Presented by Bronwyn Rennex

Today I will be speaking to Kenny Pittock who was recently announced winner of the 2017 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize currently on at the National Art School Gallery.

Kenny Pittock’s practice combines kiln-fired ceramics, drawing, words, play and wordplay, to blur the lines between painting and sculpture, as well as pop art and realism. Using humour and affection, Pittock’s work creates narratives responding to contemporary culture and iconography, playing with the idea of Australiana. Pittock has been lucky enough to show his art in some pretty amazing galleries, but nothing compares to the time he kicked an apple core through a basketball ring from half court using his left foot.

“During my shift working in the dairy section at a supermarket in 2003, the manager told me that milk is generally the last thing a shopper will get before leaving the store and so it’s also the place they abandon their shopping lists. Part of my job was to dispose of the abandoned lists but instead I started collecting them. The lists I’ve replicated through kiln-fired ceramics and painting were all found during the weekend of 22–24 April 2016, working collecting trolleys in the parking lot of Coles. Each shopping list functions as both a poem and a portrait, offering a glimpse into the people we pass in the supermarket.”

Selected by Jon Campbell (established artist)

Seeing as Kenny’s uses text I thought I’d play quite a few wordy songs.

I also throw around a few suggestions about other art prizes that are out there like;

Australian Fly Fishers’ Art & Craft Show

Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize

Apocalypse Prize