Art in the eye of photographers

<i>The Correction</i>, by Marcus Williams and Susan Jowsey. Photo / Richard Robinson

New Zealand's most substantial art prize, the James Wallace Art Awards, now in its 18th year, has been won for the first time by a work of photography.

Marcus Williams and Susan Jowsey carried off the Wallace Trust Paramount Award with their work The Correction, which consists of two photographs - a dominating photo of a man with a sheepskin on his head and a smaller print of a young girl looking wide-eyed and vulnerable.

There is a strong tension between the two and The Correction is perhaps the most unconventional work in the whole exhibition.

The Paramount Award includes a six-month residency in New York.

There was the usual large number of entries and the judges, Philip Trusttum, Rohan Wealleans and Christopher Braddock, chose a large group of finalists whose works are on show in the foyer of the Aotea Centre for the next month.

There is also a Salon des Refuses at the Wallace Trust Gallery in Queen St just above the Town Hall.

The two shows give a copious cross-section of recent art practice. There was some feeling among the large crowd that attended the opening on Monday evening that there was more energy and accomplishment in the Salon des Refuses than in the cooler, less crowded exhibition in the Centre.

There are seven awards in all.

The Kaipara Foundation Wallace Trust Award went to Chloe Marsters.

The Fulbright Wallace Arts Trust Award went to Richard Maloy and the Parklane Wallace Trust Development Award for young artists went to Chloe Marsters, who is only in her second year of art school. That showed the desire of the trust to seek out developing talent.

Runner-up awards went to Matt Arbuckle and Phillip Jarvis, the Jury Prize to Turnskin Kingdom.

The public can vote for their favourite works but the result of this prize will not be known until the finalists' works have been shown in the second venue at the New Dowse Gallery in Lower Hutt.