SEMESTER 2-week 3

a) Saskia Leek
b) Fiona Connor
c) Dan Arps
d) Alex Monteith


This week we will be visiting the Auckland Art Gallery to view, research and write about the artists selected for the Walters Prize 2010. Discuss the work in the gallery with your tutors and other students and answer the following questions.

1. What is the background to the Walters Prize?

The internationally famed Walters Prize is the most "prestigious and contemporary art prize ". The Walters Pirze is said to , "...dominate biennials and triennials the world over" also recognize contemporary artists' work native to New Zealand. This years four nominees are:


2. List the 4 selected artists for 2010 and briefly describe their work.

-Dan Arps : Explaining Things shown at Gambia Castle, Auckland (7-24 December 2008)
-Fiona Connor : Something Transparent (please go round the back) shown at Michael Lett, Auckland (15 April – 16 May 2009)
-Saskia Leek : Yellow is the Putty of the World shown at Ivan Anthony, Auckland (25 November – 23 December 2009)
-Alex Monteith : Passing Manoeuvre with two motorcycles and 584 vehicles for two-channel video shown at ST PAUL St, AUT University, Auckland (19 June – 7 July 2008)

3. Who are the jury members for 2010?

Jon Bywater - Programme Leader, Critical Studies at Elam School of Fine Art, The University of Auckland.
Rhana Devenport - Director, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth
Leonhard Emmerling - Visual Arts Adviser, Goethe Institute, Munich, Germany, former Director, ST PAUL St, AUT University
Kate Montgomery - Director, Physics Room, Christchurch

4. Who is the judge for 2010 and what is his position in the art world?

The judge for this event is Vicente Todoli former DIRECTOR of the Tate Modern in London. He has worked at New York's Whitney Museum, the IVAM in Valencia, and the Serralves Contemporary Art Museum in Oporto, as well as working alongside the ICA in Amsterdam and the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid.


5. Who would you nominate for this years Walter's Prize, and why? Substantiate
you answer by outlining the strengths of the artists work. How does this relate
to your interests in art? What aspect of their work is successful in your opinion,
in terms of ideas, materials and/or installation of the work?

I would nominate: Saskia Leek, Untitled, 2009, from Yellow is the Putty of the World, 2009. I like the colors pallet she uses aesthetically it all works really well together, and in terms of her sense of form and abstraction its quite beautiful. Over all the feel of her work is fluid and seamless everything on her canvases fit together really nicely. I guess thats something I'd like for my work, is to achieve a unity and cohesive feel about it all. There is something about her work that is just pleasant.


6. Comment on other blogs from your ALVC group to agree or disagree with other people,always backing up your answer with clearly stated reasons.


http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/17799/valencias-vicente-todoli-to-leave-london-tate-modern-in-summer

http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2010/jul/auckland-cbd/walters-prize-2010