Basil Sellers Art Prize

Finalists announced for $100,000 sport and art tussle

Once again we can wince at the sight of chaffed thighs and recoil at the smell of Dencorub and burning rubber as the line-up for the second $100,000 Basil Sellers Art Prize is announced.

Shortlisted artists for the 2010 prize and exhibition are: Vernon Ah Kee, Eric Bridgeman, Juan Ford, Phillip George, Tarryn Gill & Pilar Mata Dupont, Ponch Hawkes, Grant Hobson, David Jolly, Richard Lewer, Noel McKenna, Glenn Morgan, David Ray, Gareth Sansom and Tony Schwensen.

Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Dr Chris McAuliffe, commented, ‘This will be a different exhibition from the inaugural Basil Sellers Art Prize, and not just because there are new judges and new finalists. It may be a little more raucous (we’re likely to encounter some crazed fans and over-the top trophies); it may be a little more provocative, it could even turn ugly (not all sports fans are polite, and not all athletes are perfect physical specimens)’.

‘Visitors to the first exhibition made it clear that they don’t want artists to pull their punches. Visitors grappled with challenging issues in sport–violence, social exclusion and disability. And they explored the impact of television, commercialisation and technology. Next year’s exhibition will offer its own challenges and new pleasures.’

On paper, the list of finalists looks diverse, even eclectic. The field includes emerging and mid-career artists from around Australia and artwork in diverse media including ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture and video. Styles range from documentary to fantasy, from the deliberately casual and carnivalesque to the highly stylised, from refined painterly techniques to raw ‘folk art’.

Sport and art both cover big territories, and we can expect some challenging and stimulating works from the line-up. From the personal to the political, and all points in-between, artworks range from the cool and sceptical, to the passionate and idiosyncratic. Humorous works explore the bizarre costumes and behaviour of fans, the elaborate design of trophies, and the obsessions of the cricket tragic.

Prize announced 5 August 2010
Exhibition runs 6 August - 7 November 2010