Phoenix Prize for spiritual art
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Prize for spiritual art is a biennial open art
prize
with a value of A$5,000, based at the Australian National University
, awarded first in 2005. The exhibition is at the ANU School of Art Gallery.
, that for some 30 years had been a forum for the Christian church
organisations of the ACT Churches Council to provide a single voice in the media, principally to provide video
advertisements on local, commercial television
channels that were played in the nature of public service announcement
.
In 2003, the committee of the Christian Media Association ACT Inc. realised that its goals and purposes were generally being served by its constituent organisations, and that free-to-air television was becoming difficult to source and fund. Accordingly, the committee decided to use its remaining funds to establish an ongoing cultural prize for artists, managed by the ANU. The basis for funding was that the prize could be funded for some four years during which the ANU would seek additional donations to create what should be, in effect, a perpetual prize. It is intended to be complementary to the Blake Prize for Religious Art
.
Aside from the name, the Phoenix Prize for spiritual art denoting in part that "the prize rises from the ashes of the donating organisation", it also incorporates that spirituality
is to be the point of the art; what point is being made by the artists is left to them. It should also be noted that the Christian Media Association ACT Inc. did not proscribe any art medium or manifestation of spirituality and, indeed, the inaugural competition contained works of painting
, sculpture
, installation
, and weaving
, depicting motifs clearly incorporating from Christianity, tarot
, homosexuality
, and the spirituality of Australian Aborigines.
. The prize was awarded at a gala ceremony on 6 April 2005; the gallery exhibition is 7–24 April 2005.
The 2005 winner was Blaide Lallemand for her installation, Light of Heart (2003/05), an interactive performance that visually "reflected people's heartbeats".
The winner for 2007 was Peter L. Smith for Emergence 1: The Transfiguration (2006), a wall installation from white cable ties knitted together forming a circle on the ground and growing up the adjacent wall into a widening fan shape. Size: 315 x 400 x 120 cm. The work has overtones of a crucifix
growing from the ground, along with ambiguous sexual
overtones.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
with a value of A$5,000, based at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, awarded first in 2005. The exhibition is at the ANU School of Art Gallery.
History of the Phoenix Prize
The Phoenix Prize for spiritual art arose from the winding up of the Christian Media Association ACT Inc., an incorporated body in the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, that for some 30 years had been a forum for the Christian church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
organisations of the ACT Churches Council to provide a single voice in the media, principally to provide video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
advertisements on local, commercial television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channels that were played in the nature of public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
.
In 2003, the committee of the Christian Media Association ACT Inc. realised that its goals and purposes were generally being served by its constituent organisations, and that free-to-air television was becoming difficult to source and fund. Accordingly, the committee decided to use its remaining funds to establish an ongoing cultural prize for artists, managed by the ANU. The basis for funding was that the prize could be funded for some four years during which the ANU would seek additional donations to create what should be, in effect, a perpetual prize. It is intended to be complementary to the Blake Prize for Religious Art
Blake Prize for Religious Art
The Blake Prize for Religious Art is an annual art prize in Australia.The prize was established in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art. Founded by Mr R. Morley, the Reverend Michael Scott SJ, Rector of Newman College, University of Melbourne, and lawyer Mrs M. Tenison, it...
.
Aside from the name, the Phoenix Prize for spiritual art denoting in part that "the prize rises from the ashes of the donating organisation", it also incorporates that spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
is to be the point of the art; what point is being made by the artists is left to them. It should also be noted that the Christian Media Association ACT Inc. did not proscribe any art medium or manifestation of spirituality and, indeed, the inaugural competition contained works of painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, installation
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, depicting motifs clearly incorporating from Christianity, tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
, homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and the spirituality of Australian Aborigines.
2005
The inaugural (2005) Phoenix Prize competition attracted around 150 entrants. These were judged down to 36 exhibited works. The Prize was judged by Professor David Williams (Director of the ANU School of Art), Bronwen Sandland (School of Art Gallery Program Manager) and a nominee of the National Gallery of AustraliaNational Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
. The prize was awarded at a gala ceremony on 6 April 2005; the gallery exhibition is 7–24 April 2005.
The 2005 winner was Blaide Lallemand for her installation, Light of Heart (2003/05), an interactive performance that visually "reflected people's heartbeats".
2007
The exhibition was from 4–28 April 2007, with the announcement and official opening on the first night. There were 173 entries, of which 38 were selected for the Prize exhibition by the judges: Gordon Bull, Head of School, ANU School of Art; David Broker, Director, Canberra Contemporary Art Space; and, Dr Elizabeth Findlay, Lecturer, Art History, ANU School of Humanities.The winner for 2007 was Peter L. Smith for Emergence 1: The Transfiguration (2006), a wall installation from white cable ties knitted together forming a circle on the ground and growing up the adjacent wall into a widening fan shape. Size: 315 x 400 x 120 cm. The work has overtones of a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
growing from the ground, along with ambiguous sexual
Femininity
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Though socially constructed, femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors...
overtones.