Sasol New Signatures competition Exhibition (9 September to 3 October 2010 at the Pretoria Art Museum.)
Alhyrian Laue: Royal Visit
Sasol New Signatures competition Exhibition (9 September to 3 October 2010 at the Pretoria Art Museum.) Port Elizabeth artist winner of 2010 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition. Pretoria - Sasol, together with the Association of Arts Pretoria, has announced "Royal Visit” as the R60 000 first prize winner of this year's Sasol New Signatures Art Competition. Laue‟s winning sculpture was selected from 664 entries and was created using an old rowing boat along with ceramic pieces of a lavatory. The work was praised for being innovative, conceptual and flawlessly executed, with a high regard for detail and finish. “I was extremely surprised to have won. I was not expecting it at all. I am happy to represent Port Elizabeth (P.E) and am ecstatic that four of the top five winners are from P.E. My future plans are simply to make art,” said Laue, whose advice to other aspiring artists is to not conform to other peoples standards. The judges were particularly impressed with the craftsmanship evident throughout Laue‟s sculpture. “Various found objects have been seamlessly combined to form a water closet. The title, „Royal Visit‟ is further strengthened by the objects used, the boat, a lavatory and references to water. The fact that the artwork is human in scale invites the viewer to interact with it by peering through two doors of the „closet‟ to find a kinetic pendulum suspended above a visible lavatory bowl underneath the sculpture,” said Peter Binsbergen, National Chairman of the Sasol New Signatures 2010 judging panel. The Sasol New Signatures runner-up prize of R15 000 was awarded to Pretoria based Daandrey Steyn and his video installation entitled, “Skeumorph.” Merit awards, to the value of R5000 each, went to Gerrit van der Walt‟s digital installation, “Change,” Zane Wesley Lange‟s sculpture, „Joystick‟ and Gerhardt Coetzee‟s photographs. “Bridge Becoming” and „Becoming Dereliction‟‟. Lorinda Samantha Pretorius‟ glass and oxide installation, “Truth Obstructed”, as well as Nastassja Hewitt‟s installation, “Let Them Eat Cake”, also received merit awards. “This has been another exciting Sasol New Signatures experience and once again the competition has produced cutting edge works that, to my mind, speak of a truly universal South African visual language,” Binsbergen said. “There has been a very high standard of work again this year and the technical competence of the 2010 entries far surpass the benchmark set and expected by the national selection panels,” he said. From across the country, 78 works were selected, representing all art-creating mediums and processes, from the more traditional, to new media. Over the last 21 years, the Sasol New Signatures art competition has provided a platform for young and upcoming artists aged 18 years and older to exhibit their works and enter the professional art world. Now in its 21st year, the competition is both the longest running and most prestigious competition for emerging artists in South Africa. “The Sasol New Signatures Art Competition is a highlight on our sponsorship calendar and we are very proud of our long association with this important event,” said Sasol Group Sponsorship manager, Andriesa Singleton. “The competition is a valuable platform from which young artists can showcase their talents and we are delighted to be a part of helping build the futures of our country‟s young artists”, she said. For more information visit www.artsassociationpta.co.za or www.sasolsignatures.co.za
Daandrey Steyn: Video installation, Skeumorph
Gerhardt Coetzee: “Bridge Becoming and Becoming Dereliction
Zane Lange: “Joystick
Gerrit van der Walt: Digital installation, Change
Lorinda Pretorius: Glass and oxide installation, Truth Obstructed
Nastassja Hewitt: Let them eat cake