2009 Under 18 Children's Art Outstanding Entry

Ruth O’Leary

Without Beginning or End

Age: 18

(Stencil on Wall Paper - 102cm x 52cm)

Artist's Statement

This piece is titled "Without Beginning or End". It refects on the nature of sickness and mortality, how like this roll of wallpaper, it never ceases to halt. Lke the faces (self portraits) stencilled onto the paper, they become unrecognisable as one person, rather as a universa expression of fear and frailty of the human condition. Last year it seemed a lot of people I knew lost loved ones to cancer. I became very aware of the way they all dealt with it and I became obsessed with the states of mindand progression from one fear to another, to happiness, to depression. The mind is everything and it consumes and cripples us.

But this is not necessarily a negative thing, I think what should be embraced is that we are not numbed by our society. We still feel and this basic human emotion never ends. It is this human emotion that separates the sick from the well, the rich from the poor and highlights the beauty of people.

Judge's Comment

This was a stand out for me. It makes a powerful statement about the human condition, without being morbid or heavy handed. The artist has successfully conveyed a range of human emotion associated with love and loss in a contemporary and individual way. I particularly like the use of the domestic wallpaper as a backdrop - a very effective tool in a very well designed and well thought out artwork.

Fantastic!

Judge: Mitch Vane Illustrator

Children's U18 Art Commendations:

Siobhan Duivenvoorden	Highly Commended
James Henderson	Highly Commended
Renee Misfud	Highly Commended
Jack Campbell	Commended
Chantel Cook	Commended
Nathanial De Krester	Commended
Isabella Farchione	Commended
Elizabeth Gallagher	Commended
Jason Pitts	Commended

 

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