| The Canberra Scene National Photographic Portrait Prize |
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| Written by Jo Jackson |
| Friday, 15 May 2009 14:05 |
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20 March 2009 to 24 May 2009 CANBERRA The National Photographic Portrait Prize is an Australian annual event open to both professional and aspiring Australian photographers. It is intended to promote the incredible talent in contemporary photographic portraiture that is available in Australia and is one of the most highly revered photographic competitions. The finalists are on display from the 20th of March till the 24th of May, at the National Portrait Gallery in Parkes, Canberra, and this year there is a lot of controversy surrounding the photograph chosen as the winner.  The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra The exhibition at the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery, displays the fifty six photos that made the cut for the $25,000 prize. After the exhibition closes at the National Gallery the display will embark on a tour of selected capital cities and regional centres around Australia. A panel of three judges made the initial selection from all the entries, which form the exhibition. From these the winner was chosen judged on the power of the portrait photograph rather than the status of the subject or the photographer’s reputation. This year’s panel consisted of Mr Andrew Sayers, Director of the National Portrait Gallery; Dr Christopher Chapman, Curator of the National Portrait Gallery; and Professor Sarah Miller from the Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong. Photography has proven to be a very popular form of portraiture, making this a very competitive competition with over 1000 initial entries being received. As Zoe Wolfendale, a reviewer for ArtsHub, wrote in April, “Portraiture is personal: people have paid for their likeness to be depicted in oils, photography, etching, and all manner of mediums, over many centuries….. So when it comes to judging one portrait as the best for a year …. I would imagine it could be a tricky task.”. However the judges decision was that the winner of this years Prize was would go to Swedish born, Sydney photographer, Ingvar Kenne, for the submission of “Cormac and Callum” . The entry depicts his two sons standing beside the indoor spa pool at their grandmother’s apartment building. Kenne, a highly commended finalist in this year’s Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, often uses his sons as the subject of his work. However this choice does not sit well with all the critics, Elizabeth Fortescue, a Visual Arts Writer, wrote in the Daily Telegraph “If I had taken the picture that yesterday won the $25,000 National Photographic Portrait Prize, I would have deleted it from my digital camera.” However Sayers describes the piece as “a sophisticated work whose “Accidental” appearance belies its technical excellence. … It’s a work where you can really feel the love of a parent towards his children”. Chris Chapman, one of the judges, said there was plenty of discussion during the process as there were so many high-quality works. The judges wanted to select images that in themselves were very compelling and that Kenne’s entry “evoked a strong sense of connection with the viewer and used a complex sense of space.” The decision was not a straightforward choice.  National Photographic Portrait Prize Also on display is Gary Grearly’s entry, also a double portrait, titled “Geoffrey Legge and Frank Watters (2008)” . For this portrait the panel had taken the unusual step of naming a highly commended work. David Anderson, Mark Arundel, Andrew Babarczy, Kim Batterham, Anthony Begovic, Anthony Browell, Quentin Jones, Karen Donnelly, Rick Carter, Brad Mitchell and Peter Luck, are some of the other photographers whose submissions are on display. By pure coincidence Kate Lewis and Matt Regan, both photography students at Charles Sturt University, chose the same subject for their entries. Their submissions “Philíp” and “Treaties for Mad Men Only” both feature Kate’s father Philip Lewis. Course Coordinator, James Holcombe, said the selection of the entries was a huge achievement for the two students as they competed against other seasoned photographers. The two, Kate and Matt, were among the first group of students to complete the photography course through the School of Visual and Performing Arts at CSU, Wagga Wagga. The portraits display a range of photographic options, from 120mm black and white images through to digital lambda prints. Images of the famous and not so famous make up the collection. You will find featured among the entries an adventurer, cricket captain and a high profile politician, as well as other inspirational Australians. The exhibition is a wonderful snapshot of the sorts of characters who fill our celebrity obsessed press, as well as looking at our families, local neighbourhoods and our friends. Some of this year’s exhibits vividly portray the intensities of youth. Petrina Hick’s portrait, simply titled “The Boy” is cool and controlled, while Chris Budgeon’s portrait of a young girls Ruby is wintry and brooding, and then Nikki Toole’s portrait of a young man, Daniel, is vulnerable and defiant. Also included is a group of portraits that present individuals and groups in interior rooms. The objects in the rooms play a symbolic role: in Quentin Jones’ portrait of poet Robert Gray, two small framed photographs on the sideboard hint at the passing of time, whereas Heide Smith’s portrait of musical composer, Larry Sitzky, has him surrounded by books and musical scores as if he is a wizard in a musical grotto. Ian Darling’s photo of adventurer Jon Muir was taken at dusk at the edge of the salt Lake Amadeus, near Uluru, and shows a man electrically charged by his natural surroundings. However be prepared to be confronted by Sam Ruttyn’s before-and-after portrait of the battered and bruised cage fighter Brian Ebersole. Since its inception, with the new Gallery having been opened in December 2008, the National Portrait Gallery has displayed a dedication and enthusiasm for Australian and international photography. The Gallery’s permanent collection holds an impressive collection of photographic works created by some of Australia’s most talented photographers. Photography is a most pervasive and popular medium for portraiture and makes a perfect fit with the Gallery, as a natural extension of the Gallery’s commitment to photography as a contemporary art medium. The gallery is open from 10am till 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day) and entry is usually free, except for major exhibitions. Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2009 14:37 |