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About the Tasmanian Messages from the |
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Paul Jenkins, Executive Director, Tasmanian Regional Arts The 2009 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize once again demonstrates that the art of portraiture is alive and well in Tasmania. Portraiture is a very special artform – creating an image as a mirror to the soul of the subject. It requires the artist to know both the face and personality of their subject in order to confidently and creatively tell their story. The level of creative confidence displayed by the finalists in this year’s exhibition suggests that our young and emerging portrait artists have a very bright future. This is the second year that Tasmanian Regional Arts (TRA) has collaborated with RACT Insurance to deliver the Youth Portraiture Prize. Although Tasmanian Regional Arts has over the past 60 years supported thousands of artists and arts projects, the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is one of our most exciting and inspiring partnerships – one that TRA is keen to continue. Arts and business partnerships such as this represent real ‘win/win’ situations for both partners in making new connections and learning new skills. In keeping with the focus on young people, TRA ensured that its youngest staff member was provided with the experience of working on the 2009 exhibition, engaging young people not only as participants but as key project staff. The 2008 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize was an event not only recognised by our artists and arts community but also by the Australian Business and Arts Foundation with the project a finalist in the City of Melbourne Encouragement Award for new arts partnerships. In 2009 RACT Insurance and TRA again are entrants in this national awards program for arts business partnerships. On behalf of TRA’s State Executive Committee and members, I thank RACT Insurance, Clemenger Tasmania and Geon for taking this journey with us. Thank you also to the judging panel and our exhibition venues. This year’s exhibition is a blend of unique Tasmanian stories, engagingly told by young Tasmanian artists with incredible skills and vision and brought to you by a leading partnership between arts and business. The 2009 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is a fabulous snapshot of emerging contemporary visual arts practice in Tasmania. I know you will enjoy the show! Trent Sayers, CEO, RACT Insurance The RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is unique. We believe it is the only such competition in Australia. Last year’s inaugural prize was so successful – attracting 43 entries – RACT Insurance decided to again support this great initiative. The prize achieves a number of objectives. It provides a platform for young artists to both exhibit and benchmark their artistic ability. It also builds a body of portraiture art for generations to come, reflecting Tasmanian society in the early 21st century. Importantly, it gives Tasmanians the chance to recognise the many heroes that live among us – whether they be well-known Tasmanians or simply a Tasmanian who has inspired a young artist. This last point is underlined by the requirement that the artist accompany their entry with a short essay on why the subject matter inspired them. When we developed the concept for this prize we were keen to highlight the many truly great Tasmanians who dwell – often unobtrusively – among us, yet whose lives provide real and positive inspiration to others. I am tremendously encouraged to see that entries have increased this year. The overall winner will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to view the Archibald Prize exhibition in Sydney. The runner-up and Sponsors’ Choice will receive $500 and this year a People’s Choice award of $500 is being introduced. The People’s Choice award will give members of the public viewing the exhibition in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart an opportunity to vote for their favourite portrait. My thanks goes to the judging panel for its participation. The panel includes Adriane Boag of the National Gallery of Australia, Helene Weeding of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Kim Schneiders of Interweave Arts, Launceston. Gary Nilsson, General Manager, Geon Geon, one of Tasmania’s leading printing companies, is proud to be a partner in the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize. Geon has operated in Tasmania for over 100 years under various banners, including Mercury Walch, PMP Print and Penfold Buscombe. Our association with these awards is one of pride and enthusiasm as we help launch a career or careers in the art industry, which in turn supports our industry. We have for a number of years sponsored artists through their tertiary training and we see these awards as an extension of this program and we encourage all entrants to investigate the world of lithography and its creative resources. The inaugural winner, Hilton Owen, is one of the many people our company has supported throughout their training and we look forward to the presentation of this year’s entries and the eventual winner. I encourage the wider arts community to support these artists as they establish themselves and we wish all of this year’s entrants the best of luck. Please enjoy! Tony Hart, Managing Director, Clemenger Tasmania The Art of Portraiture is a reflection of the Art of Life. A good portrait depicts so much more than our features. It captures our hopes, our dreams, our humanity. It lays bare our souls. For this reason alone, it is with great pleasure that Clemenger Tasmania supports the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize. Creativity is our stock in trade at Clemenger. It is the one commodity that cannot be measured or contained in a jar, and it is more valuable to us than gold. But creativity cannot exist without truth. It requires insight and honesty to survive. Portraiture exposes the human condition with an honesty that is sometimes raw, often confronting, and always revealing. It is particularly refreshing to view the world through the eyes of our youth, which makes this competition even more exciting – because the honesty of youth is uncompromising. As you study this year’s evocative entries, you will register all kinds of emotions. You will admire many and form a bond with some. Some may even repulse you. But regardless of subject, medium, size or technique, a response will be forthcoming. After all, we’re only human – and without the honesty of creativity, humanity would be so much poorer.
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