"Fresh" art excites New Zealand leading artists

14 May 2007 For immediate release

"Fresh" art excites New Zealand leading artists

Positive, fresh, confident and emotional – that's how the judges of the IHC Telecom Art Awards described the 600 works they judged in three regional exhibitions.

Thirty finalists have been selected from the 600 entries and the winners will be announced on Monday 9 July. They can be viewed at Auckland Museum from 10 July. The finalists are:

Douglas McCrane,Upper Hutt Mark Hadden, Hawera Matthew Rossbotham,Wellington Vicky Dooley,Wellington Eugene Leone, Lower Hutt Danielle Woods, Wellington Jan Keen, Invercargill Peter Van Herpt, Christchurch Martin Kolanica, Christchurch Stuart Craig,Christchurch Ian Maber,Nelson Christopher Wright,Oamaru Richard Hargreaves,Christchurch Janine Baldock,Dunedin Chris Tilly,Nelson Bridget Hannah, Nelson Caleb Edwards, Te Atatu Brendon Baverstock, Te Atatu Shannon Bowden,Te Atatu Sharon Braithwaite,Hamilton Peggy Leung,Auckland Paul Sedgwick,Hamilton Ruby Davey, Hamilton Treena Armstrong, Te Atatu Judge of the central New Zealand entries, reputed Wairarapa designer and artist Gavin Chilcott, said he enjoyed judging the artworks and particularly admired the spontaneity and focus of the artworks.

He described the genre or style of artwork as "intuitive art", which means the artists don't filter their thoughts and feelings through lots of theories.

"People are tapping into their emotional responses to things very quickly," he explained.

"Some works I'd like to take home immediately," he said.

Laurence Fearnley, Dunedin-based judge of the entries from the South Island, said that overall there was a lot of work that was very touching.

"The subject matter was often very personal. I found it quite moving. It seemed that art was an important way for people to express themselves. There were lots of personal memories or experiences. Those were the works that I responded to the most, the ones that had a strong personal element."

Artist and senior lecturer at the Elam School of Fine Arts Auckland University, Denys Watkins, said judging the works from the northern part of New Zealand was a great experience.

"I have selected a cross section of work that represents the difference in approaches that the artists have engaged with, and recognised the invention and positive spirit that is evident in this exhibition."

The finalists works will be judged at the Auckland Museum. The winners will be announced at the IHC Telecom Art Awards auction night on 10 July.

The works can be viewed and bids placed from Thursday 24 May on www.ihc.org.nz.

The IHC Telecom Art Awards are part of Telecom's Community Connection sponsorship programme which provides voluntary welfare and charitable organisations with up to $5 million in support each year. In 2005, Telecom's support of the IHC Telecom Art Awards won a NZ Sponsorship Award.

ENDS

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