A casual google search will reveal that there are numerous art prizes and contests, from the most humble to the revered eg: Archibald, Dobell, Moran etc. I went to see the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize exhibition at the PLC school in Croydon yesterday and it raised two questions:
1. Where is the line between a drawing and a painting? Some of the entries were more likely to come into the category of a painting like this one by Greg Hansell "The White Chair", which is beautifully rendered in colour pencil. Whilst I like it, should it not be disqualified due to its extensive use of colour?
2. Are marks awarded for the message in a painting? There was one entry where an aborigine is depicted in the midst of the colonists in two settings. ArtExpress appears to have lots of paintings with messages. For example, this one on Indigeneous plight by Oscar Close. While it is admirable that the artist was able to successfully convey their message to the audience, would you like the picture on your wall? I would feel unease everytime I looked at it - somehow that I were responsible for their plight.
