Art Leven Gallery.

17 Thurlow Street, Redfern.

Exhibition Dates: 16 October – 25 October

Review by Anthony Frater (Arts Wednesday)

The Paddington Art Prize is on once again. In its 22nd year it’s always a highly anticipated event and this year was no exception. The prize is a $30,000 National Acquisitive Prize – meaning the Paddington Art prize takes possession of the winning work – for a painting inspired by the Australian Landscape. Its founder Marlene Antico OAM has in recent years stepped back a little and handed the reins over to her son Chris Antico, who along with his sister Pia, run the show.

With 8 different prize categories in addition to the main prize, the gala evening and announcement of the winners was last night – 16 October. It’s always a well attended event and why shouldn’t it be, the standard of works – 50 finalists all up – is exceptionally high; in more recent years it seems to win the prize you would be well placed to paint something in the expressionist or dare we say a contemporary style – and this year’s winner fulfilled that expectation.

The evening commenced at 6pm which allows plenty of time to view the finalist works on display before announcement of the winners. Enjoy the works with a wine or champagne, or whatever on offer takes your fancy. It’s an exhibition and sale, so all the works unless marked sold or otherwise, are for sale, but of course not the overall winner.

We get to view the Australian landscape interpreted in as many ways as there are art movements: it’s like well this one is impressionist, this one post impressionist, this one is using colour like a fauvist; this one is realism – good lord it looks like a photograph; and this is most definitely an abstract expressionist work; and who would have thought surrealism would get a look in. Great to put oneself through the test but particularly good for a student of let’s say art history – or for that matter any art lover – who can see in-the-real what the different movements in art might look like.

This year’s winner was Emily Ebbs with a work entitled, Looking up from the River 2024 (150.5 x 150.5 cm. Acrylic, Eucalyptus Dye, Beeswax on Drop Sheet). There is no depiction of an objective reality here, this is a subtle, introspective personal work. Ebbs uses dyes which stain the drop sheet surface – eucalyptus perhaps even coffee. The stain fixes itself into the painter’s surface like a “residue of memory”, acting as a not so ephemeral but permeant scar and in this case ‘metaphor for enduring psychological and emotional trauma’. Landscape or nature is used as the ultimate healer.

If we were to use the theory where colour corresponds with or denotes an emotion, like say the expressionist, fauvist or post impressionist painters (think Henri Matisse or Vincent VanGough, ) then does the wash of colour used in Ebbs’ work speak to us about a sort of numb acceptance, a between-state, a state of non feeling, a desire perhaps to shut out the emotion rather than confront it or deal with it? Is it about denial and sublimation, muted stillness and escape – wrap it in a warm-grey-pink-acid-wash blanket? For the artist her choice of colour could denote perhaps a path to reconciliation, shades of an inner calm and finally peace, the calm after a turbulent colour-rich filled storm. 

Despite calamity and introspection, and its potential for darkness, this is a work that lets you in, it’s conversely welcoming and open, its pale puce pink like curtains having just been folded back to frame the action. What is it all really about? It brings to mind the philosophical musings of Dada artist Marcel Duchamp who believed that art was whatever the viewer says it is, or, a work of art is something for the viewer to complete. By the same token, Impressionist painter Edgar Degas said, “Art is not what you see, but what you (the artist) make others see”. While Duchamp focused on the viewer’s role in completing the meaning of the work, Degas’ quote emphasises the artist’s role in shaping the viewer’s perception. 

The  exhibition and sale is on until 25 October. It’s worth noting at this point that this Sunday19 October the winner of the inaugural Young Paddo Prize will be announced at the gallery between 2pm and 4pm. All works are on display along with the works from the main prize. There are 4 categories, a prize to be awarded in each: 5-8 yrs, 9-12 yrs, 13-15yrs, 16-18yrs. An incredible initiative that gives young artists a chance to showcase their work, Congratulations to Pia Antico’s daughter, Izzy, for coming up with the idea and then going on to bring it to fruition – amazing! Unfortunately none are for sale but the quality of the works is truly astounding.

Check out all the info and all the events on offer during the exhibition dates here: https://www.paddingtonartprize.com.au/

You can listen to a recent interview with Pia Antico below: