“This sculpture prize delivers a distinct vigour and freshness of ideas with a diversification in materials. These artists are at the forefront of contemporary sculptural practice and their works are a joy to experience,” added Murray.
Gill said she was both delighted and overwhelmed to win this award. “I thought they were calling me to tell me something was broken on the piece or there was something wrong with it. I was so excited,” she said. “I want to thank Bankwest as this kind of support for the art world is so important as, in my case, winning gives me the opportunity to spend more time working in my studio.”
A work which is taken from a series which the artist says began following a residency undertaken at the Freud Museum, London. Tarryn said of the piece: “After being privy to the collection of antiquities in Freud’s study, I was inspired to create soft sculptures which appear like seers or prophets. They also draw inspiration from Japanese tomb ornaments (known as Haniwa), which are arranged around a burial site in order to protect the dead and drive away evil. These works combine my personal memories with characters drawn from mythology, pop culture and funerary art to activate a space between the earthly and other-worldly.”
Since its inception in 2001 the Bankwest Art Prize has gained recognition as one of the most prestigious and generous awards for artists in the state. It is the only prize of this magnitude exclusively for Western Australian artists.
The 2016 Bankwest Art Prize finalists are: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, Claire Bailey, Paul Caporn, Mikaela Castledine, Peter Dailey, Kevin Draper, Susan Flavell, Tarryn Gill, Paul Kaptein, Theo Koning, Lou Lambert, Angela McHarrie, Geoff Overheu, Mark Parfitt, Alistair Rowe and Andrew Sunley Smith.
Bankwest Art Gallery
Until 10 March, 2017
Perth