2018 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize artist pairings announced

The Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize 2018 today announced 19 pairings of contemporary Australian and New Zealand artists, selected by Guest Curator and artist Nike Savvas, to present work in the 22nd annual prize exhibition at Sydney’s National Art School Gallery from 15 March until 12 May 2018.

The 2018 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize features the work of 19 established and 19 emerging contemporary artists or artist duos. They include some of the Australia’s brightest contemporary art stars: Vivienne Binns OAM whose work is included in Unfinished Business: Perspectives on Art and Feminism at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; acclaimed Australian Indigenous artist Richard Bell; Agatha Gothe-Snape, recipient of the 2016 Biennale of Sydney Legacy Artwork and Jenny Watson, who last year was honoured with a major survey exhibition at the MCA Australia.

Offering a total prize pool of $36,000, the Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize seeks to encourage mentoring relationships between different generations of artists by requiring the curator-selected established artists to each nominate an emerging artist to present work alongside them in the exhibition.

The pairings of established and emerging artists for the 2018 Prize, who will present work at the National Art School exhibition, are:

  • Richard Bell & Megan Cope
  • Vivienne Binns OAM & Jacob Potter
  • Vicente Butron & Gemma Avery
  • Richard Dunn & Adrian McDonald
  • Sarah Goffman & Connie Anthes
  • Agatha Gothe-Snape & Aodhan Madden
  • Gail Hastings & Dan McCabe
  • Tim Johnson & Hayley Megan French
  • Lindy Lee & Kath Fries
  • Stephen Little & Joe Wilson and Chanelle Collier
  • Jonny Niesche & Mason Kimber
  • John Nixon & Lucina Lane
  • Rose Nolan & Renee Cosgrave
  • Kerrie Poliness & Melissa Deerson
  • Elizabeth Pulie & Zoe Marni-Robertson
  • Huseyin Sami & Consuelo Cavaniglia
  • David Serisier & Oliver Wagner
  • Jenny Watson & Annie O’Rourke
  • Hilarie Mais & Conor O’Shea

All participating artists submit a recent work to contend for one of two prizes: the Established Artist Main Prize ($25,000) sponsored by Konica Minolta for the sixth consecutive year and the Emerging Artist Prize ($10,000) sponsored by Croll Real Estate. The Viewer’s Choice Prize valued at $1,000 is announced at the end on the exhibition.

Guest curator Nike Savvas commented on her selection of established artists: “I have selected artists whose practices evidence discriminating, uncompromising and highly individualist approaches to art making. In a cultural climate beset by hype, hits, corporatisation and swinging social agency, the next iteration of this exhibition titled Extreme Prejudice seeks to highlight the personal and critical imperatives that belie and drive such single-minded work.”

The two winning artworks in the established and emerging categories will become part of Redlands School’s permanent art collection, providing a valuable resource for visual arts students and teachers. Over the past two decades Redlands School has built a unique and remarkable collection of major works by some of Australia’s most sought-after contemporary artists including past winners Diena Georgetti (2017), Pat Brassington (2016), Mikala Dwyer (2015), Vernon Ah Kee (2014), Callum Morton (2013), Ben Quilty (2012), Rodney Pople (2006), Lindy Lee (1998), Gordon Bennett (1997) and Imants Tillers (1996).

The 2018 Prize winners, to be announced on 21 March 2018, will be determined on by guest judges: Natasha Bullock (MCA Senior Curator), Judith Blackall (NAS Gallery Manager and Curator), Mark Harpley (Visual Arts Coordinator, Redlands School) and Fabian Byrne (Visual Arts Teacher, Redlands School).