2018 Wynne Prize Finalists

After our roundup of 2018 Archibald Prize finalists last week, we’re back with the shortlist for its sister-award, The Wynne.

Each year, The Wynne Prize is awarded to the best depiction of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture. Here we showcase some of the remarkable landscape paintings from the high-profile lineup.

Written

Elle Murrell

Marcus Wills; ‘Third person’, oil on wood, 25x35cm. Photo – Felicity Jenkins, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Sally Willbanks’ ‘Frogs Holla’, oil on canvas, 127x158cm, and Rachel Milne’s ‘Next door’, oil on board, 31.5×36.5cm. Photos – Mim Stirling, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW. Please note artworks are not pictured to scale.

Naomi Kantjuriny, Mona Mitakiki and Tjimpayi Presley’s ‘Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters story)’, acrylic on linen
301x122cm. Photo – Felicity Jenkins, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Katie Daniels’ ‘Before they all came true’ oil on linen board 37x47cm, and John Olsen‘s ‘The tree of life’ oil on canvas 152x182cm. Photos – Felicity Jenkins, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW. Please note artworks are not pictured to scale.

Philip Edwards, ‘Glory be, water tree’, watercolour and mixed media on paper 121.5×96.5cm. Photo – Mim Stirling, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Robert Malherbe’s ‘Arcadia Road, Blackheath’ oil on linen, 64×53.5cm. Photo – Felicity Jenkins, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Maringka Baker’s ‘Minyma kutjara tjukurpa’, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 200×243.5cm, and Joshua Yeldham’s ‘Bay of sorrow – Hawkesbury River’, acrylic on hand-carved linen paper, 209×208.5cm. Photo –Mim Stirling, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

William Mackinnon‘s ‘The lucky country?’ acrylic, oil and enamel on linen, two panels 201x300cm overall. Photo – Mim Stirling, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Stephanie Monteith’s ‘Backyard’, oil on board, 37x82cm. Photo – Felicity Jenkins, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Yurpiya Lionel’s ‘Anumara’, acrylic on linen, 122x200cm. Photo – Mim Stirling, courtesy of Art Gallery NSW.

Writer

Elle Murrell

9th of May 2018

A trio of Australia’s most prestigious art prizes are set to be awarded later this week, and we’re on the edge of our seats awaiting the impending announcements! In anticipation, today we’re showcasing some of the most remarkable landscape paintings from the 2018 Wynne Prize.

This year, 46 Wynne Prize finalists have been chosen from 695 entries, and are now in the running for the $50,000 award.

Though it’s a little less-hyped than The Archibald, The Wynne is actually Australia’s oldest art prize; established following a bequest by Richard Wynne, it was first awarded in 1897.

Like The Archibald, the Wynne is also judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, who will reveal their verdict on Friday, May 12th.

The Wynne is an open competition, and so makes for a richly varied line-up of artworks. This year there are canvases by prolific painters John Olsen and Ray Ken. You may also notice Ibizian bunker-based Aussie artist William Mackinnon’s name pops up again – he’s shortlisted for both The Wynne and Archibald this year, along with four other polymath painters: Robert Malherbe, Stephanie Monteith, James Powditch and Marcus Wills.

In 2018, there are also 17 works by Indigenous artists, following on from Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands artist Betty Kuntiwa Pumani’s ‘Antara’ taking out the prize in 2017, and the Amata-based Ken Family’s collaborative canvas ‘Seven Sisters’ winning in 2016.

You can view all finalists for the 2018 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at Artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/archibald-wynne-sulman-prizes-2018/

‘Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2018’
May 12^th to September 19th
Major Exhibition Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery Road, Domain, New South Wales.