Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Award 2021 Exhibition

The Awards
Judges: It Hao Pheh and David Jack

General Exhibition comments - David Jack

This year being another year of disruptions somehow a terrific number of works were submitted and, as should be expected, all were of a high standard. Drawing has the power to convey seemingly simply in eye – mind - hand purity, a line, a tone, a smudge into a shape, a form or a negative space and into the simplest of drawn statement or most complex of inferred or explicit concept.

Several of the works did stretch us and I think that is important that we rest not in the comfortable but are somehow pushing or breaking out of the Whatman’s envelope.

I feel artists let alone the art followers need to be shown that drawing is not just a stepping stone in the process of a achieving a great painting it is a stand alone great genre in itself.

Thank you to It Hao Pheh for his valued input into the co-judging this year. Thank you also to all the participants this year, and for the AGRA crew in presenting the exhibition.

The 18th Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Award First Prize

"Gwen" Danielle Robertson

Finding this quiet drawing in a corner at the gallery was a sheer delight, a beautiful portrait exhibiting the artists skill in observation, sensitive handling of the drawing into form and completed with a mastery of the use of light over the form that brings the drawing to life, such pathos and empathy expressed, well done Danielle.

Second prize

"The Green Man"(After the fires) Cynthia Boyle

The first impression of this drawing is the beautifully drawn tree or bush setting, then you see the “green man” appear; the other part of the title explains the reason to honour the recovering bush with this drawing. As I live near a bushfire ravaged area I’m acutely aware of the toll on the nature, that miraculously seems to recover, in seeing the green man we are reminded of the human toll through the fire times and are we reminded of the path of man’s recovering perhaps because of what he can draw from the bush. As the reading of this work is subjective this is my response to the drawing which I feel is conveying a concept and stretching us a little as to how we may respond.

The Green Man (agter the fires)CBoylePencilframed81x64$850.JPG

Third

"Detritus" Mike Kowalski

This drawing caught our attention for it’s interpretation of a scene of building chaos or demolition, somehow an order and sense of drama is achieved through the line drawing and wash, very clever and a lovely work.

Highly Commended

"Looking at You" Ros Godman

This drawing presented a charming challenge to the eye, initially it seems like a series of black and white tonal areas then we see the shapes are cattle, a moving mass, beautifully drawn with tone and lines that are there and not there, inferred and not inferred clever drawing and brings out the nature and character of cattle inquisitively engaging with a viewer on the other side of the fence.

"Wildlife Study" Dennis Murnane

Brilliantly drawn massive gum tree and roots and suddenly a Galah flies into the scene, “this drawing is not over till you put my portrait on it sir” typical cheeky galah. A big competent drawing, well done Dennis.