Image above: Martin King Hoodwinks and lyres, the moment 2019 graphite and watercolour on drafting film and paper 110 x 130 cm
Congratulations to Martin King who has been announced as a finalist in the 2021 Grace Cossington Smith Art Award.
“Hoodwinks and lyres, the moment’ is about the interaction and interrelationship between humans and animals, existing for centuries within the practice of falconry. The works act as metaphors of the desire for a co-operation with nature. Falconry is a way of humanity harnessing wild nature. It is not domestication or taming. It is a way of working with nature that pays respect to both species, human and beast. It might be considered kind or cruel. Arguably it is for the benefit of both species. The work also touches upon the anthropomorphic tendencies that dwell in the human psyche. The raptors are compositionally equivalent to ‘the bust’ in classical portraiture. It’s conceivable to attribute human qualities to these ‘raptor portraits’. They could appear disdainful, aloof, stoic, even contemplative. Anthropomorphism assists us in relating to the natural world, aids our comprehension and assimilation of the natural world order to a human order.‘ – Martin King, 2021
The 2021 prize winners will be determined by guest judges Katrina Cashman, Gallery Manager & Senior Curator at the National Art School; and Oliver Watts, Senior Curator of Artbank, Sydney.
The winners will be announced at an event for finalists on Friday 4 February.
The finalists exhibition will open to the public from Saturday 5 February, and will be current until Saturday 26 February 2022. For more information, visit the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery website.