
It conveys the original allegorical meaning that finding redemption merely requires the sinner to ‘open the door’. And it adds a new layer of meaning by inviting us to imagine that we, the viewer, might discover Hunt’s Biblical message in the accidental association of the remains of a door and a worn Victorian reproduction of the original.
2nd Prize: Hilary Roberts 'Boy with Cockerel'
They liked the way in which the tight composition of boy and animal invites us to return the boy’s gaze, to speculate about the relationship between the two and, perhaps, to imagine their possible futures.
Themed Prize (Man versus Nature): Katharine Barker 'Past Perfect'
The judges felt that this work came closest to the competition’s brief with its exploration of the effects of time on the cultural heritage.
They thought that the abstraction of this work was particularly successful because it had something to say about the universality of man versus nature and the fate of our civilization.
They thought that the abstraction of this work was particularly successful because it had something to say about the universality of man versus nature and the fate of our civilization.
Two commendations
Ann Cole and Victoria Smith
The judges were much taken by both these works for the different ways in which they explored the relationship between Man and Nature.
Ann Cole with her joyous celebration of the fruits of the table is a wonderful celebration of painting itself.
Victoria Smith’s archival ‘take’ on a lost tradition of annual beach holidays is particularly clever and thought provoking.
The People's Choice: Bronia Sawyer 'Sustenance'
Bronia's book sculpture won the People's Choice prize by an enormous lead over the other artworks in the show. Below are the results of the top ten favourites.
54. Bronia Sawyer - Sustenance.
18. Neil Phillips - Cosmos.
17. Sheila Millward - Still Knocking.
17. Katharine Barker - Close to the Storm.
16. Bronia Sawyer - Paper Flock.
15. Sally Carpenter - Drone Control Center.
14. Amy Dodd - Breeding, Beauty and Brains.
13. Hilary Roberts - Boy with Cockerel.
12. David Lewis - Langres, Rue de Joseph.
10. Amy Dodd - Great Expectations.
9. Sonya Bond - Courage, Dragonfly Landscape.
