Western Australian artist Jana Vodesil-Baruffi was awarded this year’s $50,000 Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, WA’s only portrait prize of its kind, for her work titled, Black Swan (2017).
The announcement was made at an awards ceremony at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) on Friday 10 November, where the 40 finalists’ works are on display.
Black Swan Prize for Portraiture 2017 Winner – Jana Vodesil-Baruffi, Black Swan, 2017
This is the sixth time Vodesil-Baruffi has been a finalist in 11 years the award has been running. It is the third richest prize in Australia after the Archibald and the Doug Moran and attracts submissions from more than 300 artists nationwide each year.
This year’s judges include: Wendy Sharpe, one of Australia’s most awarded artists, Dr Sarah Engledow, Senior Historian at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra and Melissa Harpley, Curator of Historical and Modern Art, AGWA.
Black Swan is a double portrait of a young woman suffering from an eating disorder. The judges described her work as a close observation of the human condition and they remarked on the meaningful use of the colour black. They also noted the beautifully painted hair, flesh and fabric to captivate the viewer, with a subtle contrast between two figures, one withdrawn and one bold;
‘This is a powerful confronting image. Intense and moving with a meaningful use of black. Superbly arresting subject. Brilliant use of paint. Very interesting, subtle contrast between two figures, one withdrawn and one bold. Defiant gaze but it’s also reproachful, like a wounded ghost emerging from the darkness, about to be re-absorbed (from Hamlet’s father). Portrait compositionally powerful. Successful use of dark background from which figure emerges. Beautifully painted flesh, hair and fabric. Compelling. Shows two sides of subject vulnerable and defiant/strong. Close observation of human condition. Tough work.’
Vodesil-Baruffi confesses that this work was one of the most difficult things she has ever completed, ‘The need to try to help (my subject) to overcome her eating disorder was urgent and forever present. The failure was evident and in front of my eyes every second of my working time and long after, making me feel powerless and guilty. Her sad but strong gaze pierces my heart. My intention was to help her to see the grim reality of her condition, but my artistic eye was selfishly seeing the hidden beauty and magical symmetry in her structure.’
Highly Commended – Effie Pryer, Till death us and Natasha Walsh, In the studio
Highly commended on the night was Tasmanian artist Effie Pryer for her oil on wood portrait, Till death us, of a young co-worker and her pet macaws, and New South Wales artist Natasha Walsh for her oil on marble self-portrait, In the studio.
Introduced last year was the $10,000 Toni Fini Foundation Artist Prize, and is the only one of its kind in Australia with the finalist turned judge, voting for their favourite work within the competition. This year the award went to Sydney artist Marie Mansfield for her work Mertim. The public can vote for the $7,500 People’s Choice award at AGWA, which will be announced at the end of exhibition season.
Christopher Arnold, Fractured
The following week was anything but salad days as school-aged entrants were recognised for their talent and maturity in the announcement of the winners of the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture Youth Prize on 15 November at Brookfield Place, where the works are currently on display until 24 November 2017.
Zoe Wells, Compartmentalising
High school seniors Christopher Arnold, Zoe Wells and Aliss Nixon-McIvor took home first, second and third prize in the Years 11-12 category; Arnold from La Salle College in the Swan Valley for his work entitled Fractured, St Mary’s Anglican Girls School student Wells for her work Compartmentalising, and Perth Modern student Nixon-McIvor for her work Venus.
Nixon-McIvor, Venus
Other High School Competition winners:
Highly Commended Kitman Yeung – Applecross Senior High School | Mother
Years 9-10 | 1st Prize Violet Watts – Cape Naturaliste College | Unbalanced
Years 9-10 | 2nd Prize Lucas Tan – Canning Vale College | Self-portrait
Years 9-10 | 3rd Prize Jiahao Chen – Du Fn Academy of Fine Arts | Nathan’s mood
Years 7-8 | 1st Prize Janine Li – Du Fn Academy of Fine Arts | Self-portrait
Years 7-8 | 2nd Prize Oliver Freeman – Sydney Grammar School | Quincy Grayce
Years 7-8 | 3rd Prize Zoe Regel – John Curtin College of the Arts | Untitled
Years 10-12 | 1st Prize Full Day Workshop Canning Vale College
Years 7-9 | 1st Prize Half Day Workshop St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School
Hospital Competition winners:
Ages 16-19 | 1st Prize Olivia Hu | Me everyday
Years 11-12 | 2nd Prize Maddison Montgomery | Lady blue
Years 11-12 | 3rd Prize Isobelle McCracken | Shock
Highly Commended Jordan Adami – | A side of Basil
Ages 12-15 | 1st Prize Ben Watterson | Artwork
Ages 12-15 | 2nd Prize Tom Martin | Paul Pogha
Ages 12-15 | 3rd Prize Rochelle Herbst | Rebirth
Highly Commended Christopher Walton | Kyrie Irving
Main Exhibition
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Until 27 November, 2017
Perth
Youth Exhibition
Tower 1, Brookfield Place
Until 24 November 2017
Perth
