neo:studios is an artist led, UK not-for-profit organisation, founded to aid the development of creative practitioners. The neo:printprize which is run by the organisation is now in it’s fourth year, the aim of the award and exhibition is to raise awareness of new trends and directions in printmaking by showcasing excellence and innovation in contemporary printmaking.
For this year’s award they received over 600 entries from 326 artists working across the world using a variety of print media. The judges who award the main prizes, also selected works anonymously from an open submission.
The judges for this year’s award were:
- Nancy Campbell – Artist/Writer, Editor of Printmaking Today
- Rachel Gladfelter – Director, Pace Prints New York
- Gill Saunders – Senior Curator, Victoria & Albert Museum
- Jo Stockham – Artist, Professor and Head of the Print Programme, Royal College of Art
The award ceremony was held on Saturday 27th August at neo:gallery27 and saw artists from all over the globe attending a really busy preview!
Laura Rosser was awarded the neo:printprize 2016 for her woodcut titled ‘We Ain’t All Middle Class Bohemians.’ Her practice aims to encourage people to reject the speed and sanitised perfection of contemporary digital culture and to embrace physical touch and human error. By means of visual research and a critique of socially engaged art practices her work explores a range of relational concerns, realised through analogue processes, creating a discourse between traditional print techniques and contemporary thinking.
‘We Ain’t All Middle Class Bohemians’ captures a scene at the festival where a couple sit along the riverbank typing on the typewriter, whilst crowds of people pass by. This woodcut forms one of a series of large blocks cut whilst studying for Laura’s MA and the relief process forms a substantial part of her fine art practice. Working large scale in her studio with ply is a time consuming process which offers a contrast to the collaborative and often ephemeral elements of her practice.
Jackson’s were very pleased to once again provide sponsorship for our own award and the lucky recipient will receive £200 worth of vouchers to spend with us. Dominica Harrison was awarded the prize for her work titled ‘Illusions’ – an animated film which was the product of hand drawn animation combined with the physical process of screen-printing.
Each frame was hand-drawn, turned into digital separations, physically printed on A3 sheets of paper and composed into the animated sequence using software. The film was inspired by a short story ‘Goat’s Eyes’ by Max Frei. It follows two characters whose stories were accidentally connected by a cause of an accident, due to which they find themselves lost, each in their own limbo. The film follows them on their journey through the landscapes of the own imagination. To get out, they need to win the simple of game with only one rule: next level is one step down.
The exhibition of the winning artworks is now on at neo:gallery27 until 30th October 2016.
