Hunter Valley artist Paul Selwood was announced today as the winner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011 and awarded with the prestigious Balnaves Foundation Sculpture Prize of $65,000.
The prize is the most generous for sculpture in NSW, with the winning sculpture being gifted by the Balnaves Foundation to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Hamish Balnaves, General Manager of The Balnaves Foundation, awarded the prize to Selwood for his work paradiegma metaphysic at the launch of the 15th anniversary exhibition in Mark's Park today, Thursday 3 November 2011. Selwood's large painted green steel sculpture is truly 3D in form, changing from every angle it is observed from, creating a dynamic experience for the viewer.
"A big congratulations to Paul Selwood, the prize money is well deserved!" said Hamish Balnaves at the launch today.
Selwood began making sculpture in 1964 after he enrolled at East Sydney Technical College. He was Technical Assistant at the Royal College of Art, England from 1965-8 and worked for Sir Anthony Caro, one of the world's most influential sculptors and an Invited Artist at this year's exhibition.
Since returning to Australia in 1971 Paul has had over twenty-six solo exhibitions and has been included in numerous Group Exhibitions. He was lecturer in charge of sculpture at USQ 1977-82 and Lecturer in sculpture at Newcastle University 1986-96. He is included in many public collections including the Art Gallery of NSW.
Founding Director of Sculpture by the Sea, David Handley said of the winner, "It's great to see a sculptor like Paul get this recognition. He's put decades of work into his practice and is one of the quietly spoken senior figures in Australian sculpture."
The Balnaves Foundation has supported Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi since 1998, the second year of the show, growing their support each year. The Balnaves Foundation Sculpture Prize was introduced as the major prize for the exhibition's winning work as regarded by the judges at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 2009. In its inaugural year the prize was awarded to 91-year old Australian sculptor May Barrie and in 2010 was awarded to Danish artist Keld Moseholm. Time and tide granite monolith II by Barrie and mirroring by Moseholm are now located in the Royal Botanical Gardens for the public to enjoy.
The Balnaves Foundation is a private philanthropic organisation established by Neil Balnaves to provide philanthropic support to charitable enterprises across Australia. Dispersing over $2 million annually, the Foundation supports eligible organisations that aim to create a better Australia through education, medicine and the arts with a focus on young people, the disadvantaged, and Indigenous communities.
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011, the world's largest free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition, will run from today until 20 November on the stunning Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk. Each year the exhibition attracts approximately half a million people to see the works of over 100 Australian and international artists along the coastline.
Sculpture by the Sea is an international series of exhibitions at Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia from 1 to 19 March 2012 and in the beautiful city of Aarhus in Denmark in 2013. |
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Paul Selwood, paradiegma metaphysic, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011. Photo Viviane Dalles.
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