$3,000 Prize for a Tin of Spaghetti

$3,000 Prize for a Tin of Spaghetti

Wairarapa artist Matt Guild has won the coveted NZ Art Show Signature Piece Art Award with his quintessential kiwiana piece ‘Spaghetti Open Can,’ an oil painting that depicts one of New Zealand’s iconic food items. His piece, one of 10 finalists vying for the $3,000 prize, was voted best in show by attendees to the 2015 NZ Art Show held in Wellington June 19 – 21.

Of his win, Matt is very excited but, as his piece speaks to NZ’s cultural identity, he felt that the voters identified closely with his piece.

“It’s very different to the rest of the artworks chosen, but it is one of those subject matters that appeals to the masses. Every kiwi has eaten Spaghetti at one point in their life and now it has been turned it into a piece of art,” Matt said.

Matt has been exhibiting with the show for only two years, last year as a General Exhibitor where he had five artworks for sale, and this year as a Single Artist Wall artist. He considers his nomination as a finalist an honour:

“The standard of the work at the show was extremely high and it’s a huge privilege to win this award, and definitely one of the highlights of my career so far. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that voted for my art work, I feel truly blessed!”

Matt classifies his painting style as photo realism, still-life vignettes that capture the essence of iconic Kiwi nostalgia and recall childhood memories: trips to the corner dairy for that rare treat, going to the movies when there was intermission and getting that packet of Jaffa’s, Watties tomato sauce (an essential for any BBQ), or playing in granddad’s old cars.

Matt is based in Martinborough, Wairarapa where he is a member of Waiart Carterton and has been painting full-time for 10 years. He studied Education, Design and Art History at Otago University and Design and Sculpture at Northland Art School before re-training as an Art Teacher. It was while challenging his students that art was an achievable career path, he decided it made sense to put his money where his mouth is: he enrolled in art courses at Wellington’s Learning Connexion where he was inspired by tutor Robert Franken.

This is the seventh year the NZ Art Show has offered up the Signature Piece Art Award and this year 300 artists were under consideration for the 10 finalist positions. Carla Russell, the Executive Director of the NZ Art Show says that each year the standard of art improves markedly, making it a real challenge for the judging panel to select only 10 finalists.

‘All the finalists deserve the recognition but we think that the public got it right with Matt’s tin of spaghetti.

And Matt’s plans for his win? He’d like to renovate his studio to let more light in and to upgrade his art transport vehicle which currently leaks when it rains.

ENDS

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