CHEERS: Celebrating at the Rotorua Museum Art Awards were supreme winner Mandy Hague (centre), flanked by Robyn Smith (left) and Rita Hague. PHOTO/BEN FRASER
CHEERS: Celebrating at the Rotorua Museum Art Awards were supreme winner Mandy Hague (centre), flanked by Robyn Smith (left) and Rita Hague. PHOTO/BEN FRASER
Artist Mandy Hague's "close attention" and ability to actively engage the viewer has resulted in her winning the $10,000 Rotorua Museum Supreme Art Award.
Hague, of Whakatane, was among 100 artists who entered the awards, which she won with her work titled Fools Gould.
Fools Gould. SUPPLIED
The awards were presented last night in front of more than 350 guests at a gala awards night at the Rotorua Museum.
The $1000 Waiariki Institute of Technology Innovation in Art Award went to Riley Claxton for his work Bomb Threat Bomb and Rebecca Moore was named as the Friends of Rotorua Museum Emerging Artist for her work Sophia's Vision.
The winners were announced by judge and Dunedin Public Art Gallery curator Lucy Hammonds, who said Hague's work was set apart for the complexity.
"There is a subtle but deliberate blurring of boundaries; between found and hand-made, historic and contemporary, authoritative and imaginative," she said. "Not content to rest simply on technique, the artist adds an element of doubt, forcing the viewer to question what is real and what is imagined. It is a subtle, complex and enduring work which to me created a strong presence in the gallery."
The three winning works and other selected finalists will remain on display at the museum until October 11.
Image 1 of 10: Annemieke Dabb, left, and Lucy Hammonds Photo/Ben Fraser
The winners and finalists were chosen using a blind judging process, based purely on the merits of the artworks.
As well as the three awards, visitors to the exhibition and to Rotorua Museum's Facebook page will be able to vote for their favourite works as part of the More FM People's Choice Award.
The work with the most votes by the end of the exhibition will win $1000.
Rotorua Museum director Stewart Brown said the winning piece was "a unique piece from what we've traditionally seen
"Overall, the standard was good compared to previous years ..."
