THE 2008 SILK CUT AWARD for Linocut Prints
6 -21 September 2008
WINNERS ANNOUNCED

<Click here to view winning prints>

Image (L to R): Gerry Ryan, Director of Duroloid, Alick Tipoti’s agent Michael Kershaw, Director of Australian Art Print Network and Bill Dorward, Director of Duroloid, in front of the 2008 Silk Cut Award Grand Prize winning work Apu Kaz




At the opening ceremony for the 2008 Silk Cut Award for contemporary Linocut prints – held on the evening of 5 September – the winner of the Grand Prize was officially announced by Wayne Donovan, Managing Director of Forbo Floorcoverings Pty Ltd, along with several purchase prizes in both the Open and Student sections. This important celebration was held at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery, where the exhibition of Award winners and finalists continues until 21 September.

The winner of this year’s Grand Prize is Alick Tipoti, with his stunning work Apu Kaz. Not being able to attend the Award ceremony, the Grand Prize was accepted by his agent Michael Kershaw, Managing Director of the Australian Art Print Network, on Tipoti’s behalf.

Produced specifically for the 2008 Silk Cut Award, Apu Kaz means: Mother and Baby Dugong. While Tipoti specializes in linocut printmaking, a skill developed from his childhood wood-carving experiences on Badu Island, his works are inspired by coastal life, family, the constellations and the myths and legends belonging to the Torres Strait.

The Open Section Purchase Prizes were awarded to: Lawrence Finn, Marion Manifold, Katherine Marmaras and John Ryrie, and the Student Section Prizes were awarded to: Cassie Gill from Woodleigh School in Baxter, Victoria; Tim Mallows from Central Access in Mansfield, Victoria; Aron Murray from Caulfield South Primary School in Caulfield, Melbourne and Callum Stewart from Old Orchard Primary School in Blackburn, Melbourne. (Images are available – see contact details over page). Their linocut prints will become part of the Silk Cut Foundation Collection; gifted to the National Gallery of Australian in 2004 the Silk Cut Foundation has been accorded Life Governor status with the National Gallery of Australia Foundation.

Roger Butler, Senior Curator of Prints, Drawings and Illustrated Books at the National Gallery of Australia and one of the three judges of the Award (the others being Alisa Bunbury, Senior Curator, Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Victoria and Martin King, Senior Printer, Australian Print Workshop), said that the overall standard of this year’s Award was “extremely high”, and they were intrigued by the predominance of the use of narrative derived from fairy tales and/or myths. He then said that the decision to award Alick Tipoti’s Apu Kaz for the Grand Prize was “unanimous between all judges from first viewing”, because it had “a strong presence in the room and was authoritative in all aspects”, including the beautiful cutting, the perfect balance between the intricate patterning and the two large forms (the Dugongs), and they felt Tipoti’s attention to detail was indicative of acute observational skills.

Commencing in 1995, the Silk Cut Award offers everyone an exciting and unique opportunity to view the best in contemporary linocut printing. This year is the ninth Award and exhibition of works by artists whose principal medium is linocut print and who have used Silk Cut Linoleum™ to produce the wide range of styles, forms and ideas seen in the finalists’ works — from the finely detailed and delicate to the heavily worked and political. This year the Silk Cut Award is also becoming annual rather than biennial.

Unique to the Award is the Student Section, which is open to school students Australia-wide who are 18 years and under. The quality of past winners and this year’s entrants goes a long way toward guaranteeing a strong future for Australian printmaking. In addition to giving us an insight of what is yet to come, the selection of collaborative works also show the dedication of, and guidance provided by, visual arts teachers in Australian schools.

Past winners include prominent printmakers such as Rona Green, Belinda Fox, Deborah Klein, Angela Cavalieri, Heather Shimmen and Marieke Dench. As the only award specific to linocut printmakers, it attracts artists throughout Australia and represents one of the broadest samples of technically refined and conceptually engaged printmaking.

The Silk Cut Award is sponsored by Duroloid, the national Distributors of Silk Cut Linoleum™, and Forbo Floorcoverings Pty Ltd. In 2004 a partnership was forged with the Glen Eira City Council Gallery who administer all aspects of the award and host the presentation of the exhibition of finalists.

The 2008 Silk Cut Award exhibition continues to Sunday 21 September.

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday 10am–5pm     Sat & Sun 1pm–5pm

For more information and print ready images contact:

Kirsten Rann, Administrator, Silk Cut Award
Phone: (03) 9524 3390 or 0402 354 046 Email: krann@gleneira.vic.gov.au

or

Diane Soumilas, Gallery Coordinator, Glen Eira City Council Gallery
Phone: (03) 9524 3214 Email: dsoumilas@gleneira.vic.gov.au