Louise Whelan (Avalon, NSW) – Sydney Sapeurs. Image courtesy City of Sydney
Winners of the Australian Life and Little Sydney Lives photography exhibition and prize will be announced by a judging panel at the Art & About Friday Night Live Quarter Acre Block party, on Friday 19 September in Martin Place.
Australian Life judge Lisa Messenger, Editor in Chief of The Renegade Collective magazine, with Ken Done and Stephen Dupont selected 22 semi-finalists from an entry pool of over 1,100. ‘Going through all of the photographs for Australian Life was extraordinary. The number of entries and the calibre of photos – it’s something that’s really important to build, and make it stand alone against other art prizes.
‘I’m just fascinated by what people deem creative and I just love getting inside people’s heads. Seeing such a variety of different submissions – and being able to look at 1,100 interpretations of what Australian life means to people is such a wonderful thing to be involved with,’ she said.
Expanded for the first time with a first-place prize of $10,000, Australian Life has evolved from its previous incarnation of Sydney Life to give photographers around the country a chance to express their unique take on national culture through the lens.
Andre Martin (Artarmon, NSW) – Tin City. Image courtesy City of Sydney.
Across the entries were expressions of all kinds of Australian life, with Messenger identifying a number of reoccurring themes and motifs that captured the essence of modern Australia.
‘There were some really fascinating interpretations of people just in their homes with the food they ate, the cultural dress they had – it really displayed some diversity around the wonderful nature that now is Australia.’
Judging the Australian Life competition winner with Messenger is visual arts luminary Ken Done, and award-winning photographer Stephen Dupont.
‘Ken Done for me is one of the ultimate Australian artists,’ said Messenger.
‘He is such an extraordinary man, he has done so much for art in this country, both from an artistic standpoint but also a commercial standpoint. He is one of the most clever, entrepreneurial artists this country has ever seen. Stephen has a wonderful background in photography. I felt very privileged to be a part of that team.’
Alexandria “Alex” Joseph (4, Tempe) – Big Balloons. Image courtesy City of Sydney.
Messenger hopes to see a large turnout of visitors for the announcement, which coincides with the Art & About Sydney 2014 Friday Night Live launch party. ‘Definitely come and check it out, it’s a fabulous curation of diversity that this country has to offer.’
Little Sydney Lives marks its fourth year as an insight into some of Sydney’s most promising young 3-11 year old artists and will be judged separately by previous winners of the Little Sydney Lives and Sydney Life competitions.
Following the announcement of the $10,000 Australian Life and Little Sydney Lives prize-winners, stunning large-scale reproductions of their work will be shown along St James walkway of Hyde Park north and Sandringham Gardens over the course of the three week festival.
In partnership with Tourism Australia, an additional component of the competition also includes for the first time an Instagram competition, allowing mobile photographers to use the social media platform to upload and make an instant impression using the hashtag #australianlife.
Images posted by 18 September 2014 will be judged to win $5000.
‘Any person nowadays can and are really a media owner in control of what we put out there, our own personal brands, it’s so special that every single minute of every single day can all be published if we want to be,’ said Messenger.
‘You don’t have to wait for a magazine or a traditional media platform to publish you, and I think that gives people a lot more licence and ability to create things. I love that about new media.’
Art & About Sydney 2014 will activate the City of Sydney from 19 September to 12 October.
For full program details visit the Art & About website.
This is a free event.
Australian Life 2014 finalists
Georgina Pope (Goulburn, NSW) – A Great Day for Drying
Berylouise Mitchell (Ashfield, NSW) – Anzac Day Tribute
Godelieve Mols (Dee Why, NSW) – AFL Match in Ngukurr
Rodney Campbell (Lane Cove North, NSW) – Boarding
Glenn Campbell (Darwin, NT) – Brothers in Boob Tubes
Natalie Grono (Lennox Head, NSW)- Children of the Tribe
Rob Annesley (Lugarno, NSW) – ColourMeRad 5K
Ivana Jovanovic (Botany, NSW)- Dinner
Jon Lewis (Wombeyan Caves, NSW) – Farewelling Martin Sharp
Desmond Kok Hui Ong (Redfern, NSW) – For Sale
Paul Blackmore (Tamarama, NSW)- Icebergs
Matthew Newton (Hobart, TAS) – I’m a Fire Starter
Jewels Lynch (Tweed Heads, NSW)- Mutitjulu Dreaming
Richard Payne (Manly, NSW)- PIES
Brent Winstone (Bondi Beach, NSW) – Pondering in the Tent of Wonder
Lisa Maree Williams (Bondi Junction, NSW)- Rio Station
Warwick Kent (Crows Nest, NSW) – Rush Hour
Tamara Voninski (Alexandria, NSW)- Saltwater Cowboys
Louise Whelan (Avalon, NSW) – Sydney Sapeurs
Dianne English (Round Corner, NSW) – The Doll House
Andre Martin (Artarmon, NSW) – Tin City
John Goodridge (Newington, NSW)- Windbreak
Little Sydney Lives 2014 finalists
Audrey Gilmour (4, Brighton Le Sands) – Selfie at the Swimming Pool
Maia Robinson (7, Dulwich Hill) – Super Teddy
Orson Keeler (4, Northbridge) – My Fast Shoes
Baidyn Milera (4, St Ives) -The Orange Scribbly Gumnut Tree
Isaac Bromiley (7, Allambie) – My Brother
Giorgia Murray (4, Leichhardt) – A World of Flowers on my Footpath
Lux Angelina Betancurt-Thornton (3 Earlwood) – Big Horsie
Jasper Tops (7, Concord West) – My Friend Jack
Alexandria “Alex” Joseph (4, Tempe) – Big Balloons
Nicolas Escobar (6, Zetland) – The Sydney Boat
Valentina Saksena (10, Kellyville) – In Wilderness Blue Mountains
Bruno Dorabialski (8 Dee Why) – Icarus
Jonathan Jones (10, Leura) – A Treehouse
Matei Stoenescu (8, West Ryde) – Going, Going, Gone
Oscar Greville (8, Pyrmont) – Hot Chocolate
Jack Lonnon (9, Chatswood) – Over the fence
Lucy Southan (10, Bondi Junction) – Scarlett’s Dog
Jasmin Barker Brierley (11, Erskineville) – Bust the Budget March
Téo Le Moing (8, Woollahra) – Morning Tea on The Balcony
Olivia Ayoub (11, Homebush) – Through The Backseat
