Detail of The Forgotten Wars, a collaborative work by photographer James Taylor and artist Laura Willis that won the National Work on Paper Prize. Image: MPRG  

ART NEWS

Indigenous photographer James Taylor and artist Laura Willis win the National Work on Paper Prize with their collaborative work titled The Forgotten Wars.

BY KAZAD

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA- A collaborative work between Indigenous photographer James Taylor and artist Laura Willis has won the National Work on Paper Prize. Titled The Forgotten Wars, the series of drawings on photographic prints was selected by judges made up of seasoned art professionals from 63 shortlisted artists’ works. The duo takes home the major prize in the  $50,000 in The National Work on Paper prize.

The work was a unanimous choice amongst judges. Judges included Victoria Lynn, Director, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Dr. Kyla McFarlane, Curator of Academic Programs (Research), The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne and Jane Alexander, Director, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG).

In selecting the collaborative work by James Taylor and artist Laura Willis as the winner, the judges described the work as unique, innovative, and thought-provoking.  The judges commented:

The work is a unique collaboration between an indigenous and non- indigenous artist, bringing together James Tylor’s landscape photographs with Laura Wills delicate drawings influenced by historical survey maps. A timely work that is rewarding on multiple levels, The Forgotten Wars explores the armed conflicts that took place from 1788 to 1930 between the British government and Aboriginal Australians.

In the describing the importance of the work, Director of the MPRG Jane Alexander explained:  ‘The work rewards with contemplation, and provocates important discussions about the degradation of landscape and our hidden history. Even though it is not based on the Mornington Peninsula, we know that these atrocities happened here. The work takes us out of textbook history and into a far more real history.’

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There were more than 1,000 entries for the $50,000 National Works on Paper acquisition and award. The entries came from artists around Australia.  After several rounds, sixty-three artists were shortlisted. In the end, The Forgotten Wars, the collaborative work between indigenous photographer James Taylor and artist Laura Willis won the coveted prize.

The works of the shortlisted artists were presented in an exhibition. In addition to the traditional works on paper, the show also explored works that use new technological mediums – displaying the ways in which these mediums are prompting new explorations of working with and on paper.

The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s National Works on Paper was established in 1998 and incorporated the former Spring Festival of Drawing and the Prints Acquisitive, which began in 1973. Recent winners include Daniel O’Shane, Jess Johnson, Laith McGregor, Richard Lewer, Danie Mellor, Gareth Sansom, Paul Boston, Lisa Roet and eX de Medici.

In addition to announcing the top 2018 National Works on Paper prize winner, the organizers of the award also announced other major awards. They include the $15,000 Mornington Peninsula Shire / Beleura – The Tallis Foundation major acquisitive award and the $3500 Ursula Hoff Institute Emerging Artist Award, Proudly supporting Post Graduate excellence in Visual Arts and Music).

Shortlisted artists presented in the exhibition that included  The Forgotten Wars by James Taylor and artist Laura Willis include:

Brian Martin, Methexical Countryscape-Kamilaroi- 11. Image: MPRG

Raymond Arnold

Peter Atkins

Alec Baker

Martin Bell

Ray Besserdin

Solomon Booth

David Bosun

Godwin Bradbeer

Kate Briscoe

Jane Brown

Jon Campbell

Susanna Castleden

Danica Chappell

Hua Cun Chen

Sam Cranstoun

Lesley Duxbury

Robert Fielding

David Frazer

Ian Friend

Dana Harris

Katherine Hattam

Pei Pei He

Kendal Heyes

Mark Hislop

Deanna Hitti

Anna Hoyle

Natalya Hughes

Alana Hunt

Locust Jones

Jennifer Joseph

Noŋgirrŋa Marawili

Brian Martin

Georgie Mattingley

Mish Meijers

Viv Miller

Helen Mueller

John Nixon

Open Spatial Workshop

Elena Papanikolakis

Louise Paramor

Hubert Pareroultja

Jemima Parker

Riley Payne

Dan Price

Lisa Reid

Louise Rippert

Cameron Robbins

Brian Robinson

Elissa Sampson

Emily Sandrussi

Geoff Sargeant

Jo Scicluna

Liz Shreeve

William Smeets

Kylie Stillman

TextaQueen

James Tylor and Laura Wills

Trent Walter

Rosie Weiss

Mumu Mike Williams

Puna Yanima

Yvonne Zago

Tianli Zu