The shortlist for the ‘2019 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize’ reveals a continued fascination with exploring and pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium, embracing its capacity to explore a diversity of voices and perspectives.
Selected from nearly 700 entries the work of these finalists collectively create a cohesive snapshot of contemporary photographic practice today: Rochelle Marie Adam, Riste Andrievski, Jonathan Armstrong, Zia Atahi, Simon Aubor, Sarah Barker, Sofi Basseghi, Greg Bilton, Polly Borland, Anna Carey, Céleste Cebra, Danica Chappell, Peta Clancy, David Collins, Ross Coulter, Emilio Cresciani, Chloe Dann, Gerwyn Davies, Shoufay Derz, Jo Duck, Stephen Dupont, Cherine Fahd, James Farley, George Fetting, Robert Fielding, J Forsyth, Andrea Francolini, Jon Frank, Lee Grant, Mark Harper, Fiona Kemp, Ingvar Kenne, Katrin Koenning, Benjamin Liew, Louis Lim, Ruth Maddison, Koji Makino, Danie Mellor, Anne Moffat, Bill Moseley, Tajette O’Halloran, Sean Paris, Sonia Payes, Clare Rae, Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, Justin Ridler, Simone Rosenbauer, David Rosetzky, Jo Scicluna, Vivian Cooper Smith, Jacqui Stockdale, Nathan Stolz, Angela Tiatia, Lisa Tomasetti, James Tylor, Justine Varga, Lydia Wegner and Adele Wilkes.
This year’s judging panel consisted of MGA Director, Anouska Phizacklea, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Chris Saines and acclaimed artist Dr Christian Thompson AO. The winner and three Colour Factory Honourable Mentions will be announced at a special event on Thursday 10 October at Monash Gallery of Art (MGA) with the finalists’ exhibition on show from 5 October to 17 November 2019.
Support from the MGA Foundation and Sotheby’s Australia brings the prize pool for the 2019 Bowness Photography Prize to a total of $35,000.
‘The annual Bowness Photography Prize is such a unique exhibition, and by design, captures a snapshot of what is going on in contemporary photography in Australia today. With no entry restrictions on size, genre or format, the prize celebrates the diversity of photographic practice and profiles artists at any stage in their career.’
‘This year there were strong thematic ties that bind disparate voices representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, families who have made Australia their home, alternative, sculptural and experimental photographic practices, performative and constructed realities, with a strong contingent of Indigenous voices. This is a celebration of the diversity of photographic practice and perspectives. There is a currency and potency embedded into this selection that speaks to political, social and environmental issues that we are all facing.’ – Anouska Phizacklea, MGA Director
‘The finalists in this year’s Bowness Photography Prize tell us that contemporary Australian photography is closely engaging with some of our most vexing public conversations, while exploring some of the most intimate aspects of the human condition. While many have embraced the ubiquity of the digital, others continue to explore the potential of analogue and some of these have even revisioned the daguerreotype.’
‘What is common across our selection is a deep commitment to image-making that is, in the main, trenchantly contemporary in nature, that takes camera-based work into new areas of investigation in order to retain its potency and relevance.’ – Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art