A WOMAN who creates miniature scenes in uninhabited spaces of buildings and a man whose CD recording featured in a John Peel session are among those short-listed for the Liverpool Art Prize.
Five artists were chosen from 95 nominations to go head to head for an overall cash prize of £2,000 as well as the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Walker.
There is also a £1,000 People’s Choice Award chosen by the public, who can view work by the short-listed artists at an exhibition opening in June.
They are Gina Czarnecki, who produces films and installations in collaboration with biotechnologists, computer programmers, dancers and sound artists; David Jacques, who works in a variety of media including painting, film and text; James Quin, who is showing a group of 500 drawings on the inside covers of first edition readers digest condensed novels found in charity shops across Merseyside; Paul Rooney, whose Rooney CDs and performances earned him an appearance in John Peel’s Festive Fifty in 1998 and a Peel session in 1999; and Emily Speed, whose models, created in uninhabited corners and recesses is an ongoing exploration into the relationships between architecture and human anatomy.
“It’s another great shortlist of five Liverpool artists,” says Ian Jackson, director of Director of visual arts blog Artinliverpool.com, which is organising the Prize.
“It is also fantastic news that the Walker Art Gallery is offering a space for the winner to show their work at some point later in the year.
“We are also working closely with the Bluecoat as their Global Studios exhibition features many locally-based artists and the other major venues and artist studios are all keen to be involved in some way.”
Artinliverpool.com founded the Liverpool Art Prize in early 2008 as a reaction to the lack of local nominations for the Turner Prize, despite it being held in the city. This year’s judging panel, who will now choose an overall winner, is made up of Juan Cruz, head of Arts at John Moores University’s Art & Design Academy; Reyahn King, National Museums Liverpool’s director of Art Galleries; Nicki McCubbing, artist, shortlisted for 2009 Liverpool Art Prize; Jay Mitton, business manager at Arthur Diamond Design; Sara-Jayne Parsons, exhibitions curator at the Bluecoat; and Laura Davis, Daily Post Arts editor.
The short-listed artists will showcase their work at an exhibition at Metal, in Edge Hill Station, from June 4 to July 10, with the winner announced at an awards ceremony on June 30.
Artinliverpool.com is also planning a series of linked-in events involving locally-based artists to take place during the period of the exhibition. These will include an Open Studios weekend, a Liverpool Junior Art Prize, artist talks, workshops and craft markets.
FURTHER details at www.liverpoolartprize.com
